To celebrate CDP’s 20th anniversary, we’re inviting members of our global team to reflect on CDP’s achievements and discuss the future of environmental disclosure. Pratima Divgi joined CDP in 2019 as Director of CDP Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Pratima leads the development and implementation of CDP’s regional efforts and engages with corporates, investors and cities in their efforts to measure and manage environmental impact.
What has been your proudest accomplishment during your time at CDP?
I am lucky to work with a highly-motivated team and together we have developed a cohesive working environment, which encourages passionate thinking about corporate commitment to climate action.
Why should a company in APAC start disclosing through CDP?
2020 has seen a major increase in the number of businesses achieving a CDP A score, and companies in the APAC region are behind this growth. Despite the impacts of COVID-19, environmental awareness continues to grow among the business world and APAC companies should step up their environmental transparency – especially as they operate in one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to climate change and environmental risks.
What do you think is CDP’s greatest accomplishment over the past 20 years?
CDP should be proud to be the pioneering force in corporate disclosure on climate change, water security and forests – it has made climate change a mainstream topic in corporate boardrooms, which was not the case 20 years ago.
What do you think will be the biggest challenge for the next 20 years of CDP?
Sustainability is the next frontier for business and finance and economic recovery plans are putting our world leaders’ commitment to low-carbon transition to the test. However, more and more countries are leveraging this moment to invest in a more resilient and inclusive future, as envisioned in the Paris Agreement.
It is vital that corporations and policymakers continue to raise their ambition for climate action, mitigate risks and ramp up efforts to reach net-zero by 2050.
What is the single most important thing people should know about CDP?
While the future of climate policy remains uncertain, CDP is at the forefront of the race to a sustainable future by making sustainability data accessible to policymakers, businesses and other key decision makers. Decarbonization strategies, green finance initiatives from companies and financial institutions are here to stay – and CDP is supporting businesses across our region and beyond in their journey towards climate resilience.
Finish the sentence, ‘I work at CDP because…’
…of its cutting-edge climate research for corporates and its entrepreneurial spirit to drive transformational behaviour in sustainability.
In one word: what does CDP mean to you?
Innovation.