Achieving CDP Leadership: Proximus’ Journey to an A Score in ESG Disclosure

Case

Learn how Proximus achieved a CDP A score for two consecutive years through improved ESG governance, data quality, and strategic disclosure.

Strengthening CDP disclosure

We assisted Proximus in strengthening its CDP disclosure by improving environmental governance, streamlining data processes, and refining submission quality in line with scoring expectations. This structured approach helped Proximus achieve an A score for two consecutive years, placing them among global leaders in environmental transparency and action.

As regulatory expectations rise and stakeholders demand greater accountability, ESG disclosure has become a strategic necessity rather than a voluntary exercise. Companies today can evaluate their ESG performance through multiple rating frameworks, each offering a distinct lens on sustainability performance. Among the most influential are EcoVadis, widely used for supply-chain and procurement insights, and the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the global benchmark for environmental reporting and action.

Our recent work with Proximus illustrates the impact of a structured and strategic approach to ESG disclosure. We helped the company strengthen its environmental governance, refine its data processes, and enhance the quality of its CDP submissions to position them among the global leaders in ESG transparency and action.

What is CDP?

CDP is a global non-profit that runs the world’s leading disclosure system for environmental data. Over 24800 organizations (including companies, cities, and regions) disclosed through CDP in 2024. CDP collects data on climate change, water security, forests, plastics, and biodiversity.

From 2024 onward, it also fully aligns with global reporting standards such as the ISSB, IFRS S2 Climate-related Disclosures Standard and the CSRD. For instance, CDP covers contexts such as the identification of impacts, risks and opportunities (IROs) and exploring how environmental factors influence long-term goals, targets, scenario analysis, and overall business planning, linking it to governance and risk.

With the expert support of Möbius, we strengthened the foundations of our CDP response and maintained our ‘A’ score for two consecutive years. The result was a coherent, leadership-level submission that reflects our commitment to transparency and climate action.

Sarah Hellinckx and Laurent Crucifix Sustainability Expert and Sustainability Manager at Proximus

Why disclose through CDP?

Meet stakeholder expectations: CDP scores are closely watched by investors, ESG analysts, and business partners. A strong disclosure can improve access to capital and strengthen the reputation of your company.

Compliance with regulations: CDP integrates with multiple global reporting standards, serving as a practical stepping stone toward compliance with CSRD, particularly on climate transition planning and double materiality.

Benchmarking and risk management: CDP’s structured format supports peer benchmarking and the identification of environmental risks and hotspots across the value chain.

Drive value chain impact: CDP enables large companies to engage their suppliers in environmental reporting, critical for reducing Scope 3 emissions.

How does CDP disclosure and assessment work?

CDP’s annual disclosure cycle includes:

Questionnaire selection: The questionnaire includes 13 modules but only module 1 to 6, and 13 are mandatory for all companies. Modules 7 to 12 are only material for companies from certain sectors. All modules are scored except modules 10 and 11.
Data submission: The submission opens in June and closes in September. Companies report both qualitative and quantitative data via CDP’s platform.
Assessment and scoring: CDP evaluates submissions across four levels: Disclosure (D), Awareness (C), Management (B), and Leadership (A).
Feedback and benchmarking: After submission, companies receive feedback and a score. Companies also get insights in peer comparisons to support continuous improvement.

CDP’s scoring methodology helps companies and stakeholders understand the maturity of environmental management. Each topic (climate, water, forests) is scored separately based on the following framework:

CDP scores

A Leadership: Best practice in target-setting, data verification, and value chain engagement.

B Management: Active integration of environmental issues into strategy, targets, and governance.

C Awareness: Recognition of risks, impacts, and dependencies.

D Disclosure: Basic reporting of environmental data; initial step toward transparency.

High scores are a clear signal of leadership in ESG and climate maturity. Scoring is based on CDP’s detailed guidance and can change over the years to reflect evolving best practices.

Our approach

Möbius supported Proximus in their CDP disclosure cycle, with work structured around governance, data, and submission quality.

We started by assessing the previous submission against CDP’s guidance and scoring logic, pinpointing where points were being left on the table and where the submission needed stronger “leadership signals.” From there, we helped Proximus strengthen the foundations of the response.

First, we streamlined the underlying data process. We supported Proximus in improving coordination across internal stakeholders, consolidating key datasets, and ensuring consistency between quantitative disclosures and qualitative explanations. That improved both the reliability of the answers and the efficiency of the process.

Then, we elevated the submission quality. Together with Proximus, we refined narratives across the modules to align with CDP terminology and scoring expectations. We strengthened the logic linking strategy, risks, targets, actions, and progress, and ensured claims were backed by clear proof points (policies, controls, verification approaches, and plans). The result was a submission that read as one coherent, leadership-level story, rather than a collection of disconnected responses.

Results

This structured and strategic approach helped Proximus achieve a CDP A score for two consecutive years, positioning the company among global leaders in environmental transparency and action.

Beyond the score, Proximus came out of the engagement with a stronger disclosure engine: clearer governance articulation, smoother internal data collaboration, and a more credible, audit-ready narrative that can keep pace with evolving expectations from regulators and stakeholders.

Want to start your CDP journey or strengthen your score? Get in touch with our sustainability experts.