Press Release
NZDPU
2023-09-20
New York, September 20, 2023: CDP, the global non-profit providing a platform for all companies, financial institutions and cities to report information on their environmental impacts, and the NZDPU, have today announced a significant step toward making high-quality, comparable global climate transition-related data freely available.
A lack of accessible, high-quality and comparable climate data remains one of the most significant barriers to achieving a global net-zero economy.
Launched by French President Emmanuel Macron and United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions Michael R. Bloomberg, the Climate Data Steering Committee (CDSC) recommended the creation of the NZDPU as an open, free, and centralized climate transition-related data repository. Once development is completed, the NZDPU is intended to ultimately be integrated with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)’s Global Climate Action Portal.
The release of the NZDPU proof of concept at COP28 in December, 2023 will be a major milestone towards achieving this vision. Supported by CDP, the proof of concept will provide an initial set of companies’ Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 GHG emissions and emissions reduction targets. This foundational layer of CDP data will allow users to experience the initial set of features and functionality of the NZDPU and to offer valuable insights to inform its future releases.
Recognized as the pioneer of environmental disclosure, CDP will provide core data to underpin the NZDPU proof of concept from approximately 400 high-impact companies that disclose publicly through CDP. Companies disclosing through CDP will retain the option to do so in a way that is anonymous and independent.
Access to high-quality and consistent climate transition-related data enables action, creates transparency, encourages accountability and will help accelerate the transition toward a net-zero economy. CDP, the CDSC and the NZDPU are committed to collaborating to help achieve this goal.
Nicolette Bartlett, Chief Impact Officer at CDP, said: “CDP is delighted to play a foundational role in the development of the NZDPU, an important addition to the space of climate data provision, by putting the data and insights from more than 20 years of disclosure at its disposal. CDP is the largest global repository of corporate environmental data and the leading platform where robust, standardized and comparable information can be disclosed on an annual basis. We are delighted to support the NZDPU pilot by providing this initial dataset, as we work towards our mission of the standardization of, and boosting access to, corporate climate data. At CDP, we will continue to support companies to make the most robust and impactful disclosures on all environmental topics and drive progress towards a net-zero, nature-positive, globally equitable future.”
Mary Schapiro, Chair, CDSC, said: “The collaboration between CDP and the NZDPU marks a critical step towards achieving the CDSC’s vision of a centralized repository that provides free access to verifiable, foundational climate-transition-related data. Such open access will accelerate efforts to develop transition plans, manage climate-related risks and opportunities, and establish more effective policy. Populating the proof of concept with essential climate transition-related data is necessary to demonstrate the utility’s potential. I am grateful for CDP’s significant contribution to the NZDPU and the commitment we all share to build a broadly accessible foundation of high-quality climate data that is critical to delivering the net-zero transition.”
Conor Barry, Manager for Climate Action and Stakeholder Engagement at UNFCCC said: “Delivering robust and credible transparency of non-state climate action requires deep collaboration. UN Climate Change is deeply appreciative of our collaboration with CDP since the initial release of our Global Climate Action portal in 2014 and of the collaboration with the CDSC in delivering the NZDPU as part of enhancing this Platform and its effectiveness. This additional collaboration between our key partners will enhance the public accessibility of climate data helping all stakeholders to contribute to accelerating the transition to a low carbon and climate resilient society.”
Éilis O’Connell, CDP, eilis.oconnell@cdp.net
NZDPU LLC, press@nzdpu.com
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 740 financial institutions with over $130 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. Nearly 20,000 organizations around the world disclosed data through CDP in 2022, including more than 18,700 companies worth half of 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, 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.
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.