Virgin Atlantic Receives Feedback to Improve CDP Scores

The Challenge

We each have an effect on the environment. From the cars we drive to the food we eat, and even the way we heat our homes. Within a major organization, it can be difficult to calculate your overall impact. Therefore, a variety of organizations have created reporting frameworks that companies can utilize to better understand their environmental impacts.

CDP is an international non-profit organization that provides a global system for companies and cities to measure, disclose, manage, and share vital environmental information. One of CDP’s programs is the Supply Chain Program, in which CDP enables organizations to implement successful supplier engagement strategies, reduce supply chain emissions, control water impact, and manage risk in a changing climate.

As part of the CDP Supply Chain Program, four of Virgin Atlantic Airways’ (VAA) customers requested that they complete the CDP questionnaire. After participating for multiple years, VAA was not seeing significant improvement in their scores, despite the efforts they were making to reduce their environmental impact. They looked to ADEC ESG Solutions, to improve their scores so they reflected VAA’s actions.

Our Solution

From 2011 to 2019, ADEC Innovations operated under close partnership with CDP as both a scoring partner and Gold level consultancy partner, giving our consultants unique expertise and insight into CDP’s methodology. We offer a variety of services related to CDP, including Scoring Assessments, which include a report with question-level scores, indicating exactly how many points were lost and where. In addition, the report provides an explanation as to why each point was lost, and offers clients suggestions for improvement. VAA was originally interested in ADEC’s Response Check service. However, once they learned how much more detailed the Scoring Assessment evaluation is, they opted to move forward with the Scoring Assessment, for a nominally increased fee.

As part of the Scoring Assessment service, ADEC Innovations utilized our CDP-trained scoring experts to pre-score VAA’s completed CDP response before it was submitted. We provided VAA with a report that listed their scores in a question-by-question format. For each lost point, the report provided an in-depth explanation indicating why points were lost and offered suggestions for improvement.

CDP does not disclose question-level scores, so this report provided insight to the scoring process that only ADEC Innovations offers, based upon our unique experience with the CDP scoring process. Since the client was able to view the scores, they could prioritize where improvements needed to occur; some improvements were made by simply rewording the question or adding more details, while other improvements required planning and implementation of new processes to improve their response the following year. ADEC then provided a 60-minute follow-up call to review the feedback and answer any questions that VAA had regarding our suggestions.

The ADEC Innovations Advantage

With the intricacies of CDP’s questionnaire, it can be challenging for a participant to identify where changes are needed. Our team’s unique perspective allows us to pinpoint areas within the questionnaire that can be improved, aside from obvious fixes such as blank or missing information. On occasion, this involves adjusting the response of one question to provide an opportunity for additional points in another question. Our wide range of CDP services allows ADEC Innovations to help companies on an individualized basis. and match you with the solution that best fits your organization

As a CDP Scoring Partner for nearly a decade, we have unique insight to the scoring process that other companies who offer similar services do not have. Upon completion of the Scoring Assessment service, clients are assured they are receiving thorough and accurate feedback, which can directly improve their CDP results. ADEC Innovations has expert knowledge of all aspects of the CDP questionnaire, and is able to offer additional services to help companies continue to improve.*

Deliverables and Results

• CDP Consulting
• Scoring Assessment

*In accordance with CDP’s conflict of interest policy, ADEC Innovations did not provide official scoring services for any of our CDP consulting clients.