click on the logo to go directly to the registration page.

Lobbying The Government For A Policy On Green Roofs In The UK

CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW:

The Green Roof Campaign aims to raise support from the construction industry, politicians, local government, scientists and the general public for a solid Government policy on green roofs in the UK. The Green Roof Campaign will also canvass industry opinion as to what such a policy should contain.

BACKGROUND:

The environmental benefits of green roofs are well understood and accepted. However, the UK lags behind many other countries and cities when it comes to policies encouraging the use of green roofs on buildings. There has been a federal policy, which ensures that green roofs are installed in Germany and Switzerland. The city of Linz in Austria has had a green roof policy since 1983. Even cities as far a field as Japan, Chicago, Toronto and Bolzano in Italy have developed green roof policies over the past 7 years.

BENEFITS OF GREEN ROOFS:

Green roofs are one of the only sustainable technologies that are multi-functional:

• They help to cool buildings.
• They reduce the impact of increased urban temperatures.
• They store rainwater and thus reduce the impact of flash flooding and reduce the burden on antiquated stormwater drainage systems.
• They provide valuable wildlife habitat in urban [and rural] areas.
• The plants on green roofs absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) as part of the process of photosynthesis.

CLIMATE CHANGE:

A recent study by Manchester University states that 'our cities will require 10% more green space to combat the effects of climate change.' Roofs are one of the few places this will be achieved. The City of Basel in Switzerland has introduced a law which states that all new roofs over a 100m2 be 'greened. To date, 15% of the city's roof space has been greened. As a bonus, Basel city roofs have to be designed to cater for rare wildlife.

As our cities become hotter in the summer, green roofs will become a key factor in reducing the need for air conditioning as well as reducing the urban heat island effect, which can see the inner city ambient temperature being as much as 8OF above the surrounding countryside. Already cities such as Toronto, Chicago and Japan have developed policies to encourage the uptake of green roofs to tackle this issue.

Recent floods have caused millions of pounds worth of damage. Cities such as Portland and Seattle in the USA and Stuttgart, Cologne and Munster have all instigated policies specifically to tackle stormwater management through the use of green roofs. The City of Munster has introduced a stormwater fee according to the amount of water that runs off a building into the sewer system. This fee is reduced by up to 80% if a green roof has been installed.

There is a growing interest in how green roofs can be developed into mainstream building technology in the UK, but there is still a lack of knowledge, understanding and, in some quarters, a resistance to their use. The aim of the Green Roof Campaign is to raise awareness and lobby at a local, regional and national level to ensure that policy makers embrace this proven technology as an important element of sustainable development and mitigation/adaptation to climate change.

As a picture of what can be achieved through the development of green roof policies the picture below shows roof spaces before and after the City of Linz instigated a green roof policy:

GOAL OF THE CAMPAIGN:

It is the aim of the Green Roof Campaign to encourage the UK Government to deliver a positive policy for green roofs and to educate the nation about the benefits of green roof technology.

SIGN THE PETITION

If you would like to register your support for the Green Roof Campaign by signing our on line petition, then click here to provide your details.

The Green Roof Campaign is sponsored by Permanite Engineered Roofing System