CDP is the global non-profit running the world’s largest environmental disclosure system. With thousands of companies, cities, states, and regions now reporting in, CDP’s environmental disclosure ratings are trusted by hundreds of investors worldwide. Many organizations rely on CDP’s platform to provide a neutral, third-party assessment of their ESG performance each year, and the non-profit works to update its framework in alignment with current climate science and other global frameworks on a regular basis.
Consequently, CDP’s questionnaire has grown scope over the years and can appear quite daunting to newcomers as well as returning responders. To help support these responders and ensure they get the most out of their disclosure, CDP launched its Accredited Solutions Provider (ASP) program more than a decade ago.
What is a CDP ASP, how can they help support your disclosure program, and—most importantly—are they worth working with? Let’s dive into the details.
What challenges do organizations face when disclosing to CDP?
Reporting to CDP can prove challenging, no matter how large or established the reporting organization may be. Below, we discuss just a handful of potential challenges organizations may face when responding to CDP’s questionnaire.
Continual questionnaire and methodology updates
As stated, CDP’s questionnaire grows in scope and depth nearly every year. With an all-new integrated format and dozens of new and modified questions in 2024 alone, it’s no wonder why many reporting organizations seek outside assistance when optimizing their responses.
Challenges for new responders
Small companies and companies new to ESG reporting may lack awareness of certain climate-related metrics or may not yet have fully developed environmental or climate-action programs. Other companies have been reporting to CDP’s Climate Change program for years and receive a new request from a client or investor to respond to the Water Security or Forests questionnaire.
If your company is requested to respond—either by CDP, an investor, or a customer—you may not yet have all the systems in place that are necessary to collect the required information. In fact, many companies may not even know what information is generally required for ESG reporting until they have been requested to respond to CDP.
Complexity and breadth of ESG reporting
Developing a comprehensive ESG program can be a very resource-intensive process, even for companies that have been prioritizing ESG issues for years. This process may include:
- Identifying climate-related physical and transition risks and opportunities
- Establishing good governance, including oversight and management of ESG issues
- Conducting scenario analyses to drive decision-making
- Understanding materiality as it relates to ESG factors
- Developing a robust GHG inventory covering scopes 1, 2, and 3
- Seeking verification or assurance on GHG calculations and other aspects of reporting
- Ensuring alignment with other frameworks such as GRI and TCFD/TNFD recommendations
- Engaging supply chain members on climate issues, reporting, and transparency
- And many other undertakings.
Creating and maintaining a robust ESG reporting program is no small feat. Standards change, regulations change, and climate science is constantly being updated, supported by new research. What’s more, ESG programs are, by nature, customized to each individual organization—no two are ever the same. For any company, this can be a lot to cover.
What is a CDP Accredited Solutions Provider?
CDP Accredited Solutions Providers offer support to companies, cities, states, and regions that report to CDP. Established over a decade ago by CDP in an effort to provide additional guidance to responding organizations, the ASP program accredits environmental service providers who can help support companies across different aspects of their environmental journeys.
Accredited providers help companies identify gaps in their environmental performance, address these gaps, and identify further opportunities for leadership in the corporate environmental action space. (Press release)
This diverse network of providers includes consultancies and experts in carbon reduction, verification, software, education and training, and renewable energy. Different ASPs also support different types of organizations, from corporates to cities and public authorities.
ASP areas of expertise include:
- Climate Change
- Forests and Land
- Water
- Science-Based Targets
- Public Sector
- SMEs
- Plastics
- Sustainable Finance
Advantages to working with an ASP
Working with an ASP comes with a number of benefits, including—but also extending beyond—optimizing CDP performance.
In-depth CDP insight from trusted experts
ASPs not only have specialized experience in their areas of expertise but are privy to a direct line of contact with CDP, giving them insight into the latest CDP reporting guidance, developments, and news. ASPs also receive access to specialized training from CDP.
Each ASP is also individually vetted and approved by CDP, making this small and select group of providers the ideal place to find support across an array of services.
Technical expertise
ASPs are specialized technical experts in their respective fields, from GHG verification and science-based targets to low-carbon transition planning. These experts apply their knowledge and experience to the context of CDP disclosure and ensure that their clients are fully informed, close any gaps, and meet or exceed their ESG performance potential.
Our work with a food and beverage client, for example, has involved not only CDP Full Disclosure Completion but has expanded over the years to include sustainability report development, GHG inventory work, water risk assessments, and investor relations.
Another client, in the chemicals industry, is engaged with us on CDP disclosure completion in addition to services to support that disclosure, including GHG inventory work for scopes 1, 2, and 3 and synthesizing data collection processes to streamline tracking for internal teams.
Individualized support
With over 18,000 companies and 1,200 municipalities and regions reporting to CDP every year, it can be a challenge to get questions answered or receive individualized support in a timely manner. A company working with an ASP receives personalized assistance tailored to their needs, such as draft responses, gap analyses, emissions calculations checks, and more.
ASPs can also provide customized solutions for clients, offering services on demand and crafting ESG performance improvement roadmaps that strategize around the specific needs of the companies they work with.
Comprehensive ESG support
ESG topics are famously intertwined with nearly every part of a business, touching everything from financial reporting and C-suite compensation to product development, supply chain engagement, and human rights policy. As CDP works to create a more all-encompassing questionnaire that aligns with other recognized standards like the IFRS S2 and TNFD, this concept of interconnectedness becomes even more apparent.
As experienced technical experts, ASPs offer support to improve your ESG program beyond CDP. A well-rounded ASP can help you develop your ESG reporting program as a whole—including reporting to other indices such as EcoVadis, meeting regulatory requirements such as the CSRD, or creating corporate sustainability reports (CSRs)—as well as offering support on your overall Sustainability Journey.
For example, many ADEC ESG clients engage our team on more than just CDP support. On top of CDP disclosure completion, we’ve worked hand-in-hand with client teams to complete emissions calculations, assist with science-based targets submission, respond to additional ESG disclosure frameworks, and more.
ADEC ESG is a CDP Silver Climate Change and Science-Based Targets Consultancy Partner in North America with decades of experience helping global companies meet their sustainability goals. Last year, our team helped 9 out of 10 clients achieve a Management score or higher. To learn more about our CDP services, including personalized recommendations and flexible on-demand consulting hours, contact our team today.
