February 10, 2006—The Toronto City Council has adopted the first comprehensive set of green roof policies in North America. The action set the stage for a public-private partnership that will result in significant improvements to the quality of life in Toronto, and reduce energy consumption and smog, according to Toronto-based Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.
On February 1, the Council approved Making Green Roofs Happen, a strategy that includes commitments to install green roof infrastructure on new and existing buildings, and recommends the establishment of pilot programs of financial incentives for privately owned green roofs.
City officials will be working with officials at Toronto Hydro and the Toronto Atmospheric Fund to develop programs that recognize the significant energy, air quality, and climate change benefits of widespread green roof implementation.
Toronto recently commissioned a multi-disciplinary green roof benefits study by Ryerson University. Researchers found that 8% coverage of existing rooftops with extensive green roofs would generate over $300 million in initial cost savings in areas such as stormwater management, combined sewer overflow reduction, building energy savings, and the urban heat island reductions. Operational cost savings for the city from this level of coverage were calculated at approximately $40 million per year.
According to GRHC, green roofs are proven technologies that utilize high quality waterproofing, root repellency and drainage systems, and lightweight growing media to grow plants on roofs.
