CDP 2026: what changed in the questionnaire and the traps to avoid
The 2026 CDP questionnaire merged Climate, Water and Forests into a single platform. Here is what changed, the submission calendar, and the 5 traps that most often sink a score.
What changed in 2026
CDP merged the three questionnaires (Climate Change, Water Security, Forests) into a single platform with conditional logic: you fill in one consolidated questionnaire and questions appear or disappear depending on how relevant they are to your sector and profile. That cuts duplication but demands more methodological preparation; a company used to filling it in reactively now runs into unexpected questions mid-flow.
The submission window opens in June and closes in September. Results come out in February of the following year.
Scoring
The grade runs from D- to A. A-rated companies are recognised on the "CDP A List". To reach an A you need:
- A GHG inventory verified by a third party (limited assurance at minimum).
- Absolute, science-based reduction targets (validated by SBTi).
- A published climate transition plan, with defined governance and budgeted investment.
- Climate risk built into company strategy, with documented scenario analysis.
- Structured value chain engagement (engagement with priority suppliers, a formal programme).
The 5 most common traps
1. Submitting without verified data
The score drops automatically. CDP requires independent verification for several scoring categories. Without it a company is capped at B, however good the rest is.
2. Inconsistency between the annual report and CDP
Verifiers cross-check. If the annual report says "we cut 15%" and CDP says "we cut 12%", that becomes a question, and the score falls. The inconsistency is more common than it sounds, especially when different teams fill in each channel.
3. Forgetting the Supply Chain module
If a client calls you in, you have to answer through that specific channel. An answer in the corporate channel does not replace an answer in Supply Chain. Ignoring the invitation becomes a visible gap in that client's Scope 3, with real contractual consequences.
4. Treating the transition plan as a checklist item
A transition plan that only says "we will cut X% by Y", with no governance, budgeted capex, timeline or named owners, is not enough. CDP assesses depth and how it actually operates, not whether it formally exists.
5. Submitting at the last minute
The window closes in September. A company that starts in July rushes, makes mistakes and loses points. Good practice: collect between January and May, fill in between June and August, legal review in early September.
Operational calendar
| Month | Activity |
|---|---|
| Jan-Feb | Review the previous result; identify gaps; plan improvements |
| Mar-May | Collect data; independent verification of the inventory; refine targets |
| Jun | Window opens; structural fill-in |
| Jul-Aug | Detailed fill-in; technical review; align with the annual report |
| Sep | Legal review; submission |
| Oct-Jan | Wait for the score; prepare the disclosure narrative |
| Feb | Result published; internal and external communication |
How Mangue helps
We have delivered more than 40 CDP responses, averaging B+ on the first submission and A- on the second. The platform exports data in the questionnaire's format, mapped question by question. The consulting reviews the expected score by dimension before submission and supports value chain engagement.
- Never submit without independent verification of the inventory (limited assurance at minimum); the score drops several grades automatically.
- Keep CDP, the annual report, ESRS E1 (CSRD), IFRS S2 and SBTi disclosures consistent: CDP cross-references them.
- If a client invited you through the Supply Chain Program, answer through that specific channel as well as the corporate one; they are two separate submissions.
- Use January to May for collection and verification, and June to September for filling in and legal review.
- Read the scoring methodology published each year; small details (evidence format, target granularity) move the grade.
Perguntas frequentes
Is CDP mandatory?+
Not directly, but it works as a de facto obligation for companies with European institutional investors, large industrial clients, and a place in sustainability indices (Dow Jones Sustainability Index, ISE B3). A company invited by a client through the Supply Chain Program that ignores the invitation shows up as a gap in that client's Scope 3, which is a real contractual risk.
What is the difference between the corporate channel and Supply Chain?+
The corporate channel is the company's annual public submission, assessed and scored. Supply Chain is a submission to one specific client (Walmart, Apple, Microsoft, BNDES) that invited you, visible only to that client, with extra questions about the relationship. A company can be in both.
How is the score calculated?+
CDP assesses on four levels: D (basic disclosure), C (awareness), B (management), A (leadership). For an A you have to score across all four dimensions with documented leading practice. The CDP A List is published every February.
Can I submit CDP in Portuguese?+
The standard submission is in English. Some questions accept evidence in another language with a summary translation. For a Brazilian company we recommend filling it in in English from the start, to avoid redoing the translation later.
What does submitting to CDP cost?+
Submitting through the corporate channel carries an annual fee based on company size, between USD 1,500 and USD 6,500 (2026). Answering the Supply Chain Program is free for the respondent (the client pays). The main cost is internal time and consulting, not the fee.
- CDP
- Carbon Disclosure Project. A British NGO that has run the largest global corporate environmental disclosure system since 2002. Followed by investors representing more than USD 130 trillion in assets.
- CDP score
- A grade from D- to A. A is leadership, B is management, C is awareness, D is basic disclosure.
- CDP A List
- The annual list of companies scoring A on each axis (Climate, Water, Forests). Published in February.
- Supply Chain Program
- The CDP module where clients (Walmart, Apple, Microsoft, BNDES and others) invite suppliers to answer the questionnaire directly for them.
- Climate transition plan
- The strategic document describing how the company will decarbonize. Required for an A score in CDP, ESRS E1 and IFRS S2.
- Limited assurance
- Independent verification of the inventory at the minimum acceptable level. A prerequisite for several scoring categories in CDP.
- Guidance for companies · CDP
Frameworks mencionados neste artigo
IFRS S1 & S2 Roadmap
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