Welcome to CDP's global website
Please select the site for your country / region to view the most suitable information
To build resilience against the climate crisis while rapidly decarbonizing, protecting precious ecosystems and empowering communities, we must mobilize an underutilized stakeholder in the global economy: public authorities.
North America’s 30,000+ public authorities go by many names: agencies, government-owned enterprises, crown corporations. They run critical systems used by millions of people each day – from airports and seaports, to housing and public transit, to water and power utilities. But they have a profound environmental impact, from the purchasing decisions they make from suppliers, to GHG emissions and local water pollution. And as storms, wildfires and other climate change impacts become more severe and frequent, these vital systems are increasingly under threat.
How will public authorities mitigate their environmental impact and seize valuable sustainability opportunities while continuing to provide essential services for all communities across the country – despite worsening climate change?
Disclosure is a preparedness tool that enables progress on environmental issues. It helps public authorities manage climate impacts, uncover risks and opportunities and allows them to benchmark against peers. In 2022, CDP launched a new environmental disclosure model tailored specifically for public authorities. This includes a pilot annual questionnaire.
Clear, consistent and detailed data is crucial for regulators, investors, businesses and consumers to understand these authorities’ environmental risk exposure and their direct and indirect contributions to the climate crisis. CDP produces useful insights based on this data that point out trends, successes and acceleration still needed.
Benefits of participation
- Advance greater capital flows into public authorities driven by transparency and investor visibility
- Accelerate climate action and resiliency work
- Streamline environmental reporting, as CDP disclosure is aligned with the TCFD, SBTi and SDGs
- Get ahead of regulation and future policy mandates
- Learn best practice in environmental action to guide internal strategies and empower external communication
“CDP disclosure helps us align our climate change mitigation practices with global best practices, as well as understand the internal processes needed to strengthen and institutionalize the Agency’s long-term success in responding to climate change.”Christine Weydig, Director of the Office of Environmental and Energy Programs at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
Release: New public authorities disclosure
In June 2021, CDP and NY State announced it will collaborate to develop an environmental disclosure model tailored specifically for public authorities.
Case study: Advancing Arizona's economy
Arizona is investing in two critical drivers for economic attraction and growth: sustainability and transparency.
Op-ed: Creating resilient airports
The Dallas/Forth Worth Airport’s dedication to sustainability is increasing its ability to raise investment capital and keep its doors open during severe weather.
Public authorities are increasingly striving to manage environmental risks. Many are seeking financing for capital-intensive sustainability projects which, when implemented with an intentional equity focus, often directly benefit and empower historically marginalized communities and have immediate and long-term social impacts, such as reducing air pollution in majority-BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) neighborhoods.
But we must move faster and be bolder.
Fortifying our critical infrastructure systems can help cities and states withstand extreme weather caused by climate change, as well as create jobs, enhance social equity and drive economic development in their regions.
CDP’s public authorities disclosure initiative will create engagement and transfer of information between investors and public agencies seeking capital. The overall goal is to enhance transparency that will promote effective and efficient flows of capital and equitable community investment – allowing the resilient, green cities and states of tomorrow to take shape today.
Guidance and information