CDP 2026 scoring: essential criteria and how to move up a level

In short

A CDP score combines two conditions. You need enough points at each level and you must pass that level's essential criteria. Miss one criterion and your letter is capped, however good the rest is. So the work is tactical: secure the criteria, then focus on the categories that carry the most points at your level.

Key points

• Every scored question earns points at up to four levels (disclosure, awareness, management, leadership), belongs to a category, and categories are weighted by sector.
• As the speakers present it, reaching C takes at least 80% of the disclosure points, the awareness-level essential criteria and at least 45% of the awareness points, and the same logic repeats for B and A. Check the thresholds against CDP's current scoring methodology.
• The 2026 climate questionnaire has 32 essential criteria, but only 13 apply to the General sector, and most of those sit at the leadership level: failing any one of them caps the score at B.
• At the awareness level, CDP checks that you have a formal process to identify climate risks and opportunities and a named board or executive owner for climate topics.
• Going from C to B often stalls on governance: state how often climate reaches the board or executive committee and what decisions it leads to.
• Specific answers score: a named and dated risk process covering operations and value chain, the role and share of variable pay tied to climate incentives, a 1.5°C-aligned transition plan and SBTi-validated targets.

Chapters

1. 0:00Introduction and audience goals
2. 4:07CDP 2026 calendar: window opening and deadline
3. 5:57About Ditto
4. 7:09How the CDP score is built
5. 11:01Pyramid logic: points and essential criteria
6. 14:41Essential criteria by level, general sector
7. 18:12Awareness level: the two criteria (D to C)
8. 19:43Management level: governance in practice (C to B)
9. 21:27Leadership level and the A List
10. 24:54Where the points are: categories by level
11. 30:06Deep dive: Q2.2, risk and opportunity process
12. 34:02Deep dive: Q4.1 and Q4.5, governance and incentives
13. 36:53Deep dive: Q5.2 and Q7.53, transition plan and targets
14. 38:39Roadmap by level: D to C to B to A
15. 42:11Example: reading a past CDP score
16. 46:00Q&A and wrap-up