Dive Brief:
- Global environmental nonprofit CDP, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project, announced Thursday it is undergoing a major reorganization and splitting into two separate entities.
- CDP will now operate as a commercial entity and continue to provide companies with environmental data and disclosure services, while the newly established CDP Foundation will operate as an independent charitable organization aimed at driving science-led environmental disclosures, according to the group.
- The restructuring comes on the heels of private equity firm Permira acquiring a majority stake in CDP’s core operations. The firm will also back CDP’s new commercial business, according to a June 11 release.
Dive Insight:
The deal marks Permira’s first investment under its energy transition strategy. Permira and CDP did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement or the ownership composition in the release, but noted that the CDP Foundation would remain a shareholder in CDP and maintain board representation.
CDP said in the release that both organizations will share the same goal, which is to “surface new information, enabling Earth-positive decisions to protect future generations.”
The investment from Permira is expected to improve CDP’s ability to deliver for its customers at scale, according to the companies. This entails enhancing the customers’ disclosure experience by providing them with better data insights and information.
"To meet the scale and speed of the environmental and market challenges and opportunities ahead, CDP needs to be able to accelerate the focus of its skills, resources and impact,” A CDP spokesperson told ESG Dive Thursday. “This new structure allows us to optimize our model and concentrate our energy and investment where it will have the greatest impact.”
Since its founding in 2000, CDP has established itself as a pioneer in voluntary corporate disclosures. The organization has helped thousands of companies, institutions and regional governments record and report their carbon emissions, water consumption and other environmental risks.
CDP recently reported that over 23,100 companies, cities, states and regions disclosed environmental information through its platform in 2025, despite global headwinds.
The environmental nonprofit said its current product, services and 2026 disclosure cycle would resume as planned during the transition period. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year, according to a report by the Financial Times.
