- The carbon footprint is a measurement, BEGES the French obligation to publish it, CDP an annual international questionnaire scored from D to A.
- A footprint is not a prerequisite for CDP, but without it the score stays low; CDP also assesses governance, risks, targets and the transition plan.
- You can reuse BEGES emissions data for CDP, subject to frequency, scope 3, verification and the surrounding content.
- Best practice: a single annual inventory, stable methodology, from which you extract what each framework expects.
What is the difference between CDP, carbon footprint and BEGES?
Three objects of a different nature.
The carbon footprint is the inventory of your emissions over a year, expressed in metric tons of CO2 equivalent. It is a measurement, not an obligation in itself.
BEGES is the French regulatory obligation to produce this footprint and publish it, from 500 employees, on the ADEME platform.
CDP is an international environmental questionnaire, completed every year and scored from D to A. It is both very permissive and very demanding. Permissive, because nothing obliges you to provide any carbon data: you can respond without an inventory, and CDP will accept it. Demanding, because the score will feel it immediately. Beyond emissions, it assesses governance of the subject, climate risks and opportunities, strategy, targets and the transition plan.
| Criterion | Carbon footprint | BEGES | CDP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature | Measurement of emissions | French legal obligation | International environmental questionnaire, scored |
| Status | Voluntary or the basis for an obligation | Mandatory from 500 employees | Voluntary, but required by customers and investors |
| Boundary | Scopes 1, 2, 3 depending on choice | Scopes 1 and 2; scope 3 if subject to CSRD | Scopes 1, 2 and significant scope 3 expected |
| Frequency | Ideally annual | Every 4 years (private sector) | Annual |
| Publication | Internal or external use | ADEME Bilans GES platform | CDP platform, public score |
| Language | Free | French | Mainly English |
Is a carbon footprint enough to respond to CDP?
Let us put the question differently, because CDP does not work by prerequisites. Nothing stops you from submitting a response without an emissions inventory: it will be accepted, and scored accordingly, that is to say low. The carbon footprint is therefore not a condition of access to CDP, it is what separates a disclosure from a good score.
It is not enough on its own, however. CDP also assesses governance of the subject, the analysis of climate risks, the reduction target, the transition plan, your supplier engagement and the verification of your data. The footprint answers part of the questions; the rest comes down to a structured climate approach. The detail of expectations on the data side is in our article on what CDP expects from your carbon footprint.
Can you reuse your BEGES for CDP?
Yes for the emissions data, with four caveats to know.
Frequency. BEGES is updated every four years for private-sector companies, whereas CDP is completed every year. A BEGES that is three years old will not make a good response.
Boundary. BEGES only requires scope 3 from companies subject to CSRD. CDP expects significant indirect emissions. This is the most frequent gap.
Verification. CDP expects third-party verification of the data to reach the Leadership level. BEGES does not require it.
The surrounding content. Governance, risks, strategy, supplier engagement: BEGES asks for none of it, CDP scores them.
Do you need scope 3 for CDP?
As soon as it is significant, yes, and it is for most companies. CDP publishes a technical note on the relevance of scope 3 categories by sector: on the sample studied, scope 3 accounts on average for 75% of total scopes 1, 2 and 3, and up to around 90% in capital goods. Above all, the document indicates, sector by sector, the categories CDP expects to see you report. An inventory that leaves out a category judged relevant for your business reads as partial, which counts against the score. The detail of CDP's expectations on your data is in our article on what CDP expects from your carbon footprint.
Pool your carbon data with Ditto
The cost of compliance rarely comes from the measurement, but from the repetition: recalculating, re-entering, rewording for each framework. Ditto centralizes your emissions into a single source, covers scopes 1, 2 and 3, keeps the traceability of factors, and feeds your various obligations without double entry: BEGES, CDP, CSRD, EcoVadis. A dedicated coach knows these frameworks and helps you extract what each one expects. Ditto is a CDP Accredited Solutions Provider and an EcoVadis training partner since 2023. Measure once, use everywhere.
Pool your footprint across all your frameworks
A Ditto expert shows you how a single carbon database serves your BEGES, your CDP and your CSRD.
CDP, carbon footprint and BEGES: key takeaways
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Difference | Footprint = measurement; BEGES = French obligation to publish; CDP = scored international questionnaire |
| Is the footprint enough for CDP? | It is not a prerequisite, but without it the score stays low; CDP also assesses governance, risks, targets, transition plan, verification |
| Reuse the BEGES? | Yes for the emissions, subject to frequency, scope 3, verification and surrounding content |
| Scope 3 | Expected by CDP as soon as it is significant (≈ 75% of the total on average, CDP technical note) |
| Best practice | A single annual inventory, stable methodology, extraction per framework |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between CDP and a carbon footprint?
The carbon footprint is the inventory of your emissions over a year. CDP is an international environmental questionnaire, completed every year and scored from D to A, which assesses your emissions but also your governance, your climate risks, your targets and your transition plan.
Is a carbon footprint enough to respond to CDP?
CDP does not require it: you can respond without an inventory, the score will simply take that into account and stay low. The footprint is therefore not a condition of access, it is what separates a disclosure from a good score. It is not enough on its own, however, since CDP also assesses governance, the analysis of risks, the reduction target, the transition plan, supplier engagement and third-party verification of the data.
Can you reuse your BEGES for CDP?
Yes for the emissions data, with four caveats: BEGES is updated every four years whereas CDP is annual; it only requires scope 3 if the company is subject to CSRD; it does not require third-party verification; and it covers neither governance nor risks, which CDP scores.
Do you have to report scope 3 to CDP?
As soon as it is significant, which is the case for most companies. CDP's technical note on the relevance of scope 3 categories by sector places scope 3 at around 75% of total scopes 1, 2 and 3 on average, and up to 90% in capital goods. It specifies, sector by sector, the expected categories. An inventory that leaves one out counts against the score.
