CDP scores explained: the A–D ladder, decoded
A CDP score is a single letter, but it compresses a detailed assessment of disclosure, awareness, management and leadership.
This page sets out what each band on the A to D-minus ladder actually represents, when 2026 scores are released, and — more usefully — what specifically moves a response up the ladder.
What each band represents
CDP scores a response against a published methodology that assesses the level of detail and comprehensiveness of disclosure, awareness of environmental issues, quality of management methods, and evidence of progress toward environmental stewardship[3].
That assessment resolves to a letter grade on an eight-band ladder.
The bands are not evenly spaced in difficulty — the gap between C and B typically represents the shift from disclosing data to acting on it, while the gap between B and A represents the shift from managing risk to demonstrating verified, board-governed leadership.
| Band | Level | Broadly signals |
|---|---|---|
| A / A- | Leadership | Verified data, science-based targets, board oversight, demonstrated impact |
| B / B- | Management | Environmental risks identified and being actively managed |
| C / C- | Awareness | Environmental issues understood; limited evidence of coordinated action |
| D / D- | Disclosure | Data reported with minimal evidence of management or strategy |
When 2026 scores are released
Only responses submitted by the scoring deadline of 16 September 2026 are eligible to be scored[2]. Responses can still be edited up to the questionnaire closure date, but a resubmission after the scoring deadline is not scored for that cycle[2][3].
CDP then applies its published scoring methodology to eligible responses. Scores are typically released to disclosing organisations in the months following the deadline, with public scores and the annual A List following afterward[1]. For the full 2026 disclosure calendar, see our CDP reporting timeline.
Because CDP can adjust the exact release date within a cycle, confirm current timing on CDP’s Disclosure Hub rather than treating any third-party date as fixed[1].
What actually moves a score
Four factors do most of the work in practice, based on the structure of CDP’s published scoring criteria[3].
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Completeness across modules | Skipped or "not applicable" answers on relevant modules cap the score |
| Third-party verified data | Verified Scope 1–3 figures score materially higher than self-reported ones |
| Quantified targets | Science-based or equivalent targets outscore narrative ambition statements |
| Governance evidence | Named board-level oversight of climate risk is a leadership-tier signal |
None of this is separable from the underlying reporting infrastructure. Companies that already prepare UK SRS S2 climate disclosures or verified Scope 3 emissions data arrive at the CDP questionnaire with most of a leadership-tier response already assembled. Companies starting from scratch inside the disclosure window rarely clear C.
For what the admin fee tiers include and what disclosure costs beyond the fee, see CDP cost & admin fees.
CDP scores: frequently asked questions
What do CDP scores mean?
CDP scores each response on an eight-band ladder from A (leadership) down to D-minus, assessing disclosure, awareness, management and leadership on environmental issues. A and A-minus scores signal leadership-level practice; B and B-minus signal management-level action; C and C-minus signal awareness; D and D-minus signal early-stage disclosure with limited evidence of action.
When are CDP scores released in 2026?
CDP scores responses after the scoring deadline of 16 September 2026. Scores are typically released to disclosing organisations in the months that follow, with public scores and the CDP A List usually published in the following year. Exact release dates are confirmed on CDP’s Disclosure Hub during the cycle, so check there rather than relying on a fixed date.
How do I improve a CDP score?
The biggest score movements come from completeness and verification, not polish. Answering every applicable module (including Scope 3 and, where relevant, water and forests), providing third-party verified emissions data, setting science-based or equivalent targets, and evidencing board-level oversight all move a response up the ladder. Vague narrative answers without quantified data or evidence rarely score above C.
What is the CDP A List?
The A List is the set of companies that achieve an A score in a given disclosure year across CDP’s climate, water security and forests programmes. It is published on CDP’s public scores page and is widely cited by investors and NGOs as a shorthand for environmental leadership, though a single A score should be read alongside the underlying disclosure, not as a substitute for it.
Does everyone who discloses get a score?
Only responses submitted by the scoring deadline are eligible. Some questionnaire types and self-selected disclosures may not be scored at all, and CDP publishes the specific eligibility rules each cycle. A response submitted after the scoring deadline but before questionnaire closure is accepted but will not receive a score for that cycle.
How does a CDP score relate to UK SRS or TCFD?
CDP’s questionnaire is aligned with IFRS S2, and UK SRS S2 is the UK’s endorsement of IFRS S2 — so governance, strategy, risk management and metrics content prepared for one substantially supports the other. A strong CDP score is evidence of mature climate governance, which is also what UK SRS S2 and the legacy TCFD framework require, but none of the three frameworks are formally interchangeable and each has its own submission process.
- CDP Scores and A Lists — CDP Worldwide · Public corporate scores, A List, access to disclosure data
- How to Disclose — CDP Worldwide · Scoring deadline 16 September 2026; final response window to late October
- Terms of Disclosure — CDP Worldwide · Definition of Score(s) and Scoring Deadline
- FAQs — CDP Worldwide · Disclosure and scoring general information