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Sika joins World Green Infrastructure Network

WGIN welcomes Sika AG as a new corporate member. The Swiss multinational specialty chemicals company will also be part of the network’s European Chapter. The World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN) is delighted to announce that Sika is joining the Network as a new corporate member. Sika is also joining WGIN’s EU Chapter, the group’s advocacy section dedicated to advance the green infrastructure agenda in the European Union. Sika AG was founded in 1910 with the invention of a quick-setting waterproofing admixture for mortars, which was used to waterproof the Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland and enabled the Swiss railway company to electrify the important connection between Northern and Southern Europe. Today, thanks to its leading position in developing and producing systems and products for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing, and protecting in the building sector and motor vehicle industry, the company is considered as enabler of sustainable transportation and construction. Sika has been waterproofing green roofs and other landscaped areas for over 40 years globally, and in the United States for over 25 years. Sika’s Sarnafil® roofing systems have recently celebrated their 60-year anniversary. With close to 400 million m2 of roofing and waterproofing membrane installed worldwide, architects, specifiers and building owners know they can rely on Sika for proven products and system performance. Already today, Sika generates 70% of its sales with products that have a positive sustainability impact. Manfred Koehler, President of the World Green Infrastructure Network, commented: “We are very pleased to welcome Sika as a new member of WGIN and of its EU Chapter. As a multinational company well known for its innovative and high-quality products, Sika is a perfect match with our ambition to promote the deployment of green infrastructure globally. We look forward to working together on this key agenda.” Patricia Heidtman, Chief Innovation and Sustainability Officer at Sika, said: “Sustainability is at the center of everything Sika does. Our company is focusing on helping customers to reduce their CO2eq footprint by providing innovative solutions and products. In many respects, Sika’s technologies make the company an enabler that strongly contributes to the climate neutrality journey of the construction and automotive industries. That’s why we share the ambition to promote green infrastructure in urban planning and we are happy to join WGIN and support them in this endeavor.”   Patrick Horisberger, Head Target Market Roofing at Sika, added: “Green roofs lower the energy costs by absorbing heat which in turn significantly reduces the need for air conditioning in summer and provides additional insulation in the winter. Another important benefit is their ability to reduce and slow stormwater runoff, besides using the roof as a recreational area. With our membership in WGIN we want to influence and support the development of green roofs by sharing know-how, supporting studies, and developing new solutions.”   Download the pdf version   Media contacts Luigi Petito Head of Secretariat, World Green Infrastructure Network – EU Chapter luigi.petito@wgin.org   Harriet Sihn Public Relations Manager, Sika AG sihn.harriet@ch.sika.com   ABOUT WGIN The World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN) is a collaborative global network promoting the integration of green infrastructure in urban planning. Since 2009, WGIN has expanded to represent 22 National Associations and has held 10 World Green Infrastructure Congresses. WGIN has established supportive working research committees and has an active board of directors representing 11 nations. In 2019, WGIN set up a European Chapter with the aim of raising awareness among EU policymakers about the multiple benefits of green infrastructure.   ABOUT SIKA Sika is a specialty chemicals company with a leading position in the development and production of systems and products for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing, and protecting in the building sector and motor vehicle industry. Headquartered in Baar (Switzerland), Sika has subsidiaries in 101 countries around the world and manufactures in over 300 factories. Its more than 27,000 employees generated annual sales of CHF 9.3 billion in 2021.

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03/17/2022 No Comments
EU chapter

Bauder joins World Green Infrastructure Network

WGIN welcomes leading Germany-based company as a new corporate member. The green roof firm will be part of the network’s European Chapter. The World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN) is delighted to announce that as of 2022 Bauder is joining the Network as a new corporate member. Bauder is also joining the EU Chapter of WGIN, the network’s advocacy section dedicated to advance the green infrastructure agenda in the European Union. Paul Bauder Gmbh & Co. KG, a family business founded in 1857, is a leading international manufacturer of building construction materials. The third Bauder generation established an important milestone in the company’s history by focusing on the roof. In addition to the flat roof business unit, which includes green roof and photovoltaic systems, they built up the pitched roof business unit. Today the company provides clients with waterproofing membranes and insulation to make buildings watertight and thermally efficient, photovoltaic installations for renewable energy generation, and green roofs to support the environment and create better living and working spaces for people. Bauder is based in Stuttgart and operates in 16 countries around the world, with more than 1.300 employees. Manfred Koehler, President of the World Green Infrastructure Network, said:“We are extremely pleased to welcome Bauder as a new member of WGIN and of its EU Chapter. As one of the world leaders in green roof technologies, Bauder fits perfectly with our mission to promote green infrastructure to create greener and healthier urban spaces, benefitting nature and people. We look forward to working together towards achieving this important goal in Europe and beyond.” Tim Bauder, Bauder Managing Director, commented:“At Bauder, we know the potential that roofs have for mitigating the effects of climate change. Every green roof creates new, important living space that makes our cities greener and therefore more liveable. We are very happy about our membership and to be able to support WGIN with our expertise in green roofs.” Download the pdf version Media contactsCéline DurerCorporate CommunicationsBauderceline.durer@bauder.de Luigi PetitoHead of SecretariatWGIN – EU Chapterluigi.petito@wgin.org

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02/10/2022 No Comments
EU chapter

A new model of “urban forestation” to reduce energy costs

At EIMA, the international agricultural machinery exhibition in Bologna (Italy), the World Green Infrastructure Network presented proposals for new standards on green areas in rural, commercial and public building renovations and new construction. The association’s proposals revolve around the definition of new parameters for the renovation of commercial, rural and public buildings and for new residential constructions. These parameters should stimulate, through tax and financial incentives, a more rapid reduction in energy costs in the wake of the objectives set by the European Commission. In particular, according to WGIN, green areas should be integrated in new zero-emission buildings and combined with installations of renewable energy systems: a combination that increases energy efficiency by between 5 and 10%. In addition, as regards the renovation of public, commercial and rural buildings, the introduction of a minimum green area standard should become indispensable to improve environmental mitigation measures. “The time has come for Italy, with the support of other EU countries, to seriously promote a real European Green Deal for climate mitigation in urban areas,” said Riccardo Rigolli, agronomist and board member of WGIN. Read more

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10/19/2021 No Comments
EU chapter

Renaturing our cities for climate action and citizens’ wellbeing – Open letter to the EU Commission

Boosting the uptake of green infrastructure through new EU rules on buildings’ energy performance can lead the way for decarbonised, healthier and more biodiverse buildings and cities, 36 organisations representing industry associations, companies, universities, think tanks and NGOs, wrote in an open letter to the European Commission. “The built environment is a core area of the Union’s decarbonisation efforts in the next ten years. We believe that green infrastructure, with the support of the right legislative framework, can play a key role both for climate mitigation and in supporting urban areas to adapt to a changing climate”, write the co-signatories. They underline that with urban population projected to further grow in most European regions, investing in the switch from grey to Blue-Green Infrastructure must be a priority to renature our cities, reduce their carbon footprint and improve the health and wellbeing of their residents. The 36 organisations call on the Commission to introduce in its proposal for the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) mandatory provisions for the integration of green infrastructure in new and renovated buildings. In particular, they recommend to: Systematically integrate green infrastructure in a new Zero Emission Building standard and require combination with solar renewables installations (bio-solar roofs) such as solar thermal and/or photovoltaic energy; Require commercial and public buildings, undertaking renovations, to install green roofs and walls in combination with solar renewables installations (bio-solar roofs) such as solar thermal and/or photovoltaic energy; Require Member States to provide incentives for large residential buildings occupying a land surface of 400m2, and more, and undertaking renovations to install green roofs in combination with solar renewables installations (bio-solar roofs) such as solar thermal and/or photovoltaic energy. European citizens will support these actions, as the recent lockdowns stressed the importance of access to nature and green spaces for people’s mental and physical health and general wellbeing, the letter states. With the right legislative framework, we can make nature and green areas accessible to all by installing vegetation on billions of square meters of roofs and impervious surfaces which would be otherwise unused. Read and download the full letter here Note to the editor: The European Commission is expected to present a proposal for the revision of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) in December 2021.

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10/13/2021 No Comments
EU chapter

Why greening cities should be a pillar of climate action

Rotterdam, The Netherlands: section of the Dakakker. ID:1415339051 By interweaving green infrastructure with the built environment, we can tackle some of the effects of human-induced warming locally, writes Luigi Petito, Head of WGIN EU Chapter, in the Autumn edition of Living Architecture Monitor This summer’s extreme weather conditions battered most of Europe. In the North of the continent heavy precipitations devastated large part of Belgium and Germany. This had a dramatic human impact. In the South, wildfires ravaged large areas in Spain, Italy and Greece. Sadly, these events were not limited to Europe: extreme weather was a phenomenon witnessed by communities across the globe, showing that even some of the world’s richest countries remain unprepared for the intensifying consequences of climate change. The Sixth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reminded us that unless significant reductions in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades, the global temperature will increase  above 1.5 °C and the consequences for the health of planet Earth and for humanity will be dire. Regrettably, many changes due to past and future greenhouse gas emissions are irreversible, especially changes to the ocean, ice sheets and the global sea levels. Others can be addressed with effective mitigation and adaptation actions. In cities for example, we can reverse the trends if we renature urban areas. By interweaving green infrastructure with the built environment, we can tackle some of the effects of human-induced warming locally. At the same time, we can limit further urbanization, which, according to the IPCC report, will increase the severity of heatwaves as well as mean and heavy precipitation and resulting runoff intensity. Read the full article here Living Architecture Monitor (LAM) is a quarterly publication first published in 1998. It features in-depth interviews with leaders in the green building movement, opinions, research, and green roof and wall project profiles.

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10/06/2021 No Comments
EU chapter

In the press | Rainwater as a resource in the city

Blue-green infrastructure are key to help adapt urban rainwater management to climate change, reports Tagesspiegel Background (Germany). In Germany and the EU, experts are calling for more commitment to adapting urban rainwater management to climate change. The focus is on new concepts such as a blue-green infrastructure and the networking of storage measures. Luigi Petito, Head of the European Chapter of the World Green Infrastructure Network, was asked by Tagesspiegel about the benefits of green infrastructure for urban water management and the latest policy developments at EU level. “A lot is happening right now, but there is still a lack of mandatory regulations for blue-green infrastructure in cities,” Petito said, pointing in particular at the upcoming revision of the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD). “Germany has played a pioneering role in the implementation of blue-green implementation of blue-green pilot projects in cities, but also in the development of technical solutions”, he added. Such examples could serve as a model throughout Europe. Read the full article (German)

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07/21/2021 No Comments
EU chapter

Have Your Say: European Commission Consults on New Stormwater Policies

Oblique lid of a well after thunder shower. ID: 697109167 April 2021 was the wettest and coldest April on record, yet summer in Europe could not have had a better start for green infrastructure. Let’s find out why. In the Summer edition of Living Architecture Monitor (LAM), Head of EU World Green Infrastructure Network Luigi Petito, writes about the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD) that was developed 30 years ago to ensure clean and safe urban wastewater in European cities. The full article is available here. The LAM magazine is a quarterly publication first published in 1998.  It features in-depth interviews with leaders in the green building movement, opinions, research, and green roof and wall project profiles. Living architecture is the integration of living, organic systems with non-living, inorganic systems in, on, or around buildings. Living architecture is an important step to reconcile people and nature in the modern built environment.

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07/05/2021 No Comments
EU chapter

In the press | Jure Šumi: “Green infrastructure bring life to cities”

Azotea del Instituto Nacional de Biologia, en Liubliana, capital de Eslovenia. © DANILO BEVK In an interview to top-ranking Spanish media outlet El Pais, Jure Sumi, president of the Slovenian Green Infrastructure Association and Representative of the WGIN European Business Group presented the multiple benefits of nature in cities. “The holistic benefits that urban green infrastructure is bringing to cities are relatively little known”, Jure Sumi told El Pais, “People, and even city officials, are not aware of all the positive effects of nature. The benefits go beyond the aesthetic. Green infrastructure brings life to cities, reduces overheating in city centres, manages stormwater and removes dangerous dust particles from the air…. If buildings are designed correctly, green roofs on top can be additional amenity spaces for residents to enjoy nature at home.” “Not understanding all the benefits brings us to the second challenge”, he explained, “Adding green infrastructure is costly. As the benefits are not yet recognised, investors are not willing to pay much more for ‘green buildings’ as they are not sure how to sell the benefit to potential buyers. They see green infrastructure more as an additional cost than as an opportunity to increase the value of the building. I firmly believe that this is our task, to convince national and municipal governments, as well as investors and residents, to understand the benefits of green infrastructure. In the end everyone wins: municipality, investor, resident and, above all, nature.” Read the full article (in Spanish): https://elpais.com/elpais/2021/06/14/seres_urbanos/1623663219_703877.html

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06/25/2021 No Comments
EU chapter

European Parliament calls for green roofs targets to restore urban biodiversity

The European Parliament adopted its position on the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, signalling another important recognition of green infrastructure benefits. On 9 June 2021, the European Parliament adopted the resolution “EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030: Bringing nature back into our lives”, fully endorsing the EU Commission strategy to address the current biodiversity crisis in Europe and the rest of the world. In the resolution, the Parliament calls on the European Commission to set ambitious legally binding targets for urban biodiversity, nature-based solutions, ecosystem-based approaches and green infrastructure, highlighting their benefits for both humans and wildlife and their contribution to the overall biodiversity targets. To promote urban biodiversity, MEPs stress the need to include measures such as a minimum share of green roofs on new buildings, supporting urban farming, ensuring no chemical pesticides are used and reducing fertiliser use in EU urban green areas. At the same time, the Parliament underlines the importance of increasing the number of green spaces according to the number of inhabitants of European urban areas, while also addressing inequalities in access to green spaces. The resolution recognises that green urban areas and green infrastructure can provide ecosystem services to support biodiversity and contribute to the physical and mental well-being of the population. In this view, MEPs support the Commission’s initiative to set up an EU platform for urban greening. “We are glad to see that the European Parliament recognizes the key contribution of green infrastructure to restore biodiversity in urban areas”, said Prof. Manfred Koehler, President of the World Green Infrastructure Network. “Bringing nature back into our cities is among the most urgent and difficult challenges that Europe and the world are facing. By installing vegetated surfaces on our buildings, we can create a natural habitat for pollinators, small insects and birds, and even allow for urban farming, in places that are otherwise unutilised.” In the resolution, MEPs regret that the EU has not achieved its 2020 biodiversity objectives, stressing that the new strategy must tackle all five main drivers of change: changes in land and sea use; the direct exploitation of organisms; climate change; pollution; and invasive alien species. Moreover, they ask to mobilise €20 billion per year for biodiversity action in Europe. About usThe EU Chapter of the World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN) aims to increase the awareness of European Union policymakers about the multiple benefits of green infrastructure, with a specific focus on Building Integrated Vegetative Systems (green roofs and living walls). WGIN brings together national and regional industry associations, researchers, and companies to promote the incorporation of urban green infrastructure practice and planning, globally.

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06/11/2021 No Comments
EU chapter

European Green Infrastructure Day 2021

Policymakers, experts and representatives of national associations and green infrastructure industry discussed the state of affairs of urban green infrastructure in the European Union in a unique policy conference. Urban green infrastructure, such as vegetated roofs and walls, can greatly support green economic recovery and Europe’s transition to a more sustainable and resilient society. This clearly emerged from the insightful discussions of the first European Green Infrastructure Day, hosted by the EU Chapter of the World Green Infrastructure Network throughout 27 May 2021.  The panels focused on urban biodiversity, green and efficient buildings, financing green infrastructure, exchanging best green roofs practices across Europe, green infrastructure and climate adaptation, and how to build more sustainable, healthier and human-centred cities.  Among the speakers were:  View the full programme here.You can watch the event recordings below and on our YouTube channel.  recordings:

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05/11/2021 No Comments
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