CDP Scoring Methodology 2025: Changes from 2024 and What Companies Should Consider

This article examines the CDP Scoring Methodology 2025 and aims to answer how submitted data is translated into scores, and what has changed compared to 2024. For sustainability managers in companies – whether SMEs or large corporations – it is crucial to understand the criteria by which CDP measures performance.

Stable Foundations with Targeted Improvements

Firstly, the good news: The assessment logic of CDP will remain largely stable in 2025. According to CDP, the scoring methodology has only been refined this year to make formulations clearer and the evaluation more consistent 1. No radically new evaluation criteria have been introduced. The basic score levels (Leadership, Management, Awareness, Disclosure) and the point system behind them remain the same. This provides companies with planning security – those who understood the mechanics in 2024 can build upon it in 2025.

However, CDP has highlighted three areas where improvements or changes have been made 2:

1. Essential Criteria – More Precise Guidelines: The so-called Essential Criteria are the indispensable core points a company must fulfil to even enter higher score areas. They set a baseline for A and B scores by ensuring important data points are reported (e.g., complete emissions data, climate targets, risk analyses). These Essential Criteria remain unchanged in 2025, but CDP now provides clearer indications of what exactly is expected. Particularly on sensitive points such as exclusions (when, for example, part of the company is not covered) or failure to answer individual sub-questions, CDP provides additional guidance: Companies should clarify why certain emission sources were excluded and how relevant they are. In the area of forest and water security, it is explained which data points are checked when exclusions are made (e.g., non-disclosure of certain raw materials). This means that in 2025, more attention will be paid to understandable justifications. Tip: Ensure that all Essential Criteria are met and provide either data or a convincing justification for each mandatory point if something is lacking.

   
   

2. Financial Sector: Publication of Forest and Water Scores: An important change affects financial institutions (banks, insurers, investors) participating in CDP. From 2025, CDP will publicly disclose scores for forest and water-related financing activities for the first time. Previously, financial companies received internal assessments of how well they manage deforestation risks in their credit portfolio or consider water aspects, but these were not published. Now, however, CDP believes the time is right to make a statement: The impacts on forest and water are also important in the financial sector and should be made transparent. Specifically, this means that a bank participating in the CDP Climate, Forests & Water Programme will, in the future, have not only a climate score but also a forest score and water score publicly displayed – similar to industrial companies where this is already common. (Exceptions apply only if a company uses a private score package in accordance with CDP guidelines, which is not the case for most publicly listed financial institutions.) For affected companies, this means: Do not neglect forest and water issues! Even if the focus often lies on climate risk, stakeholders will gain insight from 2025 into how, for example, forest risk in credit portfolios or water stress in the investment portfolio were assessed. Those performing poorly cannot rely on it remaining confidential.

   
   

3. SME Scoring – Adjustment of Evaluation Levels: SMEs have only been represented in CDP scoring with their own track since 2024. At that time, CDP introduced the SME score, which only covers the climate area and was initially cautiously calibrated. In 2025, CDP will make an adjustment of thresholds for SME scores based on the experiences of the first year. Important to note: An A score is still not planned in the SME programme. Just like in 2024, SMEs can achieve a maximum of a B – the SME score spectrum ranges from D to B (where B signals leadership within the SME peer group). An SME A level is (yet) not awarded, as CDP wants to collect more data first to define a truly meaningful leadership category for SMEs. In other words: Companies using the SME questionnaire will receive a score between B and D at the end of the year, even if they complete everything perfectly. This approach serves to set realistic standards and not measure SMEs against the same high absolute requirements as large corporations – at least during this transition phase. CDP emphasises that there will be no changes at the question level in 2025 (the scoring criteria for each question remain the same), but the criteria for score levels will be reviewed and possibly slightly adjusted to sensibly reflect the distribution of SME results. The data from 2024 will be used to develop a robust scoring model for SMEs from 2025/26 onward, which could then potentially allow for an A rating for pioneers. For SMEs, this means: Those who received a B in 2024 can aim for a B again in 2025 – an A is currently unattainable unless switching to the Full Questionnaire.

What Should Companies Prepare For?

In light of these changes, companies – depending on their classification – should keep the following points in mind:

• All Companies (Corporate & SME): Verify the Essential Criteria. These ensure that you do not overlook any "critical criteria." For example, a climate target, emissions data, and responsibilities must be specified. Utilise the 2025 guidelines to see if CDP expects additional explanations (e.g., when parts of the business are excluded). Transparency concerning boundaries and exceptions is even more crucial in 2025 to avoid deductions.

• Industry/Non-Financial Corporates: Here, the scoring methodology changes little. If your company has completed both climate and forest and water questionnaires, you will receive three scores as usual (one per topic). Plastic and biodiversity remain unrated in 2025 (they do not factor into any score). The main novelty is that the evaluation has been somewhat clarified in the background. Practically, this could mean that rationales for "not applicable" are now scrutinised more closely. Prepare internal explanations if you cannot (or choose not to) answer certain questions.

  
  

Outlook: Continuity and Continuous Improvement

The updates in the CDP Scoring Methodology 2025 indicate that CDP is focusing on continuity combined with a gradual increase in standards. In the long term, CDP is likely to place more emphasis on additional topics (such as biodiversity, plastic) and possibly incorporate them into the scoring – those collecting data now gain a head start.

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