Wednesday, April 1, 2015

France Passes Green Rooftop Law


green-roofs-franceFrance keeps making green headlines lately… the Eiffel Tower’s wind turbines, the tree-shaped wind turbines being installed in Paris, and now an exciting new law that is sure to have a huge environmental impact in urban centers. Every new commercial building in France must meet a new building requirement; the roof must be at least partially covered in either solar panels or plants. Environmental activists had originally called for all for all rooftops to be 100% green, but the Government limited the scope of the law to include commercial buildings only. In an effort to make it less onerous for businesses, the rooftops will also only have to be partially green.


Ecologists say green roofs have many benefits including an isolating effect that helps reduce the energy needed for summer heating and winter cooling, and rainwater retention that helps reduce runoff problems. Green rooftops also encourage biodiversity by creating an excellent place for birds to nest within urban environments. As more studies show the financial and environmental benefits of green roofs, we hope this type of law becomes increasingly common in more countries.


Do you think more countries should mandate green rooftops? Leave your comments below…





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