In 2023, 23,000+ companies - representing a staggering US$67 trillion in market capitalization - disclosed their environmental performance data to CDP. This factsheet presents an overview of the key findings and emerging trends from this data, showcasing CDP's expanding coverage and growth across regions, markets, and the key environmental themes of climate change, forests, water security, biodiversity, and now, plastics.
With the number of companies disclosing environmental information growing annually, CDP's role as an accountability mechanism is strengthened. This factsheet uses the wealth of data that CDP holds to provide transparency and insight into the evolving landscape of environmental disclosures.
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38% of disclosing companies are providing environmental performance information on nature-related issues beyond climate, indicating a growing recognition that providing disclosure on climate alone is not enough.
CDP corporate disclosers are based in approximately 130 countries across the world. Each region has experienced a notable increase in the number of companies disclosing.
Companies in key market indices across the globe are disclosing environmental data to CDP.
Market Index |
Climate change coverage | Forests coverage | Water security coverage |
S&P 500 | 86% | 14% | 41% |
FTSE 100 | 94% | 28% | 43% |
MSCI ACWI | 61% | 9% | 28% |
MSCI Small Cap | 40% | 5% | 14% |
TOPIX 500 | 88% |
15% | 53% |
FTSE Eurofirst 300 | 91% | 21% | 41% |
South Africa - FTSE JSE All-Share | 57% | 9% | 30% |
BSE 200 | 40% |
3% | 21% |
S&P TSX 60 | 78% | 20% | 30% |
KOSPI 200 | 54% | 1% | 16% |
Hang Seng | 54% | 4% | 29% |
CSI 300 | 18% | 1% | 7% |
S&P/ASX 300 | 27% |
3% | 7% |
Companies are demonstrating progress on eradicating deforestation from their supply chains.
The slow rate of action and transition to no-deforestation is leaving companies and financial institutions exposed to risks as a resilient economy cannot be accomplished without progress on deforestation. In 2022, nearly four million hectares of pristine forests were destroyed, releasing 2.5 Gt CO2e – equivalent to the annual fossil fuel emissions of India2.
CDP's growing number of energy disclosures indicates that companies and financial institutions are embracing the transition to a low-carbon economy and are aiming for transparency. While leading companies are setting targets to enhance their renewable energy consumption, the majority are still lagging behind in quality disclosures.
While the transition to 100% renewable energy use is crucial to mitigate climate change, the source of renewable energy used matters.
The good news is that the majority of disclosing companies in these sectors are conducting water-related risk assessments. 80% of companies in the fossil fuel industry did so (compared to 62% across all reporting industries). These assessments are paramount, to enable companies to anticipate and mitigate risks that could have substantive impacts on their operations, as well as surrounding communities and ecosystems.
Of the total number of companies that disclosed on climate change:
Of the total number of companies that disclosed on forests:
Of the total number of companies that disclosed on water:
In 2023, 575 financial institutions (FIs) disclosed to the Financial Services questionnaire.
1. 'Nearly-deforestation free' is defined as companies that:
All analysis is based on reported volumes. Claims have not been verified by CDP.
2. Source: World Resources Institute (2022) Forest Pulse: The Latest on the World’s Forests.