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A New Global Standard Helping Organizations Take Action for Nature

Biodiversity is the foundation of life on Earth. It supports healthy ecosystems, drives resilient economies, and sustains the natural systems we depend on every day. But today, biodiversity is declining at unprecedented rates. To help organizations respond to this urgent challenge, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has introduced ISO 17298:2025.

Developed by ISO/TC 331, this is the first-ever international standard designed to guide organizations in integrating biodiversity into their strategies, operations, and decision-making processes. It provides a practical and structured framework suitable for organizations of any size or sector.

Why ISO 17298 Matters

More than USD 44 trillion — over half of the world’s total GDP — relies moderately or heavily on nature. As biodiversity risks increase, so do the pressures on organizations from regulators, investors, and communities. ISO 17298 helps bridge the gap between commitment and real action.

With this standard, organizations can:

  • Understand their biodiversity impacts, dependencies, and risks
  • Identify green growth opportunities and access nature-positive finance
  • Align with global biodiversity goals such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)
  • Develop and implement a credible biodiversity action plan

Key Benefits of ISO 17298

  • Helps align business strategy with emerging biodiversity policies and disclosure rules
  • Strengthens resilience across operations and supply chains
  • Unlocks green finance, investor trust, and new market opportunities
  • Enables transparent and consistent reporting on nature-related performance
  • Builds capacity for SMEs and public-sector organizations, especially in developing countries

Who Can Use ISO 17298?

ISO 17298 is designed for any organization — public or private, large or small — that wants to reduce biodiversity-related risks and enhance its sustainability performance. Businesses, NGOs, government bodies, and local authorities can all benefit from this framework.

Connection to the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)

The standard directly supports Target 15 of the GBF, which focuses on assessing, disclosing, and reducing nature-related impacts. ISO 17298 gives organizations the tools to operationalize this target effectively.

Compatibility With Other Standards

ISO 17298 can be used alongside other widely adopted standards, including:

  • ISO 14001 – Environmental management
  • ISO 26000 – Social responsibility
  • Other nature-related and sustainability frameworks

This makes it easy to integrate into existing sustainability systems.

What’s New in ISO 17298:2025?

This is ISO’s first International Standard dedicated to biodiversity. It brings together global expertise and best practices to help organizations take measurable action for nature across all sectors. It also includes guidance tailored to support developing countries where biodiversity challenges — and opportunities — are often greatest.

 


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