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Guidance on requesting parent or subsidiary companies
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This article is for Requesters and and explains CDP’s approach to parent-subsidiary reporting and framework, including how to select the correct entity, how requests are handled within hierarchies and how company relationships are managed within CDP. “In most cases, CDP encourages Requesters to direct the request to the specific entity they are engaging directly with, however there are instances where requesting their parent company will be more appropriate.” Contents
Parent-subsidiary reporting framework “For Disclosers, the preferred approach is for parent companies to respond on behalf of their entire group by submitting a consolidated response which includes all subsidiary data.” While parent-level reporting is preferred, CDP recognizes that it is not always feasible or appropriate, thus parent companies have the option to disclose a consolidated response or one independent response from their subsidiaries, and they can choose to respond for as many or as few of their subsidiaries as they wish.
For Disclosers, the preferred approach is for parent companies to respond on behalf of their entire group by submitting a consolidated response which includes all subsidiary data. This approach is aligned with internationally recognized reporting frameworks, including the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol and the International Sustainability Standard Board’s IFRS S2 standards. For further information please see our parent-subsidiary reporting guidance article for Disclosers. “While parent-level reporting is preferred, CDP recognizes that it is not always feasible or appropriate, thus parent companies have the option to disclose a consolidated response or one independent response from their subsidiaries, and they can choose to respond for as many or as few of their subsidiaries as they wish.” In CDP’s Portal, requested parent companies have complete visibility and control over all requests sent to them or any of their subsidiaries. This allows them to assess which requests should be included in their own response and whether consolidation is appropriate. Parents do this at the organization level, which merges all requests of each selected subsidiary as well as all requests from the subsidiary’s subsidiaries.
CDP continually improves its database of company hierarchies, using DUNS numbers and Dun & Bradstreet data to link parent and subsidiary companies and help direct requests to the right entity. “Nonetheless, some company relationships in the CDP database may be missing, incorrect, or out of date.” Note: You need to be signed in to be able to access the CDP Help Center. Further guidance can be found in our how to raise a case in the CDP Help Center article.
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In CDP’s Portal, requested parent companies have complete visibility and control over all requests sent to them or any of their subsidiaries. This allows them to assess which requests should be included in their own response and whether consolidation is appropriate. Parents do this at the organization level, which merges all requests of each selected subsidiary as well as all requests from the subsidiary’s subsidiaries. “if the request was merged in error, the progress previously lost can be recovered by contacting your Account Manager (if applicable) or our Customer Support Team.” Guidance on requesting the correct entity
Guidance on requesting the correct entity “This allows the requested entity to respond while still giving the parent company visibility and the option to take over the response if needed.” However, you may choose to request the parent company directly, for instance if the parent company is a known Discloser or if you wish to request multiple subsidiaries of the same parent company. In such instances, we encourage you to inform the parent company of the entity or entities you engage with, so they can include them in their response and respond accurately to the questionnaire.