A recent article in Construction CanadaRaising Awareness on Sustainable Roofing, best summarizes industry initiatives. "The overall objective should be an assembly that stays in place as long as possible to keep materials out of landfills and minimize the consumption of new resources. Roofing systems should be conceived so the components last their expected lifecycle and can be reused, repaired or recovered to double or triple service life."
One such initiative is green roofing. In a broader context this could encompass the whole idea of sustainable roofing. On a more focused level it refers to roof systems that incorporate landscaped coverings. It has received much press over the past few years. Although the concept has been in use in Europe for several decades it has only recently come into vogue in North America. Much information has been written about all aspects of this type of roof. A good starting point for more information is www.greenroofs.org.
A building industry organization called LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) has been developing standards for complete environmentally friendly and energy efficient buildings since 1998 and is now recognized in 60 countries around the world. They promote efficient design for the complete building including the roof. Further information can be obtained at their website.
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