Green roofs can save people money on energy bills and benefit the environment at the same time, according to property management company First Port.
Also known as a living roof, you can make a green roof by partially or fully covering the top of a building with self-sustaining vegetation, such as moss, grass, sebum or small flowers.
Usually found on large residential developments in cities, they can promote wildlife, boost the environment and minimize carbon emissions.
According to First Port’s Sustainability manager, Christian Phipps, green roofs are also a great source of insulation which could help to combat the cost of living crisis: Green roofs are not only good for the winter by offering an extra layer of insulation to keep heat in a building, but conversely, they can also cool buildings in the summer and reduce urban heat islands.
Plants also naturally absorb harmful pollutants, which some studies have linked to some 40,000 early deaths in the UK a year, so there’s clearly health benefits too. And if green roofs can also help to reduce the cost of living in any way, then it’s a win-win.
‘We want and will be looking to create more green roofs, or even green walls, which are better for air purification and cooling at a ground level.’
First Port have already put this measure into practice on one development, Greenland Place in Lewis ham with 700 apartments, workspace, retail space and a self-sustaining green roof terrace.
Development Manager George Proctor believes the space is beneficial to mental health and sees it as an effective measure for warming the building.
He said: the building and gives you another six inches of insulation material, so it keeps the heat in the building. There are so many benefits, and it is so low maintenance.
A report by the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has warned the government must reduce carbon emissions in the construction industry if net-zero targets are to be met.
Currently, all buildings in the UK, including residential and commercial, are responsible for 25% of the country’s carbon emissions and urgent action is needed to reduce this.
To do this, the EAC has recommended that retrofitting and reusing buildings should be prioritized over knocking them down to keep carbon locked in.
While the government has said it is committed to this, recent reforms to permitted development rights, which appear to give incentives for demolition and new-builds, have left the committee concerned.
Environmental Audit Committee Chairman, Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, said: From homes to offices, retail units to hospitality venues, our buildings have a significant amount of locked-in carbon, which is wasted each time they get knocked down to be rebuilt, a process which produces yet more emissions.
Ministers must address this urgently. Promising steps are being taken: for instance, the Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities Secretary of State recently paused the demolition and retrofit of Marks and Spencer on Oxford Street on environmental grounds.
Other recommendations include introducing a mandatory requirement for whole-life carbon building assessments, which should be incorporated into building regulations and the planning system.
The committee has therefore reiterated previous advice to build a retrofit strategy and upskilling program, and said training in whole-life carbon assessments should be available through the education system.
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