Summer '21
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#WGRD2021 REVIEW<br />
INCREASED INTERACTION IS<br />
GREAT NEWS FOR SECTOR<br />
With ministers and government bodies getting involved,<br />
increased interaction and some big announcements from those<br />
operating in the industry, #WGRD2021 highlighted a better<br />
understanding of green roofs and a bright future for the sector.<br />
Building on the success of its<br />
launch in 2020, the organisers<br />
of Word Green Roof Day have<br />
announced this year’s event was bigger<br />
and better, with even more engagement<br />
from new countries, including<br />
Argentina, Ghana, Nigeria, Malaysia,<br />
Singapore, Vietnam, Kuwait, Lithuania<br />
and Albania. The event also even<br />
welcomed interaction and green roofs<br />
from Mumbai and the Faroe Islands!<br />
Using #WGRD2021, companies and<br />
individuals shared images and videos of<br />
green roofs and rooftop gardens from<br />
around the globe. Standout interaction<br />
included Emporio Armani celebrating<br />
funding a green roof on a children’s<br />
hospice in the UK, new telephone<br />
booths with green roofs being launched<br />
in Austria, and an open rooftop tour<br />
was hosted in Rotterdam!<br />
In addition to celebrating green roofs,<br />
some used this dedicated occasion<br />
to officially launch new products<br />
and initiatives, including the 2021<br />
Anniversary Edition of the GRO Code<br />
in the UK; Sika launching a brand-new<br />
green roof product range (see page<br />
28); and a new eLearning Green Roof<br />
training course from Lantra (UK)<br />
launching.<br />
Future plans, some of them extremely<br />
grand and highlighting the scale of<br />
potential projects within the green<br />
infrastructure sector, were also revealed<br />
on the day, with The Netherlands<br />
announcing plans to build accessible<br />
roof gardens at high altitude, connected<br />
by air bridges, by 2025! Announcing<br />
this huge project, a statement was<br />
released on #WGRD2021 explaining that<br />
the organisations ROEF and Rooftop<br />
Revolution signed a “green alliance<br />
on top of a sustainable roof”, with the<br />
“roof activists” aiming to “strengthen<br />
each other in making even more green<br />
metres on our roofs”. Alexander van der<br />
Meer, co-founder ROEF explained: “We<br />
want to launch bigger initiatives with<br />
lasting impact, such as the creation of a<br />
roof park. For this we need an activating<br />
knowledge partner, and that is Rooftop<br />
Revolution.”<br />
Jan Henk Tigelaar, Director of<br />
Rooftop Revolution, also touched on<br />
the importance of collaboration and<br />
“joining hands”, when discussing the<br />
huge rooftop park at high altitude<br />
project: “ROEF’s experience and<br />
network gives us the space to push our<br />
boundaries in the field of awareness<br />
and activation.”<br />
Further evidence of the impact of<br />
#WGRD2021 and the increased focus on<br />
greening within cities was highlighted<br />
by the news that the global event was<br />
endorsed by the Austrian Environment<br />
Minister and the Welsh Government<br />
Minister for Climate Change; organisers<br />
say it also received the support of the<br />
United States Environmental Protection<br />
Agency.<br />
Further evidence was provided by the<br />
news that in the days following the<br />
event, the city of Milan, Italy, announced<br />
it will map all of its existing green roofs<br />
and walls.<br />
Chris Bridgman, of Bridgman &<br />
Bridgman, who launched World<br />
12 GREENSCAPE SUMMER 2021 • www.greenscapemag.co.uk
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