“Be brave, be part of the solution”: Kingfisher’s Ewan Brown on fighting fraud and keeping FSC relevant

Panama City – When Kingfisher PLC’s representative steps up to the microphone at the FSC General Assembly 2025, it will be on familiar ground. Seconded by WWF, the British home improvement giant is presenting Motion 30 — a proposal to strengthen the Forest Stewardship Council’s integrity by creating a secure, mandatory electronic traceability system.

It’s the second time the UK retailer has pushed the idea. “Kingfisher launched a similar Motion in Bali in 2022,” Ewan Brown recalls. “It flew through the social and environmental chambers but the economic chamber missed quorum by just a few votes. We came so close.”

Three years on, at the Assembly in Panama, he’s hoping for a different outcome.

From auditor to advocate

Brown’s background gives him an unusual vantage point. “I’m a timber scientist by training,” he says. “I started auditing for FSC in Australia in 2009 and after that worked for a British certification body across Australasia and the Americas. Now I manage a multi-site FSC certificate, so I’ve been both the auditor and the audited.”

That dual experience, he says, underpins his determination to modernise FSC’s systems. “We all believe in FSC — that’s why we’re here. But belief isn’t enough. Certification has to be measurable, trustworthy and defensible. Otherwise, businesses will start asking why they need it at all.”

“Be brave. Be part of the solution. Help build a system that works for everyone — north and south, big and small — and keeps FSC relevant for the next generation.”

Ewan Brown

Kingfisher PLC

Why Motion 30 matters

Motion 30 calls for FSC to undertake a detailed feasibility study into an electronic, volume-tracking system that would prevent fraudulent or mistaken claims within the supply chain.

“We all know there’s fraudulent material in the system,” Brown says plainly. “Even if it’s five per cent, that’s still too much.”

He draws a distinction between accidental misclaims — “someone getting an invoice wrong” — and deliberate fraud. “The clearest example is birch plywood,” he notes. “We’ve seen regions reporting thousands-of-percent increases in certified material despite logging restrictions. That’s not a clerical error. That’s deliberate.”

Lessons from Bali

After the narrow miss in 2022, Kingfisher reworked the motion. “We took on board what people were worried about — data security, costs, technology gaps,” Brown explains. The new proposal unfolds in two stages: first, FSC would commission a study; second, it would plan implementation with longer deadlines.

“Any new system has to be built to recognised IT-security standards and verified by an independent party,” he says, addressing concerns about cyberattacks. “And yes, it will cost money to run. But the alternative is a cheaper system that’s maybe only 60 per cent effective.”

Technology, he adds, is no longer the barrier it once was. “Ten years ago smallholders couldn’t easily upload data. Now with smartphones, 5G and cloud services, it’s possible almost anywhere. The EU Deforestation Regulation has forced that shift — everyone’s getting used to digital traceability.”

Keeping certification relevant

Brown argues that Motion 30 is about the future of FSC itself. “Developments like the EUDR means companies must prove their products are deforestation-free. Some boards will say, ‘If we have to do that anyway, why pay for FSC?’ FSC has to show it adds value — that its label means something stronger, verifiable and trusted.”

He points to other sustainability schemes already using digital tracking. “The Better Cotton Initiative built traceability in from the start,” he says. “That’s probably why its members are less resistant to change. We’ve spoken to people from Better Cotton and large timber suppliers — they say these systems work and bring value. It’s not revolutionary. You can buy volume-control software off the shelf today.”

For Brown, the difference is cultural rather than technical. “FSC’s been around for nearly 30 years. Back then we were checking paper ledgers in filing cabinets. The world has moved on.”

If Motion 30 fails again, Brown won’t walk away. “When FSC was created, people didn’t give up,” he says. “If it doesn’t pass this time, we’ll find out why and try again.”

But he’s hoping perseverance won’t be necessary. “My message to the economic chamber is simple: be brave. Be part of the solution. Help build a system that works for everyone — north and south, big and small — and keeps FSC relevant for the next generation.”

For a man who has spent years combing through Chain of Custody audits and spreadsheets alike, Brown’s message is quietly passionate. “Change is hard,” he admits. “But it’s also how progress happens.”