The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has launched the world’s first international standard to guide organisations in addressing biodiversity, unveiled at its Annual Meeting 2025 (AM25) in Kigali.
The new standard — ISO 17298: Biodiversity for Organisations – Guidelines and Requirements — provides a practical and scalable framework for assessing biodiversity impacts, dependencies, risks, and opportunities. It aims to help organisations embed biodiversity considerations into governance, risk management, and strategic operations.
Biodiversity underpins global ecosystems, economies, and societies. Yet accelerating nature loss poses mounting risks to businesses — from rising operational costs and disrupted supply chains to regulatory and reputational challenges. ISO 17298 offers a structured roadmap to support measurable, accountable, and transparent biodiversity action.
“Until now, there has been no globally agreed standard for organisations to integrate biodiversity into their strategies and operations,” said Noelia Garcia Nebra, ISO’s Head of Sustainability and Partnerships. “ISO 17298 closes that gap, enabling large-scale, systemic change where it matters most.”
The standard aligns with other major frameworks, including ISO 14001, ISO 26000, the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, contributing directly to Target 15 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework on corporate action.
ISO Director of Standardization Marco Rossi said the standard’s scalability made it accessible to organisations of all sizes — from SMEs to public institutions and cities. “By grounding biodiversity action in a globally agreed standard, ISO 17298 allows organisations to move from ambition to implementation,” he said.
The TNFD, which worked closely with ISO’s Technical Committee 331 on Biodiversity (ISO/TC 331) — comprising experts from over 60 countries — welcomed the new standard. Emily McKenzie, TNFD’s Technical Director, said it would help harmonise concepts, definitions, and approaches to support companies in integrating nature-related considerations into their strategies.
The launch coincided with ISO AM25’s session “From Risk to Action: Why Biodiversity Matters to Your Business”, where Rwanda’s Minister of Environment unveiled the nation’s new National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), underscoring local and global momentum for nature-positive action.
ISO 17298 marks the first in a broader suite of biodiversity standards under development, including those on biodiversity vocabulary, net gain, and native species-based products — setting the technical foundation for credible, scalable, and transparent biodiversity action worldwide.
