Municipal Cost Savings Benefits of Green Roofs

In order to recommend appropriate policies and programs concerning green roofs, the City of Toronto needs the supportof a business case and accompanying analytical data documenting their benefits. This study will develop such abusiness case with accompanying analytical date by quantifying the benefits of significant municipal support for greenroofs (including potential monetary savings to the City, such as, cost savings in relation to wastewater treatment, capitalexpansion of storm water infrastructure and public health). In addition, the environmental and social benefits of greenroofs, including reduced fossil fuel use, reduction in air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, reduction in quantityand quality of storm water runoff, mitigation of urban heat island effect and restoration of displaced green spaces, will beidentified. Consultation with key stakeholders (developers, designers, building owners and managers and theenvironmental community) will occur through two green roof workshops in the spring of 2004. Further consultation withthe environmental community will take place as the results of the workshops and initial finds of the study are presentedto Toronto City Council’s Roundtable on the Environment meetings, scheduled for June and September 2004. Theconclusions of the study and recommendation on potential policies and programs will be presented to the Roundtable inJanuary 2005. The studies undertaken will be easily replicable in other cities.