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Guidance for companies

Companies can disclose in response to a request from an investor, a customer, or both. This page covers the basics of the information request and shows some of the guidance that is available. CDP's full suite of guidance materials and recorded webinars can be accessed from the guidance tool after you sign in. View instructions on how to use CDP’s disclosure platform, including the guidance tool.

For more information about CDP’s evolution in disclosure, click below.

Investors and customers can request information from companies through CDP's climate change, forests, and water security questionnaires. Take a look at the latest questionnaires to see what questions you will be asked to respond to this year.

Climate change

Climate change questionnaire for companies disclosing to this year's request.

Forests

Forests questionnaire for companies disclosing to this year's request.

Water security

Water security questionnaire for companies disclosing to this year's request.

CDP provides guidance that explains each question in detail and describes what information to provide, the required format, and where to find tools or further information to construct your answer.

Climate change

Reporting guidance for companies disclosing to this year’s climate change request.

Forests

Reporting guidance for forests disclosing to this year’s forests request.

Water security

Reporting guidance for water security disclosing to this year’s water security request.

Climate change

A map of the relationship between questions in the 2018 climate change questionnaire and the 2019 climate change questionnaire.

Forests

A map of the relationship between questions in the 2018 forests questionnaire and the 2019 forests questionnaire.

Water security

A map of the relationship between questions in the 2018 water security questionnaire and the 2019 water security questionnaire.

CDP technical note – TCFD

An introduction to the TCFD, why CDP has committed to aligning its platform, and how to disclose the TCFD’s recommendations.

CDP technical note – Financial services

Specific guidance for banks, insurance companies and asset managers on the type of information to consider in their CDP climate change response.

Linking GRI and CDP – water security 2018

Provides detailed alignment of the GRI 303: Water and Effluents 2018 and CDP water security 2018. Remains relevant for CDP water security 2019.

View instructions on how to access the guidance tool.

CDP scoring methodologies 2019

CDP uses the scoring methodologies to incentivize companies to measure and manage environmental impacts through participation in CDP's climate change, forests, and water security questionnaires. Each of CDP’s questionnaires has an individual scoring methodology.

Maintaining CDP’s reputation as an independent and unbiased provider of high quality information is of paramount importance. Read our policy on conflicts of interest for more information.

The scoring of CDPs questionnaires is conducted by accredited scoring partners trained by CDP. CDP’s internal scoring team coordinate and collate all scores and run data quality checks and quality assurance processes to ensure that scoring standards are aligned between samples and scoring partners.

Climate change

Full version scoring methodology for companies disclosing to the 2019 climate change request (updated May 3, 2019)

Forests

Full version scoring methodology for companies disclosing to the 2019 forests request (updated May 1, 2019)

Water security

Full version scoring methodology for companies disclosing to the 2019 water security request (updated May 3, 2019)

Scoring Introduction

An introduction to how scoring is applied to all of CDP questionnaires.

Climate change

A guide to the climate change scoring categories and the weightings that will be applied to these categories per sector.

Forests

A guide to the forests scoring categories and the weightings that will be applied to these categories per sector.

Water security

A guide to the water security scoring categories and the weightings that will be applied to these categories per sector.

Climate change

Minimum version methodologies are ONLY applicable to companies responding to a customer request who have less than EUR/USD 250 million annual revenue.

Forests

Minimum version methodologies are ONLY applicable to companies responding to a customer request who have less than EUR/USD 250 million annual revenue.

Water security

Minimum version methodologies are ONLY applicable to companies responding to a customer request who have less than EUR/USD 250 million annual revenue.

Proportional scoring video

Watch our short video webinar to find more about this new approach to scoring.

View instructions on how to access the guidance tool.

Supplier engagement rating introduction

An introduction to CDP’s evaluation of supplier engagement practices disclosed in CDP’s climate change questionnaire

Supplier engagement rating methodology

A system to evaluate supplier engagement practices disclosed in CDP’s climate change questionnaire

Verification

Information on third party verification, including accepted verification standards.

Benchmarking report

Want to compare your performance with peers? Find the insights you need quickly and easily with CDP's custom benchmarking report.

Can't find what you're looking for? Sign in to access additional guidance materials from the guidance tool. View instructions on how to access the guidance tool.

Provide feedback to CDP on the content of our questionnaires, guidance, and scoring methodology via the online Technical Feedback Form.

Need help?

Please contact CDP

Contact our disclosure operations team
[email protected]

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