The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
14 min
Level
In this article, we break down what the EU CBAM is, how it works, and what businesses need to do to comply.
ESG / CSR
Industries
MEASURE
ACT
COMFORM
Our Guide to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)
Level
Key Topics You'll Learn About in This Article
- The importance of the CDP and how it works
- Upcoming deadlines approaching for the CDP
- Various resources provided by the CDP alongside reporting requirements
CDP, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project, is the world’s most widely used database of organizational environmental impact information such as global greenhouse gas emissions.
The organization is a non-profit global disclosure system operating in roughly 90 countries. Organizations use the CDP’s annual questionnaire for disclosing environmental data regarding their greenhouse gas emissions, create a low carbon economy, how they evaluate climate change risks, protect natural resources, forest impact, water resource use, and overall corporate awareness.
The aim of the Carbon Disclosure Project is to improve environmental impact data transparency and support sustainable business by helping companies measure, track, and reduce damage to the environment.
“ CDP can support your environmental journey by turning data into Earth-positive impact. – (CDP). ”
Therefore, the Carbon Disclosure Project can help the world to protect natural resources and prevent dangerous climate change by reducing carbon emissions in cities, states, and regions around the world.
Learn how CDP works to help companies with carbon disclosure to improve their investor and stakeholder relations while supporting a resilient future for the planet.
What is the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)?
CDP, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project, is a global non-profit managing a system for environmental reporting by corporations, municipalities, and the world's largest companies and organizations around the world.
“ With 86% of the S&P 500 now voluntarily disclosing, it’s clear: U.S. companies aspiring to be global leaders understand that climate action is no longer optional – it’s a necessity... transparency equals opportunity. – (Sherry Madera, CEO of CDP [Carbon Disclosure Project]). ”
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Thousands of entities participate in the project by supplying self reported data and various environmental information through the CDP portal to respond to its annual questionnaires. CDP questions are designed to compile data on organizational climate change risks and opportunities, carbon emissions, energy efficiency, water use, and deforestation.
When Was the CDP Founded and Key Facts
CDP was founded in 2000. Since then, it has become one the largest sources for global environmental performance data. CDP compiles this data so investors and other stakeholders can easily access this climate information by request.
CDP also scores companies based on their responses to its annual questionnaire. The aim of identifying leaders across different sectors is to incentivize environmental performance improvements. It helps companies promote environmental action, accountability, and transparency in support of a sustainable economy.
CDP is governed as an international non-profit organization consisting of: CDP Worldwide Group, CDP North America, Inc., and CDP Europe AISBL. CDP’s efforts are funded through international governments’ support and philanthropic grants.
The overview cards below will reveal CDP at a glance:
🌍 CDP Offices
CDP has offices in 50 countries.
📄 Global Disclosures
CDP receives annual disclosures from signatories in 90 countries.
🏢 Corporate Reporting
Over 23,000 companies disclose their environmental impacts.
🏛️ Public Sector
Over 1,100 governments and cities disclose and report to CDP.
💰 Investor Power
Investors with assets of over $130tn in value report to CDP.
🛒 Supply Chain
Purchasers buying $6.4 trillion USD in goods and services requested supplier CDP disclosures.
🌱 Emissions Data
Nearly a fifth of global emissions and environmental data are reported from cities, states, and regions.
🎯 Climate Action
CDP’s platform helps prevent dangerous climate change through transparency and accountability.
📊 Performance Tracking
CDP’s tools help organizations benchmark and improve environmental performance year over year.
What is the Mission of the CDP?
CDP promotes economic prosperity in a way that protects the planet and its people. It engages investors, companies, cities, and governments to measure their environmental impact, increase corporate awareness, and make it a business norm to prevent dangerous climate change.
Using the data gathered through measurement, these entities have guidance on reducing their environmental footprint.
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What Are the Core Values of the CDP?
The core values that CDP operates on include transparency, accountability, gaining knowledge, making improvements, and shared accomplishment. Ultimately, the CDP can help companies to better understand their financial risks associated with climate change (such as via their climate related financial disclosures) in addition to their general environmental risks and how to improve upon environmental leadership.
The interactive flip cards below (move cursor over card to flip) will reveal more about some of these core values of the CDP:
🔍 Transparency
CDP values transparent reporting so that environmental risks can be openly assessed and addressed.
📋 Accountability
Companies that disclose through CDP take responsibility for their environmental impact and progress.
📚 Gaining Knowledge
CDP disclosures help companies better understand their climate-related financial and environmental risks.
⚙️ Making Improvements
Data from CDP enables organizations to take action and lead in environmental performance.
The reason CDP has created its environmental disclosure system is to address global risks such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and water scarcity.
Through a data-driven problem-solving approach, CDP encourages key economic stakeholders to gain awareness of their contribution to key issues, so they can effectively prevent environmental damage.
How Does the CDP Work?
The CDP works by having companies and other entities either supply their information to the platform by request from an authority, or as a self-selected company on their own behalf.
The following types of requesting authorities may ask for companies to report: investor signatories, supply chain members, members of the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, bank members, and members of the RE100 initiative.
The drop down sections below will reveal why the CDP asks for each of these pieces of information:
CDP gathers data requested by investor signatories to help them assess climate-related risks and opportunities in their portfolios. This enables more informed decision-making and encourages corporate transparency and action.
Supply chain members use CDP data to evaluate the environmental performance of their suppliers. This helps reduce risks and emissions across the value chain, supporting more sustainable procurement practices.
CDP collects data for NZAM members to support their efforts in aligning portfolios with a net-zero emissions pathway. The disclosures provide insight into company transition plans and emissions targets.
Bank members rely on CDP data to assess climate-related credit and reputational risks. Transparent disclosures support banks in evaluating financed emissions and meeting regulatory expectations.
CDP asks about RE100 membership to track and promote corporate commitments to 100% renewable electricity. This information highlights environmental leadership and progress on clean energy transitions.
What Are the Deadlines For the CDP?
CDP’s annual questionnaire opens for responses in April each year. Signatories have until July to submit their responses to three key criteria: climate change, forest protection, and water use.
CDP’s questionnaire is scored by CDP-accredited partners who follow established data quality checks and quality assurance procedures to ensure fairness.
The methodology offers a higher score to companies that achieve low-impact operations, ongoing improvement, and transparent disclosure, though its exact methodology changes each year.
2025 Deadlines for CDP
Key deadlines for the CDP in 2025 are as follows:
📄
Week of March 31
Questionnaire and guidance released.
📊
Week of April 28
Scoring methodology published and requesters can start submitting company lists.
📋
June 11
Deadline for list submission by requesters.
📤
Week of June 16
Response window officially opens — you can begin uploading your disclosures.
✅
September 17
Scoring deadline — responses submitted by this date will be scored.
🕐
November 19
Final deadline for unscored responses and amendments. Late submissions accepted, but not scored.
Note: It is important to note that companies can still submit their responses between the deadline for scoring and for reporting in November – the responses shared within this time frame will still be used in CDP's data analytics, but they won’t be scored.
What Kind of Scoring Scale Does the CDP Use?
CDP scores are determined on a scale of A to F for companies. The highest achieving companies are recognized on CDP’s prestigious A-List, published each year in December.
Companies can review the exact scoring methodology on the CDP website in these core criteria, which is updated each year to follow the latest international updates on environmental impact.
What Information Has to Be Disclosed?
The CDP requires information regarding various business operations to be disclosed. Companies self-report data using the CDP questionnaire, responding to questions that address issues material to their business activities.
Climate Questionnaire
The climate change questionnaire requests measurement on GHG emissions, energy use, and internal carbon pricing (if any is available) – all of which pertain to climate related risks.
The climate change questionnaire also aligns with another investor-focused environmental reporting initiative, the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
This part of the questionnaire focuses on forward-looking projections for financial impacts from climate risks to business assets and operations.
Water & Forests Questionnaire
The battle cards below will depict what signatories will have to report in the water, forests, and climate change questionnaires:
🌡️ Climate Change
🔧 Focused on forward-looking risks to assets, operations, and financial impacts
📄 Aligns with the TCFD framework for investor-grade reporting
📋 Extra questions for: agriculture, energy, finance, materials, and transport
🎯 Prioritizes emissions reduction plans and climate governance
💧 Water Security
🌀 Evaluates business exposure to water risks and dependencies
💦 Includes water usage, stress mapping, and pollution disclosures
🌊 Extra questions for: agriculture, energy, chemicals, metals, and mining
📌 Encourages setting targets for freshwater use and discharge
🌳 Forests
🪵 Tracks commodities linked to deforestation like palm oil, timber, soy, and cattle
📦 Requests data on sourcing policies, traceability, and certification
🪪 Extra questions for: agriculture and mining sectors
🌐 Supports forest-positive supply chains and risk mitigation
Additional Sections in Each Questionnaire
In each section of the questionnaire, certain sectors have additional questions due to their stronger impacts:
- Climate change: agriculture, energy, financial services, materials, and transport
- Water security: agriculture, energy, chemicals, metals, and mining
- Forests: agriculture and mining
Is There a Fee for CDP Disclosure?
CDP funds its operations in part from fees collected for disclosures to its key initiatives and to report for investor requests. Certain companies reporting for recognition through the following initiatives are required to pay an annual fee:
The fees vary by the following regions: UK, Western European countries, Japanese companies, Brazilian companies, Latin America (excluding Brazil), Indian companies, All other companies.
Breakdown of Classified Fees for CDP
The fees also vary by the following fee classifications:
- Subsidized contribution: This is a reduced fee for small- to medium-sized businesses who receive CDP support from external funding sources. It includes platform reporting, the CDP tool suite for reporting and guidance, and communications opportunities related to disclosure.
- Standard contribution: This fee provides full access to the platform and its benefits including platform reporting, the CDP tool suite, and communications opportunities. It also includes pre-paid entry to a CDP event.
- Enhanced contribution: This fee option offers supporters of the CDP mission an option to contribute more than the required contribution for additional data insights. Additional CDP aligned badges, platform access options, and reports are available as benefits for this membership option.
CDP Fee exemptions
Companies will not be subject to fees under certain circumstances.
- Reporting for the first time in three years: If an investor/RE 100 and/or NZAM request applies to the company and it hasn’t reported in three years, it is exempt.
- Non-investor requests: If the request for submission comes from customers or a bank, it is exempt.
All required fees will appear in the CDP dashboard prior to disclosure. Find the exact fee amounts for different contribution types on CDP’s Admin FAQ page.
CDP Fees by Country
| Country/Region | Subsidized Contribution | Standard Contribution | Enhanced Contribution | Fee Exemptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | Reduced fee for small- to medium-sized businesses | Full access to platform and benefits | Additional data insights and CDP aligned badges | Exempt if reporting for the first time in three years or non-investor requests |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Reduced fee for small- to medium-sized businesses | Full access to platform and benefits | Additional data insights and CDP aligned badges | Exempt if reporting for the first time in three years or non-investor requests |
| 🇪🇺 Western Europe | Reduced fee for small- to medium-sized businesses | Full access to platform and benefits | Additional data insights and CDP aligned badges | Exempt if reporting for the first time in three years or non-investor requests |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | Reduced fee for small- to medium-sized businesses | Full access to platform and benefits | Additional data insights and CDP aligned badges | Exempt if reporting for the first time in three years or non-investor requests |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | Reduced fee for small- to medium-sized businesses | Full access to platform and benefits | Additional data insights and CDP aligned badges | Exempt if reporting for the first time in three years or non-investor requests |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | Reduced fee for small- to medium-sized businesses | Full access to platform and benefits | Additional data insights and CDP aligned badges | Exempt if reporting for the first time in three years or non-investor requests |
| 🌎 Latin America (excluding Brazil) | Reduced fee for small- to medium-sized businesses | Full access to platform and benefits | Additional data insights and CDP aligned badges | Exempt if reporting for the first time in three years or non-investor requests |
| 🇮🇳 India | Reduced fee for small- to medium-sized businesses | Full access to platform and benefits | Additional data insights and CDP aligned badges | Exempt if reporting for the first time in three years or non-investor requests |
| 🌐 All other companies | Reduced fee for small- to medium-sized businesses | Full access to platform and benefits | Additional data insights and CDP aligned badges | Exempt if reporting for the first time in three years or non-investor requests |
Voluntary Disclosures: Can Your Company Disclose to the CDP Without a Request?
CDP encourages companies to self-report their environmental impact data via its different questionnaires. This type of disclosure is what CDP refers to as a self-selected company (SSC).
SSCs are subject to an administrative fee, which varies by fee type and region. Like a company reporting by request, an SSC agrees to make its questionnaire responses available to investors who participate in CDP and receive a score. The same scoring methodology and rules for other companies applies to SSCs.
Apart from investors, self-selected company responses are only visible to supply chain members, banks, and other stakeholders if the SSC submits a public response. These companies can proceed by contacting CDP’s Help Center.
Why Should Your Company Report to CDP?
Your company should report to the CDP as it's a way to address the global risks of climate change, deforestation, and water security – meaning disclosing to the CDP can demonstrate your own organization's accountability and transparency. These risks have intensified for decades. They require sustained approaches to decreasing the risk, which requires global mobilization towards a low carbon economy.
Companies can demonstrate their environmental targets and commitments by reporting to CDP. Data collection is the first step to making meaningful progress toward reducing negative environmental impacts and complying with a climate disclosure.
It incentivizes action by giving interested parties valuable information on environmental sustainability that drives investor and consumer responses.
Contribute to CDP Database
The information aids comparisons across industry sectors through benchmarking and environmental management. CDP’s guidance and framework also provides insights on improving targets to align with science to help companies report their carbon data and collect info from the CDP's online response system.
Contributing to CDP’s database also improves the global knowledge base on key environmental issues. CDP’s database tracks and monitors the total increases and decreases of critical natural resources and polluting greenhouse gases.
Companies that report to CDP act in good faith to ensure stakeholder trust. Recognition on the A-List also confers prestige, while promoting stronger business competition towards sustainability goals.
Benefits For Everyone Under the CDP
Companies that can distinguish themselves on environmental impact issues both save on costs while improving their overall brand purpose. Customers, employees, and investors all find environmental performance attractive for different reasons.
The summary cards below will breakdown how customers, employees, stakeholders, and investors can benefit from improved financial performance:
🛍️ Customers
Improved financial performance often means better products, more stable pricing, and increased brand trust — all of which enhance the customer experience and satisfaction.
👩💼 Employees
Strong financial results can support better salaries, professional development opportunities, and a healthier, more resilient company culture.
🤝 Stakeholders
With improved performance, stakeholders gain confidence in the organization’s long-term vision and impact, making collaboration and alignment easier.
📈 Investors
Better financial results typically translate into stronger returns, reduced risk, and increased investor confidence in ESG-driven strategies.
As a whole, the CDP can help to support almost anyone involved in an organization. For instance, the CDP helps consumers live their own lives more sustainably by supporting aligned companies. Employees get satisfaction by working for companies whose impact they consider meaningful. Investors may see environmental performance as a sign of reduced investment risk and potential for long-term returns.
CDP signatories have a stronger awareness of their own risks and opportunities, which can help them improve their overall business strategy.
Finally, companies that report to CDP have less of an administrative hurdle to overcome when governments start to require emissions or climate risk data through regulations.
How Can Your Company Disclose Through CDP?
After a company becomes a signatory of CDP, it will be provided with a dashboard where a company can access CDP’s platform, known as its Online Response System (ORS). This platform has pre-assigned questions based on a company’s profile.
The dashboard provides information on the specific requesting authorities asking for information, and which questionnaires they have requests to respond to.
CDP notifies organizations of any requests to respond with an email. It provides the link to the dashboard. To access the platform, first-time respondents should register for a CDP account and password.
Business associates who have not previously registered their contact information with a company will be asked to complete a form for permission to access their organization’s dashboard.
The timeline below will breakdown how companies disclose through the CDP:
-
1. Becoming a Signatory 📝
Companies start by signing on to CDP, officially agreeing to participate in climate-related disclosures.
-
2. Dashboard Access 💻
Companies receive access to CDP’s Online Response System (ORS), where their dashboard shows assigned questionnaires and requesters.
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3. Email Notification ✉️
CDP alerts companies via email when they have received a new disclosure request, including a link to their dashboard.
-
4. First-Time Registration 🆕
If it’s a company’s first time disclosing, they must register for a CDP account and set a password to access the ORS.
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5. Business Associate Access 👥
If another team member needs access, they must fill out a form to be linked to their company’s CDP dashboard.
-
6. Begin Disclosure 📤
Once access is set, companies can begin responding to assigned questionnaires directly through the ORS.
What Resources Are Available to Help in the Disclosure Process?
Reporting to the CDP can be challenging the first few times an organization logs in, but the CDP provides support to make disclosure and the overall reporting process easier – and all of the resources information on this guidance can be found on the CDP’s guidance page on their website.
How Do These Resources Help Companies Disclosing to the CDP?
These resources help as it allows companies to preview the questionnaires for climate change, forests, and water security either directly online or in a downloadable format.
If you want to get a strong support in your CDP reporting, get in touch with Greenly's team by clicking here.
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Additional reporting guidance is also available on the page. You’ll find introductions to the questionnaire modules, why questions are being asked, and support regarding other frameworks like TCFD. Practical assistance on the requested content, term glossaries, and sample responses are also available.
Organizations often wish to investigate their opportunities for scoring higher. This is easy to research on CDP’s website where the methodology for each questionnaire (climate change, forest, and water security) can be found.
Note : It is important for organizations to review the scoring materials including the introductory overview, methodologies, and scoring categories and weights.
Additional Resources for the CDP
Additional reporting guidance is also available on the page. You’ll find introductions to the questionnaire modules, why questions are being asked, and support regarding other frameworks like TCFD. Practical assistance on the requested content, term glossaries, and sample responses are also available.
Organizations often wish to investigate their opportunities for scoring higher. This is easy to research on CDP’s website where the methodology for each questionnaire (climate change, forest, and water security) can be found.
These materials help organizations identify what requirements must be met for certain scores, how points are earned, and which sections or questions have the highest weight.
For in-depth questions not answered on the website itself, CDP signatories are welcome to dig deeper in the webinars, workshops, and other events offered by CDP.
Apart from responding to questionnaires, companies also have questions on how to implement actions they need to take to receive a higher score. The strategies companies use may depend on their overall business strategy. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.
To explore different options, organizations can read the CDP “Organizational Guide for Environmental Action” to see a roadmap of company actions and case studies.
One-on-One CDP Assistance
Finally, if an organization needs one-to-one assistance, CDP provides Reporting Services support from its local offices. External support is also available from Accredited Solutions Providers (ASPs).
However, if your company is looking for an organization that can guide you through more than just the CDP, such as the TCFD, CSRD, SBTi, and more – then Greenly is one of the best possible resources.
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What About Greenly?
If reading this article has inspired you to consider your company’s own carbon footprint, Greenly can help.
At Greenly we can help you to assess your company’s carbon footprint, and then give you the tools you need to cut down on emissions. We offer a free demo for you to better understand our platform and all that it has to offer – including assistance with boosting supplier engagement, personalized assistance, and new ways to involve your employees.
Learn more about Greenly’s carbon management platform here.
Sources
CDP https://www.cdp.net/en
Invest Europe https://www.investeurope.eu/invest-europe-esg-reporting-guidelines/who-is-who/cdp-formerly-the-carbon-disclosure-project/
Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/disclosure-isnt-just-about-saving-the-planet-its-a-business-necessity-now-says-cdp-chief-5577aaa9
Net Zero Asset Managers https://www.netzeroassetmanagers.org/
Climate Group Re100 https://www.there100.org/
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