The rise in corporate disclosures is a response to requests for information from 590 investors with over $110 trillion in assets, and over 200 major purchasing organizations with over $4 trillion in buying power, including Airbus, Sainsburys and Nike. This demonstrates the success of the market levers CDP utilizes in driving change. CDP anticipates that ahead of COP26, more governments will announce their intentions to mandate environmental disclosure or to expand existing regulation.
The rise in city, state and region disclosure is a response to growing awareness of climate change since the signing of the Paris Agreement, with 93% of cities disclosing to CDP reporting that they are facing significant climate risks that put people and infrastructure at risk. The number of cities reporting has more than tripled since the signing of the Paris Agreement.
Over the next five years, CDP will further develop its systems and processes to support greater transparency and accountability from businesses, cities and governments. CDP already holds the world’s largest environmental database, and by 2025, will grow this to cover 90% of the highest-impact firms. CDP will apply its well-proven methodologies to an expanded range of environmental issues, to help investors, businesses, cities and governments act with the urgency required. CDP will expand its definition of the “E” in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), to cover planetary boundaries, including oceans, land use, biodiversity, food production and waste.