CDP is a non-profit disclosure system. When a customer that is a CDP supply chain member asks you to disclose, you answer an online questionnaire on climate, and sometimes forests and water, by the deadline, 28 October in 2026. Smaller companies can usually use the shorter SME questionnaire. Responses are scored from A to D-, and companies requested only by customers pay no admin fee. Calculate your footprint first: it is the core of the answer.
What CDP is
CDP, formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project, is a non-profit that runs a global environmental disclosure system on climate change, forests and water. Companies answer an online questionnaire once a year, and CDP scores the answers and shares them with the investors, banks and customers who asked. More than 22,000 companies disclosed through CDP in 2025.
Why you received a request
Large companies that are CDP supply chain members ask their suppliers to disclose, because supplier emissions are part of their own Scope 3 and their targets depend on them. Investors and banks can also request a company to disclose. The request comes by email from CDP on behalf of the customer, with a link to the online response system.
Which questionnaire
The full corporate questionnaire covers climate, forests and water in one integrated response and is aligned with the international and European reporting standards. Smaller companies can usually answer the shorter SME questionnaire instead; CDP sets the limits by headcount and revenue. Nearly 11,000 companies used the SME questionnaire in 2025, and in 2026 optional forest and water questions were added to it.
Scores, fees and deadlines
CDP scores responses from A, for leadership, down to D-, for disclosure only. A company that is requested but does not respond gets an F. Since 2026, smaller companies can also earn an SME A score for climate, which CDP says is not equivalent to an A on the full questionnaire.
Companies pay an admin fee to disclose, unless they were requested only by supply chain members, banks, private markets members or the RE100 initiative. In 2026, responses close on 28 October.
What the climate questions ask for
The climate part asks how climate issues are governed, which climate-related risks and opportunities affect the business, your Scope 1 emissions, Scope 2 by both the location-based and market-based methods, Scope 3 by category, your reduction targets and initiatives, and whether the figures were verified. The emissions figures and the targets carry the most weight, so calculate your footprint before you open the questionnaire.
Doing it in Greener Ahead
Greener Ahead does not submit CDP responses. Carbon accounting in Greener Ahead calculates the figures the questionnaire asks for: Scope 1, Scope 2 location-based and market-based, and all 15 Scope 3 categories, with the emission factor and source behind every tonne. It costs €1,495 per year with unlimited users, and you can try it free for 14 days without a card. Check the pricing page for current details.
What the climate questions ask and where the answer comes from
Most of the answers come from documents you may already have.
| Topic | What CDP asks | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Governance | Who oversees climate issues at board and management level | Board minutes, job descriptions |
| Risks and opportunities | Climate-related risks and opportunities and their effect on the business | A short risk assessment |
| Emissions | Scope 1, Scope 2 location-based and market-based, Scope 3 by category | Your carbon footprint |
| Targets | Reduction targets with base year, target year and coverage | Your target or decarbonisation plan |
| Initiatives | Reduction projects and their estimated savings | Your decarbonisation plan |
| Verification | Whether a third party verified the figures | A verification statement, if you have one |
Before you start
Five checks save time once the questionnaire is open.
- Check whether you can use the SME questionnaire or need the full one.
- Confirm who requested you, to know whether a fee applies.
- Calculate last year’s footprint with both Scope 2 methods.
- Gather your governance and target documents.
- Decide whether your response will be public or shared only with those who asked.
Sources and scope
- CDP: disclosure 2026
- CDP: frequently asked questions
- GHG Protocol: Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard
These resources explain a preparation workflow. Check your selected standard and recipient requirements before sharing your report.
Joost ThissenFounder
