CDP Splits Into Commercial and Charitable Entities with Permira Investment

Environmental disclosure platform CDP announced a major restructuring and a significant investment from private equity firm Permira, splitting into a commercial business focused on data products and disclosure services, and a charitable CDP Foundation focused on science-led environmental disclosure standards. The transaction follows a period of cost restructuring and represents the first investment from Permira's Energy Transition strategy.

Under the new structure, the commercial entity, retaining the CDP name, will be backed by Permira and focus on operating the disclosure system, delivering data products and building technology to simplify the reporting experience for companies. The CDP Foundation, the charitable entity, will remain a shareholder in CDP with board representation, and its work will inform the evolution of CDP's question bank. The Foundation will also use transaction proceeds to fund science-led innovation in areas including ocean health and plastics.

Permira's capital injection is intended to drive investment in people, technology and data analytics capabilities, improving the disclosure experience for more than 22,000 companies that reported through CDP in 2025. The restructuring positions CDP's commercial operations to compete more effectively with other sustainability data providers, while preserving the science-based and standards-setting functions within the Foundation. Permira noted that the investment reflects conviction that data, software and services platforms supporting better environmental decision-making will be critical enablers of the energy transition.

CDP was founded in 2000 and has grown to become one of the primary channels through which companies disclose climate, forests, water, biodiversity, plastics and now ocean data to investors and other stakeholders. The restructuring comes as CDP faces increasing competition from commercial data providers and evolving investor expectations for verified, decision-grade sustainability data. CEO Sherry Madera described the transaction as the next chapter of CDP's evolution, enabling stronger science-led disclosure and new technologies to simplify reporting.

Key figure — More than 22,000 companies disclosed through CDP in 2025