CDP, the international environmental disclosure platform, has announced plans to separate into two independent but closely aligned entities. The first, CDP, will operate as a commercial organisation supported by global investment firm Permira and will continue providing environmental disclosure, data, and reporting services to businesses worldwide. The second, CDP Foundation, will function as a charitable organisation responsible for guiding disclosure principles based on the latest environmental science.

Although operating independently, both organisations will share a common objective: generating critical environmental information that supports decisions benefiting the planet and future generations.

Over the past 25 years, CDP has played a significant role in advancing environmental disclosure from a niche practice to a key component of corporate and investment decision-making. In response to growing environmental challenges and increasing market expectations, the new structure is designed to strengthen science-based disclosure while enabling greater investment in technology, data capabilities, and user experience.

For companies, investors, and other stakeholders that rely on CDP data, the change is expected to enhance access to tools, analytics, and insights that support risk assessment, resilience planning, and sustainability strategies.

Under the new arrangement, the CDP Foundation will retain a shareholding in CDP and representation on its board. The Foundation will focus on translating emerging scientific research into practical disclosure frameworks and will help shape the future development of CDP's questionnaires. Meanwhile, CDP will concentrate on operating and expanding the world's most comprehensive environmental disclosure system, generating information that supports sustainable economic development.

The Foundation will also work to incorporate cutting-edge environmental indicators aligned with planetary health, ensuring that disclosure practices remain ambitious and impactful. This approach will allow the Foundation to focus on environmental priorities while leveraging CDP's extensive disclosure infrastructure to drive change.

By establishing two complementary organisations, CDP aims to preserve its mission-driven and innovative approach while enabling each entity to pursue its distinct role more effectively. Both organisations will continue to use environmental data to support informed decision-making, while the Foundation advances its charitable objectives.

CDP confirmed that its existing products, services, and the 2026 disclosure cycle will continue without disruption throughout the transition period.

Sherry Madera, Chief Executive Officer of CDP, described the move as a significant milestone in the organisation's evolution. She stated that the new structure would strengthen science-based disclosure efforts and enable greater use of technology to improve the reporting experience for participants. Madera emphasised that CDP and the CDP Foundation would remain united in their mission to generate meaningful insights that support an Earth-positive economy, while the partnership with Permira would help expand the value delivered to companies, financial institutions, and other data users.

Katherine Garrett-Cox, Chair of the CDP Board of Trustees, highlighted that innovation and science have always been central to CDP's work. She noted that the new model would strengthen the role of CDP's data in promoting sustainable markets, driving positive environmental outcomes, and safeguarding future generations.

Permira brings extensive experience in supporting data-driven organisations through growth and transformation. The investment firm intends to support CDP through increased investment in talent, technology, and product development.

The partnership will allow the CDP Foundation to remain a shareholder in CDP while helping the commercial organisation enhance its services for corporate and financial-sector users worldwide. The goal is to improve both the disclosure process and the quality of environmental insights available to decision-makers.

Sustainability has long been a focus area for Permira, which has established a dedicated Energy Transition investment strategy aimed at supporting businesses that contribute to the transition toward a more sustainable economy through technology, data, and service platforms.

Anish Patel, Partner and Co-Head of Energy Transition, and Gabriel Andrews, Managing Director – Energy Transition at Permira, noted that as environmental risks increasingly influence supply chains and investment decisions, reliable environmental data has become essential. They described CDP as a critical provider of such information and stated that the partnership would strengthen CDP's ability to support informed environmental decision-making on a global scale while also supporting the Foundation's ongoing mission. They further highlighted Permira's experience in helping organisations expand their reach and impact and expressed enthusiasm about supporting CDP's next phase of development.

Legal advice for the transaction was provided by Bates Wells and Baker & McKenzie LLP on behalf of CDP, CDP North America, and CDP Japan. Financial advisory services were provided by Rothschild & Co and Alvarez & Marsal.

The transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals, including approval from the Charity Commission, as well as the fulfilment of customary closing conditions. Completion is expected within the next six months.

Dailycsr.com – 14 September 2017 – Serco is a service and outsourcing company that has been delivering essential public services for more than 5 decades and has made a difference to the lives of millions of people across the world.
In 2012, having signed a contract agreement with the UK Border Agency (UKBA), Serco was able to deliver the COMPASS project which provides accommodation, along with associated services and transportation to asylum seekers in two regions in UK.
Thanks to Serco’s initiative in the Commercial and Operational Managers Procuring of Asylum Support Services (COMPASS), it has been able to execute more than 20 UKBA contracts for accommodation and transportation of asylum applicants and their families and at the same time it has been able to improve the service standards while keeping incremental costs at bay.
As a result, Serco is the prime contractor for the UK’s North West region, as well as for Scotland & Ireland.
Its responsibilities include, arranging for initial short-term accommodation for asylum seekers; dispersed accommodation once their application has been processed; providing transportation to assylum seekers between accommodation, as well as all related processes that support these operations.
With a team of more than 220 workers attached to the COMPASS, Serco undertook the responsibility of taking care of their employees, including IT Managers, business support staff as well as other management colleagues responsible for the safety of lone workers.
Serco even had a separate team which looked after staff welfare.
Having used the SoloProtect reports, Serco realised that its management had scope for improvements and that its full potential remained untapped.
In order to streamline and provide a better return of investments on this project, Serco was able to drum up support for greater awareness and thus minimise the risks of danger to its employees, who had to work with a vulnerable population, come day or night.
As a result of this awareness, which includes training staff and equipping them with better communication skills, its training were more optimally utilised.
While designing Serco’s Identicom, the look and feel of it was exactly like a standard identity card, which ensured it discreet usage.
The Identicom is designed to fit a range of personnel and has wide applicability for lone workers on the field; be it from 'People Risk', arising out of physical or verbal abuse and attack, or 'Environmental Risk', in which a person becomes incapacitated due to a sudden illness, a trip or a fall. This  incapacitation is commonly referred to as a 'Man Down'.
Serco was able to provide unprecidented protection to its workers thanks to the Identicom coupled with the BS 8484:2016 accreditation, the SoloProtect’s elite, and EN50518 compliant, in-house Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC).
"The safety of our staff, service users and the public is paramount in what we do. The SoloProtect device not only provides a visible deterrent but also gives staff the re-assurance that, if there were an incident, they would get the help that was needed. Our aim is to ensure our staff get home safe, the SoloProtect device helps us do that."
For Serco’s support staff, the SoloProtect device is important since it provides them confidence that they are in safe hands, especially when they are working alone.
According to Chris Mairs, Serco’s Housing Officer, the SoloProtect device is ‘simple and effective’ and more importantly, he feels safer knowing the device is close at hand.
"Although I am confident in working with my Service Users I also understand the need for protection around the unknown or hostile situations, so having the device gives me peace of mind should I ever need to use it."
The SoloProtect Identicom device has enabled Serco’s management to provide excellent support service to the safety to its workers as well as its lone worker teams.
Empowered by the device, they can carry out their work with peace of mind in a safe and secure environment.
Due credit and praise also goes to Identicom users who were able to embrace and integrate themselves into a new working environment.
Significantly, the SoloProtect lone worker solution is fully compliant with BS8484 and EN50518.
The device allows its user to protect themselves effectively easily in a variety of work environments.
More than 200,000 people have chosen Identicom to be their preferred lone worker device.
 
References:
www.healthandsafetyatwork.com