CDP has introduced an administrative fee for companies responding to one or more of our investor requests on climate change, water or forests. From 2017 the fee will apply to companies listed, incorporated or headquartered in North America, Latin America, Western Europe, South Africa and parts of Asia-Pacific.

There are three levels of fee, payable once annually regardless of how many programs (climate change, water and forests) a company responds to:

1. Minimum contribution – a subsidized rate that does not reflect the full cost of providing our platform, reporting frameworks and guidance, and the communications benefits of our system.
2. Full cost contribution – covering the full cost of providing the platform, the development of our reporting frameworks and guidance, and the communications benefits of our system. Companies contributing at this level are recognized as a “CDP Supporter”
3. Enhanced contribution – covering the full cost of providing the platform, the development of our reporting frameworks and guidance, and the communications benefits of our system. It also supports further development to provide greater value to reporting companies in the future. Companies making an enhanced contribution are recognized as a “CDP Premium Supporter”

For 2017, the fees are:

We understand you may have questions about this process. Here are answers to some commonly asked questions but please contact us if you have any additional queries.

1. Why has CDP introduced a fee?
2. Why does it apply only in certain countries?
3. What are the benefits to responding companies?
4. How will CDP use the fees?
5. What action is being driven by CDP responses?
6. What is the payment procedure?

Why has CDP introduced a fee?

CDP marks its 16th year in December 2016. As a not-for-profit organization we have relied on funding from a range of sources including philanthropic and government grants, sponsorship and fees for services. To deliver our services at the necessary global scale, we now require a small contribution towards our costs from both companies and investors participating in our system.

Why does it apply only in certain countries?

In 2017 the fee will apply to companies listed, incorporated or headquartered in North America, Latin America, Western Europe, South Africa and parts of Asia-Pacific where reporting is well established. As reporting becomes standard business practice elsewhere we will introduce the fee in these countries.

Countries where the admin fee currently applies

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, USA.

What are the benefits to responding companies?

Participating in CDP provides companies with a highly visible, internationally recognized external platform for communicating their sustainability performance and strategy. CDP’s widely cited and referenced reports are used by relevant financial and business audiences around the world, and offer companies broad opportunities to promote and highlight their work to address climate change, water security and deforestation to numerous audiences.

Disclosure provides a framework that helps companies build their understanding of environmental risks and identify possible gaps in organizational processes and strategies for tackling these risks. It also enables companies to benchmark progress against peers, learn faster through shared best practice and communicate this progress to stakeholder communities. CDP’s standardized questions and ensuing reports reduce reporting burdens by facilitating disclosure to a multitude of stakeholders at once. CDP’s knowledgeable staff is available to provide expertise and valuable guidance and support on the process and benefits of disclosure.

CDP also acts as an advocate for companies undertaking the hard work of disclosure, amplifying the voices of business through global communications and showcasing leadership to peer companies, investors, media, academics, regulators and policymakers.

How will CDP use the fees?

Corporate and investor contributions will be used to maintain the disclosure system in order to support growing traffic. This includes the online platform and free disclosure support available through guidance documents, webinars and email. In addition, CDP updates questionnaires and scoring methodologies annually in a way that incorporates stakeholder feedback, streamlines the reporting process for companies and captures the most relevant and latest developments. CDP also works to further compatibility with other reporting platforms to reduce the reporting burden for companies, including GRI and DJSI.

What action is being driven by CDP responses?

The time spent by companies on their CDP responses is highly valued by a wide stakeholder group. These responses have enabled us to create the world’s largest database of corporate environmental information, covering climate, water and forest-risk commodities. The insight from this data is paving the way to a more sustainable economy – with company feedback clearly confirming the benefits not only of the resulting data but also of the process of disclosing.

CDP’s dataset and insights are transforming the way investors approach climate change in their portfolios and track companies’ environmental performance. Investors use CDP scores and reports to construct ESG metrics that enable them to rank and compare companies, assess carbon footprints, and support company engagement.

The data is also made available widely via a number of different channels including through leading financial data and ESG research providers.

What is the payment procedure?

When submitting responses through CDP’s online response system, companies will be able to pay by credit card or generate an invoice to pay by other means. You will have the option to make a minimum, full cost or enhanced contribution.

The annual fee is payable only once annually regardless of how many programs (climate change, water and forests) a company responds to.