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Urban Agriculture Technology, Design And Planning Symposium – Virtual

Green Roof for Healthy Cities presents their Urban Agriculture Technology, Design and Planning Symposium on March 16 from 1pm-5pm est. The current climate demonstrates the need for strong local economies and resilient solutions. Urban and rooftop agriculture is a productive form of green infrastructure that supports local economies, creates jobs, improves access to fresh produce, and increase biodiversity. GRHC brings together urban and rooftop agriculture experts to share the benefits and challenges around urban agriculture to advocate for green roof and policy implementation and drive the industry forward. Learn how agrivoltaics is redefining urban agriculture with Jennifer Boussolot and explore the compelling case study with Roxanne Miller of the award winning IGA’s rooftop farm project. The first grocery store rooftop garden in Canada! Other speaks include Jeremy Wright, Business Development and Project Manager at Zinco Canada, Mark Winterer, Director of Operations at Recover Green Roofs, and Steven Peck, Founder of GRHC. The event is only $50 USD, and is pending approval for 3 LU|HSW credits from AIA, ASLA, and GRP credits, and pending approval for 2 credits from APLD. See here for the full agenda, and to register: https://greenroofs.org/virtualevents/urban-agriculture-technology-design-and-planning-symposium Back to Events

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03/08/2022 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
Latest News

First Dutch Detention Roof for soft drink supplier Vrumona

Picture: © Ritchie Damwijk The very first Detention Roof in the Netherlands was recently installed on the Vrumona business premises in the municipality of Bunnik. On November 8, 2021, the 588 m2 green roof was officially opened by local alderman Jocko Rensen. Thanks to this innovative green roof concept, the risk of flooding due to extreme precipitation on the site will be drastically reduced. The Detention Roof can store rainwater in a fully saturated state and discharge it in a delayed and controlled manner. Making the Utrecht region more climate-proof In recent years several green initiatives have emerged in the province of Utrecht. Detention Roof supplier Sempergreen recently signed a Declaration of Intent for Climate Adaptive Building with the Province of Utrecht with the aim of making the Utrecht region more climate-proof. Both Vrumona and Sempergreen are also participants of Green Business Club Bunnik. Thanks to this green initiative, the companies came into contact and were able to realize this ambitious green roof project together. Sjors Wessels of Sempergreen, participant of Green Business Club Bunnik: “We are very pleased with the extensive collaboration that has been established to realize this innovative project. It shows that local initiatives in the field of sustainability can be an important basis for projects that make the region more climate resilient. By this initiative, Vrumona is taking an important first step in the field of preventing water problems at and around the business park.” Preliminary exploration with the help of Water Board At the start of the project, the parties involved mapped out issues that could cause flooding in the area together with Water Board ‘De Stichtse Rijnlanden’. This preliminary exploration showed that the business park where Vrumona is located at, is predominantly petrified and would benefit hugely from a Detention Roof. With the implementation of this Detention Roof, a large part of the water problem in the area will be solved, because water is discharged in a delayed and controlled manner. In the event of extreme precipitation the Detention Roof will relieve the sewer system. Moreover, the green roof system complies with governmental water policies, rainwater regulation and/or other, increasing requirements of municipalities and water boards. Evelien Sanders-De Boer, General Manager of Vrumona: “This green roof is a wonderful example of local collaboration and fits in perfectly with the circular and sustainable mission that we have at Vrumona. Water is a crucial part of our product and a good and efficient water supply on our site is very important.”

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01/20/2022 No Comments
Latest News

The EU proposal for new rules on energy performance of buildings is a missed opportunity for nature and well-being

Rotterdam / the Netherlands. ID: 1523657147 While encouraging for energy renovations and decarbonisation, the proposal for the revision of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive adopted by the European Commission felt half-hearted, writes Luigi Petito, Head of WGIN EU Chapter, in the Winter issue of Living Architecture Monitor. With growing urbanisation and 70% of the world population projected to live in urban areas by 2050, greening our cities is a no brainer. It is also a key driver for healthy lifestyles and social well-being. There is a growing body of scientific evidence that shows the important role played by Nature in personal well-being. Several psychological studies show that regular contact with Nature heightens our sense of well-being through, for example, the restorative effect of the natural environment and its capacity to stimulate human emotions and reduce stress. The link between green spaces and personal and community well-being should be looked at with much more attention by policy and political decision makers. The health and social impact of integrating vegetations in densely populated areas is tremendous and often surpasses initial costs and other economic considerations. Governments should listen to citizens because they can count on their backing to push through bold and transformative changes to greening the built environment. Greener buildings, with vegetations on roofs and walls, have better energy performance. They require less energy for cooling, and they effectively retain and detain stormwater, which in turn reduces the energy consumption of urban wastewater treatment plants at district or city level. It is also clear that in bio-solar installations green roofs make photovoltaic systems more efficient, generating between 5 to 15% more power due to the evapotranspiration which cools the panels. The European Commission’s proposal is only the first step of a long legislative process which will provide other opportunities for the European Parliament and Member States of the European Union to assess and amend the text before its adoption due by mid-2023. In the weeks ahead, we need to roll up our sleeves and work to raise the bar and improve the Commission’s Directive, for the people and the environment. 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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12/21/2021 No Comments
Latest News

CitiesAlive Virtual 2021

The rapid deployment of green roofs and walls is paramount to addressing climate change and preparing our communities for the negative extreme weather impacts which are already taking lives and costing billions in damages. In response to the ongoing COVID 19 Pandemic, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, Green Infrastructure Foundation, and the World Green Infrastructure Network have teamed up to bring you CitiesAlive Virtual 2021, combining outstanding world class speakers with cutting edge emerging professionals. CitiesAlive® Virtual 2021 is a multi-disciplinary conference, bringing together the best designers, product manufacturers, researchers, and policy makers in the field of living architecture and green infrastructure. Attendees will hear from leading-edge designers, discussing their innovative approaches and newest projects. We will be highlighting progressive policies and showcasing the latest research. Join us in shaping a better, more resilient future, as we emerge stronger from COVID-19 pandemic. More information here.

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11/10/2021 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
Latest News

How green roofs can help cut emissions from buildings, save energy and benefit householders | Webinar

The Renovation Wave strategy adopted by the European Commission in October 2020 requires the EU building stock to reduce its emissions by 60% and its final energy consumption by 14% by 2030. Urban green infrastructure is listed among the seven key principles for building renovation, while in the conclusions the Commission outlines its vision to turn the building stock “from a carbon source into a carbon sink”. This webinar, part of the EU Sustainable Energy Week Extended Programme, provided insights on the benefits of green infrastructure in terms of energy efficiency, water management, and citizens’ wellbeing and discuss their role in the decarbonisation of the EU building stock. The session also addressed the upcoming revision of related EU policies, starting from the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), and assessed the opportunity of integrating green infrastructure in the EU legislative framework. Date and time: Tuesday 19 October 2021, 10:30 – 12:00 AGENDA Welcome and moderation Katarzyna Wardal, EU Public Affairs Manager, Knauf Insulation Setting the scene: green infrastructure and buildings in the EU policy framework Brigitte Jacquemont, Policy Officer, Energy Efficiency: Buildings & Products, DG Energy, European Commission Bio-solar roofs: how green roofs can save energy and increase solar PV performance – download the slides Thomas Gretschmann, General Application Engineer, Optigruen Save energy and costs for municipalities by retaining and detaining storm water Stephan Beerends, Director Trade, Sempergreen Greener and healthier buildings to benefit households João Gonçalves, Director of Innovation, Housing Europe Q&A Concluding remarks Marta Weber Siwirska, President, Polish Green Roofs Association; Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Science The EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) is the main EU policy conference on clean energy. It brings together public authorities, private companies, NGOs and consumers to promote initiatives to save energy and move towards renewables for clean, secure and efficient power.

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10/05/2021 No Comments
Latest News

Webinar Innovation for future-proof cities

12 OCTOBER 2021 Sempergreen Academy is organising her first webinar with the topic “Innovation for future-proof cities – effective climate adaptation strategies to counter urban flooding”. In this webinar meteorologist Roosmarijn Knol and Dr. Anna Zakrisson (Green Roof Diagnostics) discuss both the causes and possible solutions to the sometimes devastating effects of climate change. The importance of climate-resilient cities We can no longer deny it. The negative effects of climate change are becoming more frequent and more severe. This year we’ve seen the flooding of many cities, followed by the destruction of infrastructure and even loss of human life. It is therefore of great importance that our cities are made climate-resilient as soon as possible. How do you design a future-proof city? In the free webinar Roosmarijn Knol, meteorologist at Infoplaza, explains the causes of flooding from a meteorogical viewpoint. Followed by Dr. Anna Zakrisson, Vice President of European Affairs at Green Roof Diagnostics, who will present various scientific solutions in terms of sustainable urban planning and climate-adaptive architecture. One of these solutions, for example, is the collection of rainwater directly where it falls, instead of it ending up in an already overloaded sewer system. The free webinar is open to everyone, including policy makers, municipalities, urban planners, developers and architects, who wish to make their city climate adaptive. Date: Tuesday 12 October 2021 Time: 13:00-14:00 CET Language: English Sign up for the free webinar here. About Sempergreen Academy Sempergreen Academy arose from Sempergreen’s mission to create a greener and more liveable world. The sharing of knowledge is an important part of achieving this goal. We can’t move forward without the right information in the right place. That is why Sempergreen has decided to partner with experts to share insights and extensive knowledge regarding green solutions and other related topics through Sempergreen Academy. Sempergreen is worldwide market leader and producer of green roofs and living walls. About Green Roof Diagnostics Green Roof Diagnostics provides unbiased, scientific research for the green infrastructure industry. Recognizing a lack of rigorous, verifiable methods for evaluating green roof and urban stormwater infrastructure performance, the Green Roof Diagnostics team has combined extensive experience in engineering, scientific research methods, and industry best practices to develop innovative, reputable testing protocols specifically adapted to urban infrastructure projects.

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09/28/2021 No Comments
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