The return of nature in cities plays an important role for livable cities. With the right green roof system, almost any gray roof transforms into an extensive and even an intensive green roof.
Extensive green roofs are aesthetic, durable, lightweight and require little maintenance.
Intensive green roofs are comparable to ground-based greenery, such as gardens and park landscapes. The intensive vegetation needs more water and regular maintenance. Lawns, shrubs and trees are the most common intensive vegetation for green roofs. This vegetation is often combined with areas for pedestrian or cars.
Green roofs (roof gardens) have become increasingly popular recently. They are one of the four actions that the European Commission listed in the Renovation Wave – the strategy to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, announced in October 2020.
The other three are renovating buildings, installing electric vehicle charging stations, and heating and cooling homes with local renewable energy sources.
Buildings are now responsible for around 40% of total energy consumption in the EU and around 36% of greenhouse gas emissions. And the EC aims for a climate-neutral Europe by 2050.
In Germany, about 140 million square meters of roofs have already been landscaped, which is 14% of the total roof area, with 9 out of 10 German cities providing direct financial assistance for their construction.
In Switzerland about 15 million square meters of green roofs have been built over the last 15 years. This is the trend in France, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark.