If you manage CDP reporting, the latest CDP news brings a practical question: what needs to change in your response? Recent announcements cover water risk, AI-assisted preparation, broader environmental disclosure, and a proposed organizational restructuring. The immediate priority is your submission status. As of October 1, the 2026 scoring deadline has passed, while unscored disclosure remains open.
The 2026 disclosure cycle: check your submission status
CDP's standard scoring deadline was September 16, 2026. The final response deadline is October 28, 2026, at 23:59 International Date Line West. Responses submitted after the scoring deadline are not scored, and edits made to a scored response after that date are not scored either.
Check whether your response was submitted on time, save the submitted version, and confirm what your requesting customer expects. If you missed the scoring deadline, distinguish an unscored disclosure from a scored submission when discussing delivery. Use the remaining window to complete accurate reporting and document gaps for the next cycle.
September water findings put financial exposure in focus
On September 21, CDP published analysis of water disclosures from more than 6,500 companies. Those companies anticipated US$397 billion in future water-related financial impacts. More than a third lacked a process to systematically assess and manage water risks. These are reported expectations across the analyzed companies, not losses already incurred.
For your water security response, connect relevant dependencies to facilities, suppliers, production, and financial exposure. Ask operations and finance owners to review assumptions and distinguish current impacts from potential future impacts. Treat environmental risk as part of business planning, with clear evidence behind each claim.
AI can help draft responses, but your team owns them
CDP's July 21 announcement introduced an optional AI-powered Suggested Response feature, available from July 23. It extracts environmental information from existing documents and maps it to questionnaire responses. Organizations remain responsible for reviewing, editing, and submitting the answers.
Use suggestions as a starting point. Check reporting periods, entity boundaries, units, and supporting records before approval. An answer drawn from an older sustainability report still needs review against current information.
The questionnaire reaches beyond climate change
The 2026 questionnaire adds ocean disclosure, expands forests coverage, and updates plastics questions. CDP also introduced an A score for climate change in its SME questionnaire, alongside new unscored SME questions on forests and water security.
Review the questions shown for your organization rather than copying last year's response. Where relevant, involve procurement owners in deforestation disclosures and product teams in plastics reporting. CDP continues to align climate datapoints with TCFD recommendations, with IFRS S2 serving as its foundational climate baseline. Use the current mappings to identify reusable evidence.
CDP and CDP Foundation: understand the announced structure
On June 11, CDP, formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project, announced plans for two organizations: a commercial entity backed by Permira providing environmental data and disclosure services, and CDP Foundation, a charitable organization advancing science-led environmental disclosure. The Foundation would retain a shareholding and board representation. Completion remains subject to approvals and closing conditions.
CDP CEO Sherry Madera described the announcement as an evolution of its disclosure system. Permira identified the transaction as its first energy transition investment. The stated ambition is stronger environmental transparency and earth positive decision-making. CDP says the 2026 cycle continues as planned during the transition. Keep reporting work moving while monitoring official press releases for confirmed changes.
Turn the updates into a reporting plan
Start with your customer request, submitted response, and unresolved evidence gaps. Assign owners and connect improvements to your sustainability strategy. Greenplaces offers CDP questionnaire preparation, evidence compilation, submission management, and scorecard analysis. Bring those materials to a strategy call to define the support your team needs.