# CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) Compliance

## Climate & Carbon Reporting

###### Carbon Disclosure Project — Environmental Disclosure System

## 23,100+ Companies Disclosed Through CDP in 2025. Your Customers Already Score You. Do You Have the Supply Chain Data to Respond?

CDP disclosure requires Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions data, climate risk assessments, science-based targets, and value chain engagement evidence—collected from across your supplier base. Over 270 corporate buyers use CDP Supply Chain to evaluate supplier environmental performance. Your CDP score shapes procurement decisions, investor confidence, and contract eligibility.

Certivo automates CDP data collection from supplier emissions evidence to submission-ready disclosure packages.

23,100+

Companies disclosing through CDP (2025)

270+

Corporate buyers using CDP Supply Chain for procurement decisions

11.4x

Average ratio of Scope 3 to operational emissions

## Regulation Overview

**Jurisdiction**  
Global (headquartered in UK; disclosures from 130+ countries)

**Regulatory Body**  
CDP (non-profit; backed by 740+ financial institutions representing $142T+ in assets)

**Regulation Number**  
CDP Corporate Questionnaire (aligned with ISSB IFRS S2, ESRS, GHG Protocol, TCFD/TNFD)

**Effective Date**  
Voluntary, but de facto mandatory for companies requested by investors or supply chain buyers

**Official Source**  
[https://www.cdp.net](https://www.cdp.net/)

**Key Threshold**  
No size threshold—any company requested by an investor or buyer is expected to disclose

# What is CDP?

CDP operates the world's largest environmental disclosure system. For supply chain and compliance teams, CDP is increasingly a gatekeeper—your customers and investors use CDP scores to make procurement and investment decisions. A low score or non-response can cost you contracts and capital access.

The CDP questionnaire covers climate change, water security, and forests in a single integrated format. Companies must report Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, climate governance, risk management, science-based targets, and supplier engagement strategies. CDP scores from A to D (with F for non-response) are publicly available and used as industry benchmarks.

CDP compliance requires supplier-level environmental data—emissions figures, energy consumption, reduction targets, and verification evidence—from across your value chain. When CDP updates its questionnaire or scoring methodology, your entire data collection process requires reassessment.

## Key Components / Sub-Frameworks

**Obligation**  
Core disclosure—scored for all responding companies

**Climate Change Questionnaire**  
Scope 1, 2, 3 emissions; governance; risks; targets; strategy

**Obligation**  
Scored if company meets sector impact or external request criteria

**Water Security Questionnaire**  
Water withdrawal, consumption, risks, and governance

**Obligation**  
Scored for 7 commodities: cattle, palm oil, soy, timber, cocoa, coffee, rubber

**Forests Questionnaire**  
Deforestation-linked commodity sourcing and targets

**Obligation**  
Suppliers must respond to buyer requests or risk procurement consequences

**CDP Supply Chain Program**  
Buyer-requested supplier environmental disclosure

**Obligation**  
Rated annually; increasingly used in procurement scorecards

**Supplier Engagement Rating (SER)**  
Assessment of how companies engage suppliers on climate

**Obligation**  
Public scores influence investor, customer, and market decisions

**CDP Scoring Methodology**  
A to D progression-based scoring (F for non-response)

## CDP 2026 Questionnaire Opens April 27. Scoring Deadline: September 14. Is Your Supplier Data Collection Ready?

The 2026 CDP cycle introduces expanded physical risk reporting, new scoring for cocoa, coffee, and rubber commodities, and a new optional Oceans theme. ISSB alignment deepens further. Companies relying on last year's data will fall behind—CDP scores reward continuous improvement and current-year evidence.

## Key Compliance Requirements

# Who Must Comply

- Companies requested to disclose by CDP-signatory investors (740+ financial institutions)
- Suppliers requested to disclose by CDP Supply Chain member buyers (270+ corporate buyers)
- Companies seeking to maintain or improve public CDP scores for market credibility
- Organizations preparing for mandatory CSRD, ISSB, or California SB 253 reporting
- Companies with science-based targets requiring Scope 3 supplier engagement evidence
- Any company where CDP score is a contractual or procurement prerequisite

# Key Thresholds

#### Investor request
Company added to CDP's annual investor request letter

#### Customer request
Supplier named by CDP Supply Chain member buyer

#### Scope 3 emissions
On average 11.4x higher than operational emissions—requires supplier data

#### SBTi alignment
Science-based target requires supplier engagement covering majority of Scope 3

## Core Obligations

1. **Scope 1 & 2 Reporting**  
`Report direct and purchased energy emissions with methodology and verification`  
**DEADLINE**  
`Annual (2026 deadline: September 14)`

2. **Scope 3 Reporting**  
`Report value chain emissions across all material categories`  
**DEADLINE**  
`Annual—critical for Leadership-level scores`

3. **Climate Governance**  
`Disclose board-level oversight, management accountability, and incentive structures`  
**DEADLINE**  
`Annual`

4. **Risk & Opportunity Assessment**  
`Report climate-related risks, financial impacts, and scenario analysis`  
**DEADLINE**  
`Annual—expanded physical risk focus in 2026`

5. **Science-Based Targets**  
`Disclose emissions reduction targets, ideally SBTi-validated`  
**DEADLINE**  
`Required for A-list and Leadership scores`

## CDP-Specific Pain Points

###### The Scope 3 Data Gap
Your Scope 3 emissions are 11.4x your operational footprint. CDP requires category-level reporting across 15 categories. But 60% of your suppliers have never measured their emissions—and the remaining 40% report in inconsistent formats. Your CDP submission deadline is weeks away.

###### The Annual Questionnaire Scramble
CDP opens the portal in late April. Your deadline is September. You need emissions data, governance evidence, risk assessments, and supplier engagement proof from across the organization. Your team manages this in spreadsheets, chasing responses from sustainability, procurement, finance, and operations. Day 120: you submit an incomplete package.

###### The Supplier Engagement Scoring Trap
CDP's Supplier Engagement Rating evaluates how effectively you drive environmental action through your supply chain. You request data from 500 suppliers. Fewer than 100 respond with usable emissions figures. CDP scores your engagement—not just your own performance. Without systematic supplier data collection, your SER drags down your overall score.

###### The Multi-Framework Reporting Burden
CDP now aligns with ISSB IFRS S2, ESRS, GHG Protocol, and TNFD. Your CSRD team collects Scope 3 data separately. Your carbon accounting team runs a parallel process. Your procurement team has its own supplier questionnaire. Three teams, three data collection efforts, one overlapping dataset. Manual multi-framework ESG management at this scale is unsustainable.

## Certivo in Action

### Certivo in Action—CDP Workflow

**GET EVIDENCE IN**
Collect Supplier Environmental Data for CDP Disclosure—Without the Chasing  
CORA launches targeted campaigns to collect supplier emissions data, energy consumption figures, climate targets, and verification evidence. Automated follow-up in suppliers' native languages.

- Launch CDP data collection campaigns to hundreds of suppliers with one click
- CORA-powered outreach requesting Scope 1, 2, 3 data, targets, and certifications
- Accept any format: CDP responses, GHG reports, PDFs, Excel, EcoVadis exports
- Track response rates and escalate non-responders automatically

**MAKE SENSE OF IT**  
Know Instantly Where Your Scope 3 Gaps Are—and Which Suppliers Need Action  
CORA parses supplier environmental evidence, validates emissions data against GHG Protocol methodology, and flags gaps in your CDP disclosure coverage automatically.

- CORA extracts emissions figures, energy data, reduction targets, and verification status
- Automatic validation against GHG Protocol Scope 3 categories and CDP scoring criteria
- Real-time supplier risk scoring based on data quality, emissions intensity, and target alignment
- Gap analysis identifying missing supplier data before CDP submission deadline

**PROVE COMPLIANCE OUT**  
Generate CDP-Ready Disclosure Packages in Hours, Not Months  
Produce submission-ready CDP data, supplier engagement evidence, and multi-framework reporting packages instantly from validated supplier data.

- One-click Scope 3 calculation packages with supplier-level attribution
- Pre-formatted data exports aligned with CDP questionnaire structure
- Customer-specific environmental compliance packages with full traceability
- Complete audit trail for every validation and response

## One Supplier Submission. Scope 3 Data Across All Categories. CDP-Ready in Hours.

Certivo collects supplier environmental data, extracts emissions figures and targets, validates against GHG Protocol and CDP scoring criteria, and generates disclosure-ready evidence automatically. When CDP updates its questionnaire or scoring methodology, Certivo reassesses your data collection templates and alerts you—before the submission window opens.

**Scope 3 Data Collection**  
**CDP Score Optimization**  
**Supplier Engagement Tracking**  
**Multi-Framework Alignment**  
**Regulatory Intelligence Sync**

## Features Tabs

**Supplier Data Collection**
Emissions Data Extraction  
Scope 3 Monitoring  
CDP Submission Support  
Multi-Framework Reporting

Certivo's automated campaigns achieve 95% response rates vs. 20–30% with manual outreach.

- Targeted campaigns by supplier tier, emissions category, or spend threshold
- Multi-language outreach in suppliers' native languages
- Intelligent follow-up sequences adapting to supplier behavior
- Format-agnostic: CDP exports, GHG reports, PDFs, Excel, EcoVadis, freeform responses

**95%  Supplier Response Rate**

**Emissions Data Extraction**
Every supplier document parsed for emissions figures, energy data, and targets automatically—no manual data entry.

- Deep extraction of Scope 1, 2, 3 figures, energy consumption, emission factors, and methodologies
- Parses GHG reports, CDP supplier responses, and proprietary sustainability templates
- Multi-language document processing
- Anomaly detection for inconsistent or suspicious emissions claims

**99.2% Extraction Accuracy**

**Scope 3 Monitoring**
Always calculated against current supplier data—not last year's estimates.

- Automatic recalculation as new supplier data arrives throughout the year
- Category-level Scope 3 tracking across all 15 GHG Protocol categories
- Proactive alerts when supplier data quality drops below CDP scoring thresholds
- Historical tracking of supplier emissions trends and reduction progress

**Real-Time Supplier Emissions Sync**

**CDP Submission Support**
Generate CDP questionnaire data packages in hours instead of 3–4 months.

- One-click data compilation aligned with CDP 2026 questionnaire structure
- Supplier engagement evidence packages for Supplier Engagement Rating
- Verification-ready emissions summaries supporting third-party assurance
- Deadline tracking across CDP submission, scoring, and reporting windows

**4 hours To Disclosure-Ready Package**

**Multi-Framework Reporting**
One supplier data collection feeds CDP, CSRD, California SB 253, and ISSB simultaneously.

- Pre-mapped data exports compatible with ESRS E1, IFRS S2, and GHG Protocol
- Cross-framework gap analysis identifying overlapping and unique requirements
- Customer trust centers with self-service reporting across sustainability frameworks
- Integrated PLM-ERP compliance thread connecting product data to emissions reporting

## Related Regulations

**EU CSRD**
CSRD requires Scope 3 emissions under ESRS E1; CDP questionnaire is ESRS-aligned

**Combined Value**
Single supplier data collection feeds both CDP disclosure and CSRD sustainability reporting

**ISSB (IFRS S2)**
CDP questionnaire serves as ISSB-aligned baseline for climate disclosure

**Combined Value**
CDP-ready data satisfies ISSB reporting requirements simultaneously

**EU CBAM**
CBAM requires embedded carbon data for imports; overlaps with CDP Scope 3

**Combined Value**
Supplier carbon data collected for CDP supports CBAM certificate obligations

**California SB 253 / SB 261**
California mandatory climate disclosure requires Scope 1, 2, 3 reporting

**Combined Value**
CDP data collection process prepares companies for California compliance

**SBTi**
Science-based targets require supplier engagement on emissions reduction

**Combined Value**
CDP Supplier Engagement Rating directly measures SBTi-aligned supply chain action

**GHG Protocol**
CDP uses GHG Protocol as the accounting backbone for emissions reporting

**Combined Value**
Validated supplier data meets both CDP and GHG Protocol requirements

## Industries Most Impacted

**Automotive Manufacturing**  
Your Pain Point  
Complex Scope 3 across thousands of parts; OEM CDP requirements flow down

**Electronics Manufacturing**  
Your Pain Point  
Energy-intensive manufacturing; semiconductor supply chain emissions; customer CDP mandates

**Industrial & Heavy Equipment**  
Your Pain Point  
High direct emissions; global supply chains; Scope 3 in materials and logistics

**Energy & Infrastructure**  
Your Pain Point  
Scope 1 dominant; transition risk reporting; regulatory overlap with CSRD and CBAM

**Chemical Manufacturing**  
Your Pain Point  
Process emissions; Together for Sustainability (TfS) overlap; product carbon footprint

**Construction Materials**  
Your Pain Point  
High-embodied carbon; cement and steel supply chains; EPD overlap

**Consumer Goods**  
Your Pain Point  
Brand reputation pressure; Scope 3 in packaging, ingredients, logistics

**Pharmaceuticals & Biotech**  
Your Pain Point  
Cold chain emissions; API sourcing from high-intensity regions; investor CDP scrutiny

## Return on Investment

**80% Reduction in Disclosure Labor**  
From Spreadsheet Chaos to Automated Data Collection

CORA collects, parses, and validates supplier environmental data automatically. Your sustainability team focuses on strategy and improvement—not manual data aggregation and email chasing.

**4 hours To CDP-Ready Package**  
Disclosure Compilation Acceleration

Generate complete, verification-ready CDP data packages in hours—not the 3–4 months of manual compilation across suppliers and internal teams.

**Real-Time Scope 3 Visibility**  
Proactive CDP Score Management

When supplier data arrives, Certivo recalculates your Scope 3 position instantly. Know your emissions exposure and data gaps before the CDP submission window opens—not after.

## Key Statistics

23,100+

Companies disclosing through CDP globally

99.2%

Supplier data extraction accuracy from environmental documents

95%

Supplier response rate with CORA-powered campaigns

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Who needs to respond to the CDP questionnaire?**  
Any company requested to disclose by a CDP-signatory investor or CDP Supply Chain member buyer is expected to respond. There is no size threshold—CDP requests reach companies of all sizes across 130+ countries. Over 270 corporate buyers use CDP Supply Chain to request supplier environmental data. Non-response results in an F score, which is publicly visible.

**What are the consequences of a low CDP score or non-response?**  
CDP scores are public. An F (non-response) or D score signals inadequate environmental transparency to investors, customers, and the market. Low scores can result in exclusion from investment funds, loss of preferred supplier status, and reduced competitiveness in procurement processes. Market surveillance of environmental performance is intensifying.

**How does Certivo help with CDP Scope 3 emissions reporting?**  
Certivo automates the collection of supplier emissions data across all 15 GHG Protocol Scope 3 categories. CORA sends targeted campaigns to suppliers, extracts emissions figures from any document format, validates data against GHG Protocol methodology, and generates category-level Scope 3 calculations ready for CDP submission.

**Does Certivo support CDP Supply Chain program requirements?**  
Yes. Certivo enables companies to collect, validate, and manage the environmental data they need both to respond to CDP buyer requests and to request data from their own suppliers. CORA tracks supplier engagement metrics aligned with CDP's Supplier Engagement Rating criteria—response rates, target-setting, emissions reductions, and verification status.

**How does CDP disclosure relate to mandatory regulations like CSRD and ISSB?**  
CDP is aligned with ISSB IFRS S2 and ESRS standards, making it a practical preparation pathway for mandatory disclosure under the EU CSRD and California SB 253/261. Companies that complete a CDP submission already have most of the data needed for mandatory reporting. Certivo collects supplier data once and maps it against CDP, CSRD, ISSB, and CBAM requirements simultaneously—eliminating duplicate collection.

## Ready to Automate CDP Compliance?

See how Certivo's sustainability compliance platform transforms CDP disclosure from annual firefighting to continuous audit readiness and proactive score improvement.

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##### Every account includes a dedicated compliance expert alongside CORA.