FSC, assurance professionals, and Indigenous representatives discuss emerging challenges and opportunities for assurance and certification.
Data, traceability, and digital tools were a central focus of discussions between FSC, certification bodies (CBs), training providers, and Assurance Services International (ASI) at the Annual FSC-CB Meeting, held in Cologne, Germany, from 15 to 17 September. The event brought together around 200 professionals. Representatives of the FSC Indigenous Foundation and Permanent Indigenous Peoples Committee also attended, bringing Indigenous Peoples’ perspectives to discussions about applicable auditing practices.
The Annual FSC-CB Meeting is an important forum for FSC, ASI, training providers, Indigenous Peoples, and certification bodies to align on evolving certification requirements, emerging assurance topics, and implementation challenges, as well as to exchange practical experience and gain insights into broader FSC developments and strategic direction. As the independent organizations responsible for assessing conformity with FSC requirements and making certification decisions, certification bodies are central to the credibility of the FSC system.
“Data and digital tools give us new opportunities to strengthen assurance, but technology alone is not the answer. What matters is how we use these tools together with the expertise and experience of our assurance providers to identify risks and support credible certification outcomes,” said Elena Tveritinova, Head of Certification Integrity at FSC International.At the event, FSC outlined its direction towards a more data-centred approach to assurance and certification, including how data and digital tools could contribute to more effective auditing and identification of certification risks. Discussions also explored how this work relates to FSC’s evolving approach to traceability.
“We need to continually refine the data-driven approach to make sure we are using data effectively and providing the best service to certificate holders and FSC stakeholders, while ensuring the system remains credible and auditable,” said Emily Blackwell, Head of Accreditation at Soil Association Certification.
“One of the biggest expectations from the FSC system is to ensure that the traceability system is transparent, credible, and robust,” said Tigran Martirosyan, Senior Quality Manager at Preferred by Nature.
Participants also discussed the ongoing normative changes in FSC certification and explored emerging trends and challenges with potential implications for certification credibility, stakeholder confidence, regulatory compliance, and the evolving role of artificial intelligence in assurance activities alongside human auditors.
“There is a big potential to make the certification process more efficient, but I’m convinced that we still need humans,” said Christian Kobel, Global Head of Forestry and Nature at SGS. “We need humans interviewing humans, and we can’t replace this by machines.”
On the final day, discussions focused on forest management topics such as Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) and its implementation in practice, geographic information system (GIS) mapping, Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs), and audit reporting tools.
The discussions in Cologne will inform FSC’s continued work with its assurance partners as it responds to emerging risks and challenges and further develops its approach to assurance.
