How constant vigilance is required to maintain supportive policies for green roofs and other progressive building policies as demonstrated through the work of GRiT in Portland Oregon.

Cities have important roles to play in protecting and developing biodiversity. Read about Toronto’s innovative PollinateTO Grant Program and how the latest Toronto Green Standard incorporates biodiversity. 

A great review of multiple policy changes proposed recently by the World Green Infrastructure Network to the European Union (EU) to support the increased utilization of green infrastructure in the built environment throughout Europe.

Senator Mona Das explains why she sponsored a bill in Washington State that would require green roofs on new buildings and what the outcomes of this initiative were.

The City of Denver is developing numerous policy initiatives designed to ensure community livability in the face of a changing climate and this provides an overview of the many initiatives underway.

This article provides an overview of various policy initiatives underway by the European Commission that may support greater green infrastructure investment, in response to severe climate change impacts experienced throughout Europe this summer.

The Polish Green Roof and Wall Industry is thriving under a series of new national and local funding programs and regulations.

Dusty Gedge explains how new policies enacted in England promise to improve biodiversity by measuring the biodiversity related impacts of development and requiring a net gain in biodiversity – good news for green roofs.

Back in May 2020, the European Union presented its biodiversity strategy for 2030 – a comprehensive plan to protect nature, reverse the degradation of ecosystems and put Europe's biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030.

The European Solar Rooftops Initiative presents a unique opportunity to maximize the impact for cities and citizens promoting the combination of green infrastructure and solar installations on every rooftop and impervious surface where it is economically and technically feasible.

Promulgated on August 24, 2021, the Climate and Resilience Act includes article 101 that strengthens and expands previous laws in favor of implementing green roofs. The French government is taking these additional steps so that green roofs can be implemented more widely, particularly to promote the acceptance of biodiversity and the fight against climate change.

The European Union’s new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive falls short when it comes to the integration of living architecture, despite widespread public support for having more nature in cities and more government action on climate change.

Did you ever have a school assignment growing a seedling? Did you ever do that on the roof of your school building? There is a bill in Congress that could make this a reality for our country’s learners. Not only that, it would help mitigate climate change, reduce the urban heat island, create jobs, and grow our economy for generations to come.

New York City’s current Green Roof Tax Abatement (GRTA) Program is the result of an ongoing 13-year stakeholder advocacy effort. A GRTA working group is helping to advocate for improvements to the program which will increase program uptake and green roof benefits.

In cities, we can reverse climate change trends if we renature urban areas. By interweaving green infrastructure within 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 will increase the severity of heatwaves as well as precipitation and resulting runoff intensity.

A grass-roots climate action group powered by the volunteer efforts of moms dared to imagine what Cambridge, MA could become if its rooftops were transformed by pollinator-friendly gardens, meadows, and a farm or two.

In April 19, the first Canadian federal budget in two years was released, “A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience”. The budget included some big wins for green/natural infrastructure, including the creation of a dedicated Natural Infrastructure Fund.

The European Commission recently launched an online public consultation on the revision of the EU rules on waste water treatment. Addressing the shortcomings of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive would encourage further green infrastructure use in Europe.

In 2020, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez introduced legislation proposing a $500 million investment to green the rooftops of our public schools. We measure and value the potential benefits and quantify the job-creation impacts of this transformative investment.

The new EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change sets out the pathway to prepare for the unavoidable impacts of climate change on Europe. The strategy recognizes the multiple benefits of green roofs and walls, and includes nature-based solutions.