These roofs not only mitigate the urban heat island effect but also act as insulators. In densely built-up areas where providing extensive parks and planting trees may be impossible, vegetated roofs are a feasible greening option. The campaign was considered successful enough, and the obligation to convert into green roof all flat roofs in new and retrofitted building that went into force in 2010 (reinforcing the 2002 one), was deemed sufficient to provide the momentum needed to the expansion of green roofs in the municipality. No further funding initiative was deemed necessary after that. A second funding program was implemented in 2005-2007. The national Department of Environment and Energy decided to pursue and promote green roofs using this source of funds for the 1996-1997 program. According to this law, which was the only one of its type in Switzerland, 5% of all customers’ energy bills are put into an Energy Saving Fund, which is then used to fund energy saving campaigns and measures. In the early 1990’s the City of Basel implemented a law to support energy saving measures. This provided the impetus for Basel’s first green roof campaign, which started in 1996. In addition, 1995 was the EU year of Nature Conservation. In many cities in Switzerland, numerous green roofs were created in the 1980s, mainly as pilot projects, which provided a foundation of knowledge and experience for later initiatives. Urban green infrastructure planning and nature-based solutions.Economic incentives for behavioural change.Climate proofing of buildings against excessive heat.It is now recognised that green roofs also provide a climate change adaptation function by limiting surface water runoff and reducing temperature in urban areas.Īdaptation Options Implemented In This Case The new program specified guidelines (mostly related to the ecological features and to the fire safety of the roofs) to which green roof projects had to adhere in order to be eligible for the funds. The program was funded again in 2005-2007. Encouraged by the success of this project, funds were allocated to a study documenting the biodiversity benefits of green roofs. Initially, green roofs, as a measure of energy saving, were funded by the City of Basel for a two-year period in the mid-1990s to increase interest and awareness. Reducing energy consumption of buildings and protection of biodiversity have been the initial key motivators. The main aim of the green roof initiative is to increase the coverage of green roofs in the city of Basel through the use of a combination of financial incentives and building regulations. In light of these projected changes in climatic conditions, green roofs have been found to offer opportunities to combine energy saving, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and biodiversity objectives. In the Swiss Plateau region, yearly average precipitation may increase by up to 10% in 2035, 8.4% in 2060 and 10.5% in 2085 under RCP8.5 (although reductions in precipitations ranging from -2% to -5.4% may occur for low-end estimates under the same RCP). The number of tropical nights (minimum temperature equal to or above 20☌) is going to increase from 0.6 to 5.9, 15.8 and 40.3 for the years 2035, 20 respectively under RCP8.5. The green roof strategy in Basel is expected to bring adaptation benefits in the form of lower temperatures and reduced surface runoff.Īccording to the CH2018 Climate Scenarios for Switzerland, in Basel the number of days with maximum temperature equal to or above 30☌ is going to increase from the 1981-2010 reference value of 10.5 up to 24.7 in 2035, 28 in 2060 and 68.5 in 2085 under climate scenario RCP8.5. This requirement was reinforced in 2010 through a regulation that mandated green roofing for all flat roofs if part of a building retrofit, and in all new buildings with flat roofs. It reads that all new and renovated flat roofs must be greened and also stipulates associated design guidelines. In 2002, an amendment to the City of Basel’s Building and Construction Law was passed. The programmes were funded from the Energy Saving Fund made up of 5% of all customers’ energy bills in the Basel canton. The City of Basel has promoted green roofs via investment in incentive programmes, which provided subsidies for green roof installation (1996-1997 up to 20 CHF per m 2, then 2005-2007 up to 30-40 CHF per m 2, in the latter case only for retrofitting existing buildings). Initiatives aiming to increase the provision of green roofs in Basel were initially driven by energy-saving programmes, and subsequently by biodiversity conservation. With 5.71 m 2/inhabitant in 2019, the city of Basel in Switzerland has the largest area of green roofs per capita in the world ( Living roofs and walls from policy to practice, 2019).
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