CDP Splits into 2 Entities, Announces Significant Investment by Permira

Climate research provider and environmental disclosure platform CDP announced today a new significant investment by private equity firm Permira, and a major restructuring, which will see the organization split into two related units, including a commercial entity which will continue providing environmental data and disclosure services, and a charitable entity focused on driving strategic principles for disclosure.

Founded in 2000, CDP runs a global environmental disclosure system, enabling investors and other stakeholders to measure and track organization’s performance in key environmental sustainability areas including climate, forests, water security, biodiversity, plastics and oceans.  In 2025, more than 22,000 companies disclosed data through CDP.

The new investment and reorganization follows a strategic restructuring by CDP last year, with the organization citing economic challenges requiring it to reduce its cost base and adjust staffing levels, alongside a new strategy focused on streamlining disclosures and reducing reporting burdens on companies.

Under the new structure, CDP will become two organizations, including “CDP”, a standalone commercial business backed by Permira, focused on deploying the disclosure system and delivering data products, and “CDP Foundation, an independent charitable entity focused on advancing science-led environmental disclosure.”

Permira said that it will support CDP’s strategic transformation and growth ambitions through a significant capital injection to drive investment in people, technology and innovation, which will include meaningful enhancements to the disclosure experience for corporates as well as material improvements to the insights drawn from the data, to inform environmental risk and resiliency, investment decisions and sustainability strategy.

CDP Foundation will also use proceeds received from the transaction science-led innovation, including developing new frameworks to manage risks and opportunities in emerging areas such as ocean health and plastics.

CDP Foundation will remain a shareholder in CDP, with board representation, and its work will inform the evolution of CDP’s question bank.

Sherry Madera, Chief Executive Officer of CDP, said:

“This is a transformative moment, marking the next chapter of CDP’s evolution in service of global markets. We are deepening our priorities – enabling CDP to deliver stronger science-led, disclosure and leverage new technologies to simplify the disclosure experience.”

The transaction forms the first investment from Permira’s Energy Transition strategy, following the launch by the firm of a dedicated team. Permira said that the investment reflects its “conviction that the energy transition will be enabled both via physical assets and technologies, as well as data, software and services platforms that support better decision-making.”

Anish Patel, Partner and Co-Head, and Gabriel Andrews, Managing Director – Energy Transition, at Permira, said:

“As environmental risk reshapes global supply chains and investment decisions, the need for trusted data has never been greater, and CDP fulfils that role. This partnership will strengthen CDP’s ability to support better environmental decision-making at scale, while helping provide a strong platform for the Foundation’s continued work.”