Expanded partnership ensures a core set of CDP’s climate data, necessary for meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement, is openly accessible to all for the public good via the NZDPU

● Next step in collaboration will see CDP, the global environmental disclosure system, become the foundational global data provider for the Net-Zero Data Public Utility
● For the first time ever, core climate data from more than 10,000 companies representing over 50% of global market cap set to be publicly available for free
● CDP and the NZDPU will also work together to streamline reporting, avoid duplication, and increase access to consistent, comparable corporate climate data globally.

September 24, 2024 (New York) The Net-Zero Data Public Utility (NZDPU), a global centralised open repository for private sector climate transition-related data, and CDP, the world’s only independent environmental disclosure platform, have today unveiled plans for a transformative expansion of their philanthropic partnership. This new phase will enable the NZDPU to share publicly a core set of climate data disclosed through CDP, marking a significant step in making climate information more widely available for public benefit.

The launch of the NZDPU’s proof of concept, based on data provided by CDP as its first data partner, established the Utility's feasibility and showcased its functionality to users. The next phase of collaboration will make core climate data from over 10,000 companies publicly accessible as the NZDPU moves from proof of concept to production.

Representing more than half of global market cap, the data provided by CDP will incorporate core climate transition-related data, such as GHG emissions and emissions reduction targets, including detailed sector-specific data from companies disclosing data publicly through its platform. Through their continued collaboration, CDP and the NZDPU are working to streamline reporting, avoid duplication and increase access to consistent, comparable private-sector climate data globally.

CDP holds the world’s largest dataset of self-reported environmental data. Over 700 financial institutions holding $142 trillion in assets and over 330 large corporates use CDP to request data from listed and private companies. In 2023, over 23,000 companies, accounting for 66% of global market cap, disclosed through CDP.

CDP’s platform is aligned with the ISSB climate standard (IFRS S2) and is increasing its alignment with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) and the TNFD disclosure recommendations, ensuring that CDP data accessible through the NZDPU is aligned with the most relevant disclosure standards.

Overseen by the Climate Data Steering Committee (CDSC), the NZDPU will allow users to easily access and interpret a core set of private sector data that is critical for accelerating progress toward meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement. It provides access to data in a transparent, consistent, and open format that is publicly accessible and will draw on existing and forthcoming climate-related reporting initiatives and platforms.

Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions, said: “To accelerate the pace of clean energy investment, we need more reliable and accurate climate data. This new partnership will get us one step closer to a critical goal: making sure comparable corporate climate data is accessible to everyone for free.”

Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, said: “Access to climate data in a centralized, comparable format is increasingly important as more jurisdictions implement varying reporting standards. The partnership between CDP and the NZDPU to expand the corporate data freely available for the public good will allow companies and regulators to more accurately assess not only their own progress toward meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement throughout their value chain, but also the progress of those they want to do business with.”

Sherry Madera, CEO, CDP, said: “CDP is proud to advance our partnership with the NZDPU and to serve as its foundational global data provider. Our data has shaped markets for nearly 25 years, but ensuring it is freely available for public good is critical, open to access for any user – from consumer to government – to drive positive decisions for our planet. This collaboration demonstrates the efficient ecosystem that we can build by working together to streamline reporting and avoiding duplication. Companies can disclose through CDP to provide core climate data to the NZDPU. A new use case and access point, and no additional reporting.”

Mary Schapiro, Chair, CDSC, said: “This expanded collaboration between CDP and the NZDPU is a pivotal step towards realizing the CDSC’s vision to build connectivity between global stakeholders by providing access to high-quality, comparable climate-transition data. By integrating CDP’s extensive dataset, we can help accelerate the development of robust transition plans, effectively manage climate-related risks, and guide informed policymaking as the NZDPU advances to the production stage of the Utility."

Notes to editor:
[1] CDP estimates 75,000 companies will be requested to disclose based on information available at the time of this release.

About CDP 
CDP is a global non-profit that runs the world’s environmental disclosure system for companies, cities, states and regions. Founded in 2000 and working with more than 700 financial institutions with over $142 trillion in assets, CDP pioneered using capital markets and corporate procurement to motivate companies to disclose their environmental impacts, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard water resources and protect forests. Over 24,000 organizations around the world disclosed data through CDP in 2023, with more than 23,000 companies – including listed companies worth two thirds global market capitalization - and over 1,100 cities, states and regions. Fully TCFD aligned, CDP holds the largest environmental database in the world, and CDP scores are widely used to drive investment and procurement decisions towards a zero carbon, sustainable and resilient economy. CDP is a founding member of the Science Based Targets initiative, the We Mean Business Coalition, The Investor Agenda and the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative. Visit cdp.net or follow us @CDP to find out more. 

About the NZDPU and the Climate Data Steering Committee
The mission of the NZDPU is to provide a central source of company-level climate transition-related data that is transparent and openly accessible to all. The NZDPU was formed at the recommendation of the Climate Data Steering Committee (CDSC) established by French President Emmanuel Macron and United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions Michael R. Bloomberg in June 2022. 

Chaired by Mary Schapiro, the CDSC aims to support the climate objectives of the United Nations by driving forward global momentum for the private sector to report and disclose key climate data critical to delivering a net-zero economy.

The Committee brings together regulators, policymakers, and standards setters, informed by data providers and civil society organizations, to help address climate data challenges across the global economy. In 2022, it recommended the development of a unified, global, open climate data repository: the NZDPU. Visit climatedatasc.org or nzdpu.com for more information.

Press Contacts:
media@cdp.net
press@nzdpu.com