ISO 17298 Biodiversity Management Systems: Speeki Assurance & Certification

Quick Read

ISO 17298, published in October 2025, is the first international standard enabling organisations to systematically manage biodiversity risks and impacts through a structured management system framework aligned with regulatory drivers like TNFD and emerging nature disclosure requirements. Speeki provides end-to-end assurance services—from gap analysis and readiness assessment through certification and ongoing surveillance—to help organisations establish, implement and certify biodiversity management systems that generate reliable outputs for ESG reporting. The standard focuses on management system discipline rather than reporting, requiring documented policies, risk identification, clear governance, monitoring and corrective actions across an organisation's biodiversity-related responsibilities.

Use case

How Speeki helps organisations build and assure biodiversity management systems under ISO 17298

Biodiversity loss is an increasing global issue that creates material risks for organisations across sectors. ISO 17298, published in October 2025, is the first international standard enabling organisations to systematically address biodiversity within their strategies and operations through a structured biodiversity management framework.

Speeki works with organisations to build, assess and certify biodiversity management systems aligned with ISO 17298. Since 2020, Speeki has focused entirely on ESG and sustainability, providing the assurance stakeholders need to trust what companies report.

Why this matters

Organisations are increasingly expected to demonstrate how biodiversity-related risks and impacts are identified, managed and reviewed over time. Regulatory drivers such as emerging nature disclosure requirements, investor expectations linked to TNFD adoption and supply chain biodiversity due diligence are accelerating this trend.

Without a structured system, biodiversity-related responsibilities, data and actions are difficult to manage consistently, particularly where they sit across multiple teams and locations.

What ISO 17298 requires

ISO 17298 is a certifiable standard that focuses on establishing a biodiversity management system that can be implemented, monitored and improved over time. Key requirements include:

a defined biodiversity policy and objectives
identification of biodiversity risks, impacts and dependencies
documented processes and controls to manage biodiversity-related issues
clear roles, responsibilities and governance
evidence demonstrating implementation and monitoring
internal reviews, audits and corrective actions.

ISO 17298 is not a reporting standard. It provides the structured management system whose outputs feed into ESG reporting frameworks such as TNFD.

How Speeki supports biodiversity management under ISO 17298

Speeki provides end-to-end assurance services for biodiversity management systems under ISO 17298, covering the full journey from initial assessment through certification and ongoing surveillance.

Gap analysis and readiness assessment

Speeki conducts structured gap analyses comparing existing biodiversity-related policies and actions against ISO 17298 requirements. This identifies what is already in place and what needs to be developed. Readiness assessments before formal audits review documentation completeness, materiality assessments, action plans, monitoring indicators and implementation evidence to ensure the organisation is prepared for certification.

Training and capability building

Speeki delivers training programmes covering biodiversity fundamentals, ISO 17298 requirements, impact and dependency assessment methodologies, the mitigation hierarchy, biodiversity action planning and stakeholder engagement. Training is tailored to different roles, from executive leadership to operational managers, ESG teams and supply chain teams.

Certification audits

Speeki conducts Stage 1 and Stage 2 certification audits in accordance with international accreditation requirements. Audits assess the design and operating effectiveness of the biodiversity management system, including documentation reviews, personnel interviews, site visits and evidence examination.

Surveillance and recertification

Following initial certification, Speeki conducts annual surveillance audits and triennial recertification audits to confirm that the biodiversity management system continues to operate effectively and reflects changes in the organisation and its biodiversity context.

Ongoing Assurance Intelligence™

Every Speeki assurance engagement includes access to Assurance Intelligence™, which provides organisations with compounding value across assurance cycles. This includes year-to-year trend analysis to track maturity progression and recurring patterns, scenario-based outcomes for strategic planning and risk mitigation, and anonymised benchmarking to compare performance against peer organisations. Assurance Intelligence remains descriptive, predictive and scenario-based, with no advisory recommendations, preserving the independence of the assurance relationship.

Outcomes for organisations

Working with Speeki to build and assure a biodiversity management system under ISO 17298 helps organisations achieve:

a structured and independently verified approach to biodiversity management
improved visibility over biodiversity-related risks and impacts
practical training that builds internal capability across functions
more efficient audit and assurance preparation
year-to-year intelligence that compounds value across assurance cycles
confidence in alignment with ISO 17298 requirements.

About Speeki

Speeki is an independent assurance company helping organisations worldwide turn their compliance, sustainability and ESG initiatives into a competitive advantage.

Speeki combines subject-matter expertise and structured audit methodologies to deliver assurance engagements that support long-term governance maturity.

Want to discuss how Speeki can support your biodiversity management programme?