Taina Suonio: Promoting Green Roofs - Examples of International Policy Instruments

1. PROMOTING GREEN ROOFS –
EXAMPLES OF INTERNATIONAL
POLICY INSTRUMENTS
Scandinavian seminar Green Building – Building Green in Cities
25.–26.8.2016
BSc, horticulturistTaina Suonio University of Helsinki

2. Policy instruments:
Green roof:
A green roof or living roof is a roof of a building
that is partially or completely covered with
vegetation and a growing medium, planted
over a waterproofing membrane.
From thin and light green roofs to lush roof
gardens.
 Policy instruments:
Certain measures aimed at achieving an
objective. Environmental policy instruments-
Ympäristöpoliittiset ohjauskeinot
• Financial aid
• Law, or regulation or norm, directive
• Voluntary agreements
• Research and development (product) as well
as education and training

3. BENEFITS OFTHE GREEN ROOFS:
•As part of the green infrastructure of cities or green
structures - a versatile and comfortable environment:
Ecosystem Services: - diverse
Green roofs reduce the amount of stormwater runoff and
also delay the time at which runoff occurs, resulting in
decreased stress on sewer systems at peak flow periods.
Biodiversity -enhancing and sustaining
Air quality improvement - reducing the pollutants in the air
The heat island phenomenon reduction
Noise reduction
Mental and physical well-being
Economic benefits:
 Roof covering repair/renewal necessary for lengthening of
the cycle
 Aesthetics – appreciation of value for buildings
 energy savings
 Green roofs help create new jobs

4. Overview of international excamples:
Policy instruments:
- Hong Kong, China
- Basel, Switzerland
- Portland, USA
Climatic conditions
Biodiversity guidance
The administrative levels : country,
region and city

5. Policy instruments in use
Basel:
- Law on construction – green roof
on flat roofs
- Economic incentives
• Energy-effectiveness and
biodiversity
 30 % of Basel’s roofs are green
roofs
 quality criteria – enviromental
issues
 detailed regulation of planning

6. Hong Kong, China
• Government regulations on
construction
• Support and increasing of
knowledge – overcoming the
fear factor
• Support to ecological
construction

7. Portland, USA:
 Legislation on rainfall runoff
 National guidelines
 Economic incentives
Increased permitten building volume
• Quality and cleanliness of bodies of water
 Federal level requirement on green
construction, LEEDS
 Technical and quality requirements
concerning processing of rainfall runoff –
BUILDING CODE
56 658 m2 of green roofs in Portland

8. Case Finland
• It is noteworthy that the policy instruments of
countries and cities depend on localities and
local culture; thus
• Other countries’ policy instruments cannot be
directly applied in Finnish circumstances
• Environmental policy instruments are a part of
wider decision-making and implementation
• First steps:
 Construction industry-card (RT-kortti)
 City of Helsinki's green roof strategy
These are not acts or norms!
 Research and development (product) as well as
education and training