What is CDP Supplier Engagement Assessment?
CDP Supplier Engagement Assessment (SEA), formerly Supplier Engagement Rating, scores how your company manages climate issues in its supply chain. It uses selected answers from the 2026 Full Corporate Questionnaire, not the extra Supply Chain module. SME questionnaire respondents are not eligible.
Why does CDP Supplier Engagement Assessment matter to you?
SEA is separate from your main CDP climate result. It shows whether purchasing processes, supplier requirements, Scope 3 data and targets support your stated approach. To qualify for SEA Leaderboard status, CDP says you must respond publicly to a customer or capital-markets request.
How does CDP Supplier Engagement Assessment work?
CDP applies question-level rules, then weights five categories: risk management processes 15%, governance and business strategy 15%, supplier engagement 35%, Scope 3 emissions including verification 20%, and targets 15%. To score above D, the response must indicate in Question 5.11 that the company engages with suppliers. Final letter thresholds are provisional and may change before scores are released.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Preparing only the 5.11 supplier-engagement answers and ignoring the four other weighted categories.
- Reporting a supplier programme without the number engaged or the share of spend or Scope 3 emissions covered.
- Assuming attachments earn points when the scored fields remain blank.
Is SEA the same as your CDP climate score?
No. Both use your climate response, but SEA applies a separate methodology to selected value-chain questions and is released as a separate result.
Can an SME questionnaire respondent receive SEA?
No. CDP's 2026 scoring introduction limits SEA to organizations that submit the Full Corporate Questionnaire by the communicated deadline.