Mr Paterson was speaking at the House of Lords launch of the GiB report, which listed the first six months’ achievements of the campaign to boost British wood and woodland, and laid out its plans.
"Defra’s objectives are to grow the rural economy and improve the environment and the campaign, with its aim to develop a sustainable woodland culture, involving all stakeholders, fits that perfectly," he said. "It shows environmental and economic goals are not mutually exclusive."
He commended the campaign for creating "market pull".
"Supporters include 18 members of the UK Contractors Group (UKCG), representing £22bn of turnover," he said. "This will make it easier for woodland owners to get timber to market and ensure they won’t be disadvantaged in procurement."
Dr Peter Bonfield, who led the delivery team up to the report launch, then handed over to Stuart Goodall chief executive of Confor and Steve Cook of the UKCG, said that, given GiB’s achievements in the first six months, it was exciting to "anticipate the decade to come".
"With the support of such names as M&S, B&Q, Travis Perkins and furniture maker Heal’s behind it, it has the potential to create a whole new economic engine for woodlands, wood and the people involved," he said.
Among GiB achievements listed in its report are:
- the support of companies with £50bn buying power;
- establishing a procurement standard;
- developing a Union Jack tree logo to be applied in a trial over the next year to product and marketing materials, including Forestry Commission timber;
- launch of the website www.growninbritain.org;
- creation of a GiB social media community;
- NHS plans to plant 1.3 million trees at hospitals.
A Defra-backed pilot study has also come out of the campaign to promote woodland investment. The UK Woodland CR Plan allows companies to include projects they fund that deliver on carbon and benefit the environment in corporate responsibility reporting.
"It promises a new mechanism for funding woodland project delivery," said Mr Paterson.
