Improving CDP Score: OPTIMA Packaging Success Story

CDP

Improving CDP Score Strategically: OPTIMA Packaging Success Story

How strategic questionnaire completion translates sustainability commitment into measurable CDP ratings.

OPTIMA packaging group GmbH is a family-owned company founded in 1922, now in its third generation, headquartered in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany. OPTIMA designs and manufactures filling and packaging machines for a wide range of sectors, including pharma and biotech, cosmetics, and medical technology. With approximately 3,700 employees across more than 20 (inter-)national locations, the company pursues a holistic sustainability strategy under the motto “We care for tomorrow” – encompassing responsible corporate governance, environmental stewardship, customer solutions, and employee development. In April 2025, OPTIMA was awarded the EcoVadis Platinum Medal – the highest rating level.

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Challenge: Sustainability Efforts Invisible in the CDP Score

Despite a strong and well-established sustainability commitment, OPTIMA’s CDP score had stagnated for years – and for several interconnected reasons:

In previous years, only a C rating was consistently achieved, despite a high level of sustainability engagement
Completing the CDP questionnaire consumed significant internal resources and was time-intensive – without the effort being reflected in the result.
In 2025, a customer requirement was defined: achieve a minimum CDP score of B.
The questionnaire had not been approached with a strategic mindset or maximum efficiency.

Many companies face similar challenges: clients request a rating, but existing sustainability and climate management measures cannot be translated into a strong score. At the same time, the strategic potential embedded in CDP remains untapped.

Is your sustainability commitment not adequately reflected in your CDP, EcoVadis, or similar ratings? We help you make the full potential of your sustainability performance visible.

Project Approach: Strategic Questionnaire Completion for a Better CDP Score

The approach focused on optimising the completion of the CDP questionnaire to fully capture OPTIMA’s actual sustainability commitment. In addition, the project results could be used to strategically advance the company’s sustainability management.

The overarching goal was not only to improve the score, but to enable the team to complete the questionnaire independently and efficiently in the future. This approach has also empowered the majority of other clients to improve their scores or maintain them at a strong level.

Key elements included:

Teaching CDP logic: Training the sustainability team on the central evaluation criteria and key considerations for efficient questionnaire completion.
Continuous sparring: Need-based support in answering complex questions and interpreting CDP requirements.
Score analysis & optimisation: Evaluation of submitted answers, calculation of a preliminary score based on CDP logic, and concrete improvement recommendations for the current year.
Long-term development: Identification of gaps in climate management based on CDP results, and a roadmap for next steps.

Result: CDP Score Improved from C to B

The project achieved significant progress in addressing the original challenges:

What we achieved – Key Deliverables

CDP score improved from C to B
Structured foundational understanding of CDP logic within the sustainability team
Concrete recommendations for the next development steps in climate management
Identified gaps as a basis for strategic climate management

Value & Learning

The project’s success demonstrates a clear principle: the effort invested in sustainability measures only becomes visible through strategic reporting. OPTIMA proved that the gap between commitment and score was not due to missing measures, but to insufficient strategic representation. The team has learned to view the CDP questionnaire as a strategic instrument. At the same time, the analysis revealed new priorities for climate management that can now be addressed in a structured way.

Key Insight: Strategic Analysis Creates Clarity

Many companies report to CDP without fully understanding the scoring logic. A strategic analysis not only produces better scores – it also creates clarity about genuine areas for action.

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Voices from the Project

“The level of ambition we had set for ourselves was exceeded. The consultants at Sustainable work with a palpable sense of intrinsic motivation, respond quickly, and consistently deliver well-founded, clearly presented results.”

Maren Rotter

Sustainability Manager, OPTIMA packaging group GmbH

"Working with Sustainable was very pleasant and productive. We particularly appreciated the quick responsiveness, the structured approach, and the thorough preparation of results.”