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Home > Why disclose as a company > How to disclose as a company

How to disclose as a company

Please note, this information is updated on an ongoing basis.

This guide covers the key steps to disclose as a company including setting up a CDP account, responding to the CDP questionnaire(s), and receiving a CDP score. Our timeline below shows the key dates in the disclosure cycle.

Steps 1 and 2 are for new users only. If you are a returning user, please sign in to your account and skip to Step 3.

1. Create your account with CDP (new users only)

You need to create your own CDP account in order to access your organization's dashboard and disclose. You must register with your company email address.

Only one person needs to register for your organization. They can add more users to your organization’s account once they have successfully registered.

2. Get access to your organization’s account (new users only)

Follow the step below that most closely applies to you.

  • I received an email from CDP to say the Online Response System (ORS) is open.

Use the activation link contained in the email to activate your CDP account and access your organization's dashboard. If you have an issue with the activation link, please contact the Help Center.

  • One of my colleagues already has access to our organization's dashboard.

Your organization's Main User can add you to your organization's dashboard. Instructions for adding users are available in the Disclosure Platform Guide (page 18). If you don't know who your organization's Main User is, please sign into the Help Center and access My Support.

  • No one in our organization has access to our dashboard.

We will need to connect you to your organization's existing CDP account. To help us do this, first you need to complete the Join an Organization form. For more information, read our Join an Organization Knowledge Article.

If you have not been requested to respond to CDP but would like to, read more about responding as a self-selected company (SSC) including instructions on how to set up and access your dashboard.

3. Sign in to your organization's CDP dashboard and access the Online Response System (ORS) when it opens

Sign in to your account to access your organization’s dashboard.

The Online Response System (ORS) is located in the dashboard. This is the platform where companies enter their information as part of their CDP disclosure. Check the timeline below for the ORS open date.

When the ORS is open, your dashboard will contain key information and tools to support your disclosure journey, such as:

  • The questionnaire(s) you have been requested to respond to;
  • The organization(s) requesting your response, although some may be added later in the cycle*;
  • Other users in your organization;
  • A link to access the Online Response System (ORS); and
  • A link to our Help Center, or contact details for your disclosure account manager (if applicable).

If you are reporting data on behalf of subsidiaries that have received disclosure requests, you will see their questionnaires and requesting authorities along with associated contacts on your dashboard. Please note that although subsidiary contacts are available on the dashboard, they cannot view or edit your organization’s response.

* If you are expecting a request from a particular organization but cannot see this in your dashboard, get in touch with your local CDP point of contact, or sign into the Help Center and access My Support.

4. Activate your questionnaire(s)

Before you can begin your CDP disclosure and start answering your questionnaire(s), a user for your organization must complete the following onboarding steps to activate your questionnaire(s):

  1. Sign in to your account;
  2. Set your intention to disclose*;
  3. Confirm the Main User for your organization;
  4. Confirm your organization’s details*;
  5. Understand and confirm which version of the questionnaire you need to answer (either minimum or full); and
  6. Select or review your organization’s activity classification via the CDP Activity Classification System (ACS).

* You can skip this and return to it later.

You will need to repeat Steps 2, 5 and 6 for every thematic questionnaire you are requested to complete (i.e. Climate Change, Water Security, Forests).

For more information about these steps, read our Activate your CDP questionnaire guidance.

5. Complete your CDP questionnaire(s) and submit your response(s)

Once you have completed the instructions in Step 4, you can begin answering the questionnaire(s) as part of your CDP disclosure.

You can find more information about completing your questionnaire(s) and submitting your response as well as further guidance for companies disclosing.

If you are eligible to pay an admin fee to disclose, you will need to do this before submitting your response. See Step 6 for more details about payments.

The deadline to submit your response(s) to be eligible to receive a CDP score is 26 July 2023. To learn more about CDP scores and the criteria for scoring, please see the Scoring Introduction.


Amending your response

You can amend your response after submitting it right up until the scoring deadline. However, after this date, you can only make amendments to your Supply Chain module (if this is applicable to you).

We may be able to make limited changes to your main questionnaire response after the scoring deadline. However these changes will not be considered for scoring purposes. Please sign into the Help Center and access My Support if you would like to make such changes. We can tell you whether this is possible and the next steps.

6. Pay the admin fee (if applicable to you)

If you are eligible to pay the admin fee, you will need to do this before submitting your response.

Only the Main User can view and pay the admin fee. Payment is made via the payment block on your dashboard. If you cannot see this, it means your organization does not need to pay the admin fee.

Learn more about the admin fee including whether it applies to you and how to pay your fee.

7. Celebrate your disclosure

Once you have submitted your response, there are several opportunities to celebrate your CDP disclosure. These include:

  • The release of public responses – typically in October;
  • The release of the CDP Disclosure toolkit – typically in October or after the ORS closes; and
  • The score release date – to be confirmed.

If you are eligible for a score, this will appear on your dashboard once CDP has released these. CDP may share your score with your requesting authorities and publish this on the CDP website depending on the circumstances of your request (i.e. who has requested you to disclose). For more information about scoring, read the scoring guidance for companies.

CDP releases an annual A-list which celebrates the organizations who achieve an A score. CDP will issue these A-list organizations with a comms pack to help them celebrate their achievement.

8. Learn more about CDP services and provide feedback

Learn more

During or after your first disclosure cycle, you may wish to learn more about CDP’s programs and memberships such as:

  • The Reporter Services Program;
  • The Supply Chain Membership; and
  • Partnerships/Accredited Solutions Providers.


Feedback

We offer several opportunities for you to provide feedback about your CDP disclosure experience to help us make improvements for future cycles.

After your disclosure, your organization’s Main User and Disclosure Primary Contact will receive a Post Disclosure Survey via email.

If you did not disclose, but were requested to, you may receive a Non-Responder Survey. Your feedback will help us understand and tackle the barriers that companies face when it comes to environmental disclosure.

You can provide feedback at any time via our General Feedback Form. We encourage you to rate our Knowledge Base articles within our Help Center.

2023 timeline


2023 questionnaires and guidance materials are available on our guidance page.


The Online Response System (ORS) opens the w/c 17 April for 2023 corporate disclosure. Sign in and activate your questionnaire(s) when the ORS opens.


Submit by Wednesday, 26 July 2023 to be eligible to receive a CDP score. We strongly advise companies to submit early to avoid unexpected delays and disappointment. Please reach out to the Help Center or your local CDP contact if you have any questions.


The Online Response System (ORS) will close for the 2023 disclosure cycle on Wednesday, 27 September 2023. Companies who miss the scoring deadline are encouraged to submit by this date so that their company's 2023 data can be included in CDP's comprehensive collection of self-reported datasets.


For more disclosure information, please see our frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions
Need more help?
Reporting guidance

Ensure you get the best out of disclosure with CDP’s detailed guidance.

CDP workshops

CDP welcomes you to view our in-person workshops. Our events provide support and guidance for the disclosure cycle and beyond.

CDP webinars

These webinars are aimed to provide support and guidance for the 2023 disclosure cycle. Learn how to get started, discover best practices, or strengthen your knowledge of natural capital reporting with insights provided by CDP experts, responding companies, and investors.

Organizational guide for environmental action

A snapshot of actions companies are taking at each stage of this journey towards environmental excellence.

Get more detailed disclosure support

Get tailored support and access to data and insights on reporting and managing your environmental risk. Join CDP’s Reporter Services today.

Need help taking environmental action?

CDP partners with a range of accredited solutions providers who can help companies take action and progress on their journey to environmental leadership.

Frequently asked questions

Got a question about disclosure? Check out our FAQs for more detailed information on the process and how you can get involved.

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