What CDP does

CDP Worldwide is a London-headquartered not-for-profit organization, founded in 2000 and registered as a charity in England (no. 1122330), that operates what it characterizes as the global environmental disclosure system. CDP runs an annual questionnaire-based disclosure process that captures corporate and subnational government environmental data on climate change, water, forests, and biodiversity, with 8,500+ companies and 1,000+ cities, states, and regions reporting through the platform. The disclosure data feeds standardized outputs used by 680+ capital markets signatories (institutional investors with $130T+ AUM), supply chain members, and policymakers to evaluate and act on corporate environmental performance.

CDP's product surface centers on the CDP Disclosure System and supporting infrastructure: the myportal.cdp.net submission portal, a Disclosure API for programmatic access, the Capital Markets Signatory Dashboard, an Open Data Portal for public data access, CDP Scores (an A through D- scoring methodology), and the Water Watch / Corporate Environmental Action Tracker indices. In 2025, CDP launched the AI-powered Adaptation and Action Explorer, which adds natural-language querying and geospatial integration (via Google Earth Engine) on top of the disclosure dataset. The platform architecture combines standardized questionnaire schemas, an annual disclosure cycle, and downstream analytics/scoring products layered on the same underlying data asset.

The business model operates on three primary revenue streams: (1) annual disclosure fees paid by companies submitting disclosures, (2) annual membership dues from capital markets signatories and supply chain / bank program members, and (3) data licensing and scoring revenue. Customer segments are diversified across corporates, institutional investors, and subnational governments. In 2025, CDP restructured into two entities — a CDP Foundation (non-profit) and a separate commercial CDP entity — to allow commercial monetization of data and scoring products alongside the charitable disclosure mission. Geographic operations span London, Berlin, New York, Tokyo, Beijing, São Paulo, and Hong Kong.

Name

CDP

Legal name

CDP Worldwide

Website

https://cdp.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CDP operates the global environmental disclosure system, running annual climate, water, and biodiversity questionnaires used by 8,500+ companies and 1,000+ governments, and supplying the resulting data and proprietary scores to 680+ institutional investors and supply chain members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Disclosure Fees: Fee-paying disclosers (Capital Markets requested organizations, Self-Selected Organizations, and Public Authorities) pay an annual administrative fee to access the CDP Portal and submit disclosures.
2. Capital Markets Signatory Membership: Capital markets signatories pay membership fees for access to Response Data, Scores, webinars, reports, and engagement campaign participation.
3. Data Licensing: Organizations license CDP disclosure data for internal research, portfolio analysis, and regulatory reporting purposes through various data products and licenses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CDP operates the world's only independent global environmental disclosure system, running standardized questionnaires on climate, water, and forests for companies, cities, states, and regions. It collects self-reported environmental data through its CDP Portal, scores disclosure comprehensiveness using a proprietary methodology, and distributes this data to investors and other stakeholders via the Capital Markets Signatory Dashboard, Open Data Portal, Disclosure API, and AI-powered platforms. CDP also licenses its data sets and provides specialized tools for climate adaptation and risk assessment.

Product overview

CDP runs the world's only independent global environmental disclosure system. The core offering is the CDP Disclosure System, encompassing questionnaire-based data collection through the CDP Portal (for companies, cities, states, and regions), the Disclosure API for programmatic submissions, and the CDP Scores assessment system. Supporting platforms include the Capital Markets Signatory Dashboard and Government Dashboard for registered users, the public CDP Open Data Portal for dataset access, and the AI-powered CDP Adaptation and Action Explorer for climate resilience planning. Additional products include the Water Watch - CDP Water Impact Index and CDP Corporate Environmental Action Tracker databases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CDP Adaptation and Action Explorer: AI-powered public purpose platform that helps cities, states and regions understand physical climate and nature risks, link these to current actions, and identify effective adaptation pathways.
• CDP Foundation

Products and services

• CDP Disclosure System The core standardized questionnaire-based environmental disclosure system covering climate change, water security, and forests for companies, cities, states, and regions to measure and manage environmental impacts.
• CDP Portal Online platform where Disclosing Organizations log into accounts to complete and submit CDP questionnaire responses and access relevant information.
• Capital Markets Signatory Dashboard Private dashboard for capital markets signatories to track disclosure submissions, access Scores, Response Data, and participate in engagement campaigns.
• CDP Government Dashboard Registered-user portal for governments to access climate and environmental data related to their jurisdictions.
• CDP Open Data Portal Public platform providing access to environmental disclosure datasets from over 1,000 city, state, and regional governments, including climate risks, emissions, mitigation, adaptation, energy, and water data with downloadable datasets.
• CDP Adaptation and Action Explorer AI-powered public purpose platform helping cities, states, and regions understand physical climate and nature risks, link these to current actions, and identify effective adaptation pathways. Combines CDP disclosure data with Google Earth Engine hazard data.
• Disclosure API Application programming interface connected to the CDP Portal enabling Disclosing Organizations to submit questionnaire responses programmatically through authorized API Software Partners.
• CDP Scores Scoring system assessing level of detail and comprehensiveness of disclosure responses, awareness of environmental issues, management methods, and progress towards environmental stewardship across climate, water, and forest topics.
• Water Watch - CDP Water Impact Index Database providing water-related environmental impact data, available for non-commercial use under license with attribution requirements.
• CDP Corporate Environmental Action Tracker Database tracking corporate environmental actions and performance, available for non-commercial use with attribution to CDP.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,097 companies already use internal carbon price
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Google.orgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoogle.org developed the CDP Adaptation and Action Explorer through the Google.org Fellowship in collaboration with CDP. The Explorer integrates Google Earth Engine hazard data with CDP disclosures and AI to provide tailored climate adaptation intelligence.
• ICLEI - Local Governments for SustainabilitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDP partners with ICLEI to collect climate data from cities through the CDP-ICLEI Track. Cities data in the Adaptation and Action Explorer was collected in partnership by CDP and ICLEI.
• Ode PartnerssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOde Partners participated in the development of the CDP Adaptation and Action Explorer alongside CDP.
• Dun & BradstreetsupportingTechnology or IntegrationLicensed DUNS numbers from Dun & Bradstreet are integrated within the CDP Portal to facilitate disclosure submissions with unique business identifiers.
• CUSIP Global ServicessupportingTechnology or IntegrationISINs from CUSIP Global Services are incorporated into CDP's capital markets data products for security identification.
• S&P Global Market IntelligencesupportingTechnology or IntegrationS&P Global provides company ID information including LEIs, Tickers, and other identifiers that map to market and financial intelligence data within CDP's data products.
• International Energy Agency (IEA)supportingTechnology or IntegrationIEA emissions factors are incorporated into CDP's Greenhouse Gas Emissions dataset for calculating and standardizing emissions data.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• GRESB: GRESB runs a specialized disclosure and benchmarking system for real estate and infrastructure sustainability, sharing CDP's questionnaire-based, signatory-driven disclosure model but focused on a single asset class.
• Carbon Trust: Carbon Trust is a mission-driven sustainability organization that advises corporates and governments on carbon and climate strategy, sharing CDP's non-profit positioning and target audience but focused on advisory rather than standardized disclosure.

Broad incumbents

• Sustainalytics (Morningstar): Sustainalytics produces ESG risk ratings widely used by investors and asset managers that overlap with CDP's investor audience, but is part of Morningstar's broader investment data business.
• Verisk Maplecroft: Verisk Maplecroft provides environmental and human rights risk data used by corporates and investors, overlapping with CDP's climate, water, and forest risk content but as part of Verisk's broader risk analytics portfolio.
• MSCI ESG Research: MSCI ESG Research provides institutional-grade ESG ratings, data, and analytics used by the same capital markets signatories and corporates that engage with CDP, but as part of MSCI's broader index and risk analytics portfolio.
• ISS ESG: ISS ESG provides corporate ESG ratings, climate solutions, and governance data consumed by institutional investors that also subscribe to CDP data products, but operates within ISS's broader governance and stewardship platform.
• S&P Global Sustainable1: S&P Global Sustainable1 offers corporate sustainability datasets, scores, and climate analytics that compete with CDP's data licensing business, leveraging S&P Global's broader market intelligence platform.
• Bloomberg ESG Data Services: Bloomberg provides ESG and climate data within its Terminal, reaching many of the same buy-side firms that access CDP capital markets dashboards, and is a key distribution channel competing for ESG data spend.

Others

• IFRS Foundation (ISSB): The IFRS Foundation's ISSB sets global sustainability disclosure standards that CDP's questionnaires align with; ISSB is a standards-setter rather than a competitor but its framework choices directly shape CDP's product roadmap.

Direct peers

• EcoVadis: EcoVadis runs a globally adopted sustainability ratings platform that collects self-reported environmental and social data from companies via questionnaires, mirroring CDP's questionnaire-based disclosure model for corporate sustainability assessments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CDP
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCriW4gZMiuZsq51iLSRXdTQ
• LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/company/cdp-worldwide

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CDP