It’s vital that all Accounting for Nature stakeholders have confidence in the Accounting for Nature® Trustmark and the credibility of the Claims made by Certified Environmental Account holders.

At Accounting for Nature, we are committed to the correct implementation of our Standard and supporting Framework. We conduct continuous monitoring, verification, and assurance to ensure that all Framework users — including Environmental Account holders and end-users of Environmental Accounts — adhere to our Standard.

Ensuring confidence.

Under the Accounting for Nature® Framework, users can obtain certification of their Environmental Account if they meet the criteria in the Accounting for Nature® Standard. Through our 5-step process, Accounting for Nature guides users through the appropriate application of the Standard, Accredited Methods and other key documents to ensure integrity of the process and that the Environmental Account outcomes reported, disclosed and claimed are accurate and not misleading.

Certification is achieved either through an Accounting for Nature Technical Assessment or through an Independent Assurance Audit. The type of certification required depends on the purpose and end-use of the Environmental Asset Account(s). At both registration and certification checkpoints, Accounting for Nature will confirm the purpose with the Environmental Account user to ensure suitability and appropriateness of the certification pathway.

Once certified, Environmental Accounts are publicly listed on our Environment Account Registry. This registry includes all current, registered, and retired Environmental Accounts, ensuring full transparency and disclosure of all current and past Environmental Accounting projects under the Framework.

Additional safeguards and assurance mechanisms.

We have established processes in place for use in circumstances where Environmental Accounts, Accredited Methods, Accredited Experts or Auditors are suspected to have not met the criteria contained in the Standard or other rules document. These include Accounting for Nature’s right to initiate additional audits, formal dispute resolution, and complaints procedures, which are outlined in our relevant Key Documents. In addition, we have formalised internal non-compliance procedures to manage any perceived or actual non-compliance under the Framework.

Through these integrated efforts, we ensure a robust and trusted Framework, reinforcing its integrity and credibility in the long term.

Stakeholder participation.

There are many opportunities for stakeholders to provide input into the Accounting for Nature® Framework. Stakeholder input ensures that our Standard and Framework continue to meet best practice principles whilst ensuring that the building and certification of Environmental Accounts is as streamlined as possible.

When our core documents undergo a major revision, we ensure a 6-month stakeholder engagement period, welcoming feedback from the public, our Accredited Experts and Auditors, registered and certified Environmental Account holders as well as end users. The feedback obtained is considered for potential revisions and improvements to ensure the effectiveness and relevance of the Standard. Instructions for providing feedback on these documents is found in the preliminary section of each respective document.

Complaints and appeals procedures.

Our Accounting for Nature® Framework and certification program are built on a foundation of integrity. We are dedicated to maintaining transparency and accountability throughout all our processes, include complaints and appeals management.

We offer a structured and transparent Complaints Process to handle and resolve any issues related to the Accounting for Nature® Framework. Our robust procedures ensure every complaint and appeal is investigated thoroughly and resolved effectively.

Maintaining best practice.

Just as we develop and review our Standard in accordance with the latest scientific understanding and best practices in measuring, certifying and communicating changes in the state of nature, we periodically review our assurance system to increase its effectiveness and address real or perceived issues within our system.