What Is CDP and How Can It Be Used as a Benchmark?
The CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) assesses companies based on their environmental performance through a standardized questionnaire covering climate, water security, deforestation, and more recently, biodiversity. Scores range from A (Leadership) to F (Failure to respond).
Benchmarking your CDP score against your peers helps pinpoint your position on the environmental maturity scale. It enables leadership teams to understand how their efforts compare to competitors and which areas require reinforcement (governance, reporting, carbon strategy, etc.).
However, CDP does not provide a detailed explanation of the final score. Fully interpreting the results can therefore be complex. Still, the overall grade — along with category-level and band-level scores — remains a valuable reference point for market comparison and performance steering.
Understanding How the CDP Score Works
A CDP score results from the evaluation of responses by CDP-accredited scoring partners, structured across four progressive performance levels:
- D – Disclosure: Transparency on environmental topics
- C – Awareness: Understanding of environmental risks and opportunities
- B – Management: Implementation of actions and policies
- A – Leadership: Adoption of best practices
To move up a level, companies must meet two conditions:
- Achieve at least 80% of the previous level’s criteria
- Fulfill specific mandatory questions known as “essential criteria”
This step-by-step structure makes the score a strong indicator of a company’s relative ESG maturity. Scoring is based on a percentage of points earned, weighted according to each question’s importance.
How to Define a Relevant CDP Benchmark
An effective CDP benchmark relies on a clearly defined comparison perimeter. Key segmentation criteria include:
1. Industry Sector
The most relevant benchmark, as CDP questions vary depending on the CDP-ACS (Activity Classification System).
2. Company Size
SMEs, mid-sized companies, and large corporations do not have the same resources, emissions responsibilities, or questionnaire versions.
3. Geographic Region
Useful for identifying regulatory or climate-related differences across regions.
Defining the right scope ensures reliable benchmarking and accurate interpretation of score gaps.
Interpreting Score Gaps with Competitors
A score gap reveals more than a grade — it highlights a maturity gap.
- D vs. C: Transparency exists, but risk analysis remains incomplete.
- C vs. B: Often linked to the absence of a structured action plan or KPI monitoring framework.
- B vs. A: Indicates incomplete implementation of international best practices (transition scenarios, SBTi-validated targets, integrated governance).
A detailed category-by-category review helps identify priority improvement areas such as governance, carbon management, reporting, or supplier engagement.
Tools and Data Sources for CDP Benchmarking
Publicly disclosed CDP scores (A to D) are the primary benchmark reference. Companies can also leverage:
- Public CDP databases listing scores by sector and region
- ESG benchmarking platforms integrating CDP data for cross-analysis (e.g., alongside EcoVadis)
- Internal tools or SaaS platforms centralizing policies, evidence, and environmental KPIs to track performance over time
The most effective approach combines CDP data with internal metrics (GHG emissions, water consumption, responsible sourcing policies) to create a dynamic comparative dashboard.
From Benchmark to Action: Building a CDP Improvement Plan
A CDP benchmark is above all a strategic management lever. Results should feed into a concrete ESG action plan:
- Review CDP feedback and results.
- Identify critical data collection or verification gaps.
- Integrate priorities into your climate strategy with quantified targets (e.g., GHG Protocol-aligned reductions).
- Update policies and action plans, especially on water or deforestation if sector-relevant.
- Track progress annually, in line with CDP’s reporting cycle (submission deadline in September).
Year-on-year tracking demonstrates ESG trajectory consistency to investors and customers.
Limitations and Biases in CDP Benchmarking
A CDP benchmark remains a self-reported assessment: neither CDP nor its scoring partners formally verify the data submitted. The quality of results therefore depends on each company’s internal rigor.
Sectoral differences, boundary definitions, and local methodologies may also distort comparisons if not standardized.
To mitigate these biases:
- Rely on CDP and ISSB methodologies for harmonized interpretation.
- Combine CDP results with other frameworks (CSRD, EcoVadis, ISO 14001).
- Cross-reference scores with internal indicators (carbon intensity, energy-to-revenue ratio, supplier engagement rate).
This triangulation strengthens benchmark credibility and strategic decision-making.
CDP Benchmark – Key Takeaways
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