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This article is for returning Requesters and contains guidance on making bulk edits to your Request list via CSV file upload. We advise you to only use this method of list creation if you have robust records of your requested organizations’ DUNS numbers and need to bulk upload contacts, requester references, or amend/add forest and water requests. For further information, please see our video tutorial on uploading a Request list.


Contents

 

About the CSV file template

The CSV file template is a CSV file that allows you to create and edit your Request list in bulk. We recommend you have a list already created with the organization names, contacts and DUNS details before using the CSV file upload function. Please refer to the next section of this article for steps to download the CSV file template.

Important: Uploading a list via CSV will overwrite any list previously created in the Portal. This is why it is only recommended for bulk changes as any edits made will replace the information on the previous list.

Important: CSV file upload is only available before list submission.

The CSV file template consists of 6 columns:
  • RequestedOrgName* (Registered organization name consistent with D&B).
  • DUNS* (D&B assigned unique number associated with a registered business).
  • ReferenceNumber (An internal reference field selected by the Requester).
  • ContactEmail (Requester must first confirm agreement to share contact details of requested organizations in the Portal).
  • ForestTheme (Y/N)* – only applicable if included in your agreement with CDP.
  • WaterTheme (Y/N)* – only applicable if included in your agreement with CDP.


*RequestedOrgName, DUNS, ForestTheme (Y/N) and WaterTheme (Y/N) are all mandatory fields.



 

Download the CSV file template

To download the CSV file template, first sign into your Portal. Then on the left bar of the navigation panel, click ‘Manage organizations’. In this page, click ‘Create a list for this cycle (2025)’ and select ‘Upload a file’.



Click ‘Download template as a CSV file’ to download the blank template that includes all the columns needed for the upload to be successful. 



Important: The template file downloaded is a CSV file. Most computers open these in Excel which shows the data separated into columns. Always use the CDP downloaded .csv template, not your own template. When opening the file, you will receive a prompt regarding Excel data conversions. Select ‘Don’t Convert’ to ensure that the file retains the leading zeros in any DUNS numbers.
 

Populating the CSV file template

Once you have downloaded the template, you will need to populate all the mandatory columns to successfully upload the CSV file. The ‘RequesterOrgName’ and ‘DUNS’ columns cannot be null and must match the data in either the CDP database or the Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) database, the ‘ForestTheme (Y/N)’ and ‘WaterTheme (Y/N)’ columns must also be filled in either with Y or N (not Yes or No). The ‘ReferenceNumber’ and ‘ContactEmail’ columns can be null if you do not wish to add in this information.

Organizations are added based on their DUNS numbers. Please visit our FAQs for more information on DUNS numbers and the D&B database.

The ‘ContactEmail’ column refers to the single, primary contact associated with the organization. Here, you should add a single email address. Multiple contacts will not allow the successful upload of the file. Only add contacts if the data privacy and sharing statement has been previously confirmed; contact information will be ignored if not. The GDPR compliance statement can be found at the bottom of the ‘Organization details’ page navigated from your Requester Portal homepage.

The ‘ReferenceNumber’ column refers to unique references Requesters can optionally associate with Disclosers. This will support tracking your disclosers and engaging with them and will appear in the organizations’ Portal, once added. There is a limit of 50 characters for this field. Each reference number must be unique.

The ‘ForestTheme (Y/N)’ and ‘WaterTheme (Y/N)’ columns are used to indicate that the selected organizations will also be requested for Forests or Water, respectively. This information is crucial and ensures a comprehensive view of all environmental data. Requesting organizations on specific environmental issues is limited to certain memberships. Please reach out to your account manager for more information.

Tip: Do not add columns to the .csv. If you open the .csv in Excel or other applications, always save back as .csv file, and not .xls or .xlsx format.

 

Upload your CSV file

Important: Please share the populated CSV file with your Account Manager prior to uploading the list so it can be checked. This will ensure that the list is uploaded correctly and prevent errors from occurring.

Once you are ready to upload your completed CSV file, navigate to your Request list page again by clicking ‘Manage organizations’ on the left bar and then click ‘Upload file’. Drag and drop your CSV file or click ‘Upload’ to manually select it. The uploaded file will then be reviewed for duplicates, errors and other possible issues.


 


If the upload is successful, your updated Request list will appear with a red ‘Submit list ->’ option on the right hand side, as shown in the example below.  



If the upload fails, an error message will appear, as shown below.


 


We recommend Requesters click ‘Upload logs’, click ‘View log’, and download the log file to identify and correct the errors before uploading the file once more.

Please visit our article on resolving CSV file upload errors for further guidance and instructions on resolving csv upload errors and raising a case if you are not able to resolve the issues.


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Keywords: list creation, requester upload, add organization, filters, CDP database, CSV file, CSV upload
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