The Framework.
Accounting for Nature works with farmers, indigenous land managers, private conservation organisations, businesses, impact investors, governments and regional natural resource management organisations to implement the Accounting for Nature® Framework – a world-leading, scientifically rigorous methodology for measuring environmental condition.
Measures of environmental condition can be used to understand whether actions are improving or degrading natural capital. They are critical for guiding investment in sustainable land and sea management. The Accounting for Nature® Framework sets the overarching Standard for measuring the trend in ecological health for different environmental assets (e.g. agricultural soils, native vegetation, fauna) in a cost-effective, scientifically robust, fully transparent and verifiable way.
The Accounting for Nature® Framework has been tried and tested over a decade at both property (enterprise) and ecosystem (regional) scales – a collaborative effort by around 200 world-leading experts. Accounting for Nature acknowledges and thanks the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists for their work in developing the Accounting for Nature® Model from 2008 to 2018.
Our Framework.
A scientific standard to catalyse investment in nature.
About the Framework.
-
The Accounting for Nature® Framework is free to be used by any organisation or individual to measure the biophysical condition of environmental assets (e.g. native vegetation, soils, freshwater, native fauna, marine) in a project area, across an entire property, or within a region, state or even across a nation.
When making public statements or claims related to Accounting for Nature®, Environmental Account Certification is required.
-
The Framework also provides an optional paid pathway for interested parties to have their environmental accounts recognised through our Certification. Only users who have had their accounts certified are able to make public and private claims regarding their Environmental Accounts.
Additional market claims using Certified Environmental Accounts and related to Nature Positive, connected to carbon credits and the emerging nature credits and biodiversity market schemes (etc) must only be approved by AfN in writing and are subject to additional Standards and Rules. Please contact us for more information.
-
Accounting for Nature® “Certified” Environmental Accounts are widely considered the source of truth and trust for any sustainability claim that is made with respect to landscape or marine conservation and restoration.
These Accounts - approved for use under the appropriate AfN license agreements - can be used for underpinning government and philanthropic grants, issuance and tracking of green bonds and other financial instruments, monitoring the efficacy of sustainable land management activities, consumer labelling on food and fibre products, undertaking due diligence on impact investments, and credibly linking environmental co-benefits to carbon offset units under different internationally recognised standards.
-
The Accounting for Nature® Framework has been developed so that it complements other standard and certification systems, such as those for developing carbon offset projects, building and assessing impact investment opportunities (e.g. green bond criteria), pursuing corporate sustainability outcomes and achieving global goals such as the Sustainable Development Goals and Aichi Targets.
It can also be used to underpin and evidence state of nature, impact, risk and opportunity disclosures under the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and is consistent with the United Nation’s Standard for Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA).
-
Like a framework for financial or carbon accounting, the Accounting for Nature® Framework offers a system of rules and processes designed to ensure the utmost integrity and transparency of environmental accounts, no matter the environmental asset being measured.
How to use the Accounting for Nature® Framework.
-
Who
Farmers, landholders, conservation land managers, carbon offset developers, investors, corporates and government all need to substantiate their sustainability claims.
-
Register & Build
Users register an Environmental Account and then build their account based on the Accounting for Nature® Standard and approved Methods and Guidelines.
-
Certify
Environmental Accounts are submitted for Certification review. Users of Certified Environmental Accounts are provided a trustmark.
-
Claims
The Accounting for Nature® Trustmarks give confidence to publicly communicate sustainability claims.
Key documents.
-
![]()
Accounting for Nature® Standard
The Certification Standard (‘Standard’) sets out the overarching rules and processes for the preparation and certification of Accounting for Nature® compliant Environmental Accounts.
-
![]()
Methods
Methods contain detailed measurement, reporting and verification requirements for environmental assets (e.g. soils, native vegetation, fauna). Methods may be developed by anyone, but must be accredited by the Science Accreditation Committee.
-
![]()
Claims Rules
Claims Rules contain the rules and procedures that govern the types of claims that can be made by users with Certified Environmental Accounts. It also outlines the conditions of use of the Accounting for Nature® Trustmarks.
-
![audit image]()
Audit & Verification Rules
The Audit & Verification Rules provide the rules and procedures that govern the preparation of audit reports under the Framework, and who may be listed as an Accounting for Nature® Accredited Auditor.
-
![key docs image]()
Other Key Documents
Explore our library of key documents to learn more about the Accounting for Nature® Framework.
Global Frameworks.
Find out about how the Accounting for Nature® Framework can be used to complement or underpin aspects of global frameworks such as reporting on the state or condition of nature to underpin disclosures, track progress towards goals, or meet broader requirements of a framework around impacts and risk or ‘sustainability’.