CDP Disclosure Insight Action

Background & history of origins

The CDP (formerly known as the “Carbon Disclosure Project”) was launched in 2000 at No.10 Downing Street and is now the world’s largest emissions registry for corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is the first independent, globally unified mechanism through which companies report their greenhouse gas emissions and their assessment of climate change risks. CDP is an international independent non-profit organization that provides companies and cities with the only global system for environmental information. Every year, thousands of companies and organisations around the world are surveyed on CO2 emissions, climate risks, reduction targets and strategies. Participation in the Carbon Disclosure Project is requested by more than 767 institutional investors with 92,000 billion USD in assets, is made known via specialized information services such as Bloomberg, Google and Deutsche Börse and forms the basis for many investment decisions. CDP data also plays an important role in assessments by credit institutions as well as when major manufacturers such as BMW, L’Oreal and Unilever award contracts to their suppliers.

The submitted answers of the companies are evaluated by CDP and published in reports. The surveyed companies can receive support in answering the questions as well as in calculating the carbon footprint from accredited partners of CDP.

CDP Questionnaire

The questionnaire consists of four parts:

Management’s assessments of the risks and opportunities for the company associated with climate change
Systematic recording of greenhouse gas emissions (carbon accounting)
Management strategies with regard to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, risk management and development of potentials
Corporate governance with regard to climate change

In order to measure greenhouse gas emissions, companies are recommended to follow the GHG Protocol (“Greenhouse Gas Protocol”) and the ISO 14064 standard.