CDP 2026 disclosures: why early preparation matters

For many companies, CDP still feels like a disclosure exercise that happens once a year. Until the process actually starts.

What initially looks manageable quickly turns into weeks of chasing emissions or pollution data from facilities, validating methodologies, aligning internal stakeholders, reviewing governance structures and responding to questions that go far beyond sustainability information. 

And that is exactly where many organisations run into difficulties. Responding to CDP should not be merely seen as a disclosure exercise.  Companies are not only expected to disclose environmental information, but to demonstrate that the environmental risks, targets and governance are integrated into decision-making across the business.

CDP is becoming a business maturity test

One of the biggest misconceptions about CDP is that it only evaluates disclosure quality. In reality, CDP increasingly reflects the maturity of the systems behind the disclosure. 

Strong responses usually indicate:

• clearer governance structures,
• better internal accountability,
• stronger risk integration,
• more reliable data processes, and
• greater alignment between sustainability strategy and business operations.

That is why leading organisations are no longer treating CDP as an isolated sustainability exercise. They are using it as a strategic management tool.

The CDP 2026 timeline: what companies should already be doing

CDP’s 2026 disclosure cycle follows a pre-announced timeline. Companies aiming for strong outcomes should start preparing long before the submission deadline approaches. 

Below is a practical overview of the key phases and what organisations should focus on during each phase.

End of April 2026: questionnaires and guidance released

CDP released the updated 2026 questionnaires and guidance at the end of April 2026, officially launching the disclosure cycle. 

This stage is critical because it allows companies to assess changes in requirements, scoring expectations and disclosure structure before drafting begins.

Key priorities during this phase include:

• reviewing updates to questionnaires and scoring methodology,
• analysing previous year’s scores and gaps,
• validating organisational boundaries and reporting scope,
• confirming internal ownership and responsibilities,
• reviewing risks and (finalising) transition plans

Companies that postpone these discussions until the summer often spend the rest of the process reacting instead of improving.

Week of 15 June 2026: disclosure window opens

The CDP disclosure portal opens during the week of 15 June 2026, when companies can begin drafting and completing responses directly in the platform.

This is typically where governance and data quality issues become highly visible. To avoid last-minute pressure, companies can start focusing on:

• drafting responses even before the portal is open,
• identifying information and scoring gaps and start collecting missing information,
• collecting supporting evidence for all major claims,
• validating consistency across narrative and quantitative disclosures,
• involving finance, legal and leadership teams in time

Week of 14 September 2026: scoring deadline

The deadline for scored submissions is expected during the week of 14 September 2026. After this point, organisations may still submit responses, but scoring eligibility may no longer apply.

Receiving scores matters because CDP scores are increasingly reviewed by investors, banks, customers, procurement teams, and other stakeholders evaluating environmental performance and transparency of a company.  

Before submission, organisations should prioritise:

• conducting score simulations against CDP’s scoring methodology,
• consistency checks across disclosures,
• validation of calculations (if not done before),
• evidence reviews, and
• final quality assurance within the portal. 

October 2026: disclosure window closes

The final disclosure window is expected to close during the week of 26 October 2026. At this stage, responses can no longer be revised.

Our approach at 2impact

At 2impact, we help organisations move beyond reactive disclosure cycles and build more robust sustainability reporting processes over time.

Our approach combines technical expertise with a pragmatic and hands-on way of working. We focus not only on improving disclosure quality and alignment with CDP’s scoring methodology, but also on helping organisations strengthen the systems, governance and internal collaboration behind the reporting process.

Depending on your organisation’s needs, we can support you with:

• analysing disclosure gaps against CDP scoring methodology,
• drafting responses,
• simulating likely scores per scoring category as well as overall,
• submission support via the portal,
• capacity building, and 
• developing strategic roadmaps towards stronger environmental governance and leadership-level performance.

If you are interested in learning more about our findings and recommendations regarding main changes in the water security and climate change questionnaires in 2026, follow us on LinkedIn: 2impact Consulting.