World Congress on Building Greening 2026 and EFB Annual General Meeting in Berlin
Juni 25, 2026
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More than 600 experts gathered in Berlin to shape the future of building greening in Europe.
New EU Publication: Implementing Green Roofs and Walls – Lessons from European Experiences
A new European knowledge synthesis highlights the benefits, challenges and opportunities of building-integrated nature-based solutions.
The Publications Office of the European Union has published the new report„Implementing Green Roofs and Walls – Lessons from European Experiences“, developed in response to a policy request from the European Commission’s Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) and supported through the BioAgora project. Vera Enzi contributed as one of the authors of this European knowledge synthesis.
Green roofs and green walls are increasingly recognised as effective and scalable Nature-Based Solutions that help cities respond to climate change, biodiversity loss, and urbanisation challenges. Drawing on experiences and case studies from across Europe, the report highlights how building-integrated greenery can contribute to climate resilience, biodiversity enhancement, energy efficiency, stormwater management, and improved human well-being.
The publication demonstrates that successful implementation depends not only on technical design, but also on governance models, stakeholder cooperation, maintenance strategies, and integration into wider urban green infrastructure networks. Special attention is given to biodiversity monitoring, participatory approaches, and the multifunctional benefits of green roofs and walls.
Importantly, the report supports the implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation and related European climate and biodiversity policies by providing practical guidance for local authorities, planners, and decision-makers seeking to achieve urban restoration targets through building greening solutions.
Publication Details
Implementing Green Roofs and Walls – Lessons from European Experiences
Publications Office of the European Union, 2026
Authors: Vera Enzi, Maria Manso, Alessandra Aires, Rima Almalla, Chiara Catalano, Hisham Elkadi, Tobias Emilsson, Nourhan Heysham, Simone Kroes, Dusty Gedge, Gary Grant, Laura Ribotta, Kasper Spaan, Taina Suonio and Paul van Roosmalen. [veraenzi.com], [veraenzi.com]
Editors: Kati Vierikko, Susana Orta-Ortiz, Hanna Nieminen, Paris Vasilakopoulos and Diana Marcela Velasco Gomez. [veraenzi.com]
👉 Read the publication: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/8059292
Category: EU
Tags: Green Roofs, Green Walls, Nature-Based Solutions, Urban Green Infrastructure, Biodiversity, Climate Adaptation, Nature Restoration Regulation, Sustainable Cities, Urban Resilience.
Why greening is so effective
All four EU laws point to a shared challenge: cities are overheating, losing water, suffering from air pollution, and facing declines in biodiversity. Green infrastructure addresses all of these issues simultaneously. Studies compiled by the EFB in 2025 show:
- Energy: Green roofs and façades reduce heat gains in summer, lower cooling demand, and improve winter insulation.
- Water: Advanced Retention roofs can locally retain up to 100% of rainfall.
- Biodiversity: Species‑rich green roofs and façades support wild bees, beetles, birds, and diverse plant species.
- Urban climate: Vegetation cools surfaces, reduces heat islands, and improves outdoor comfort.
Discover the legislative pathways here:
EED: Saving energy through vegetation
The public sector must reduce its annual energy consumption by 1.9% starting in 2025. Additionally, the Member States’ energy‑saving obligations will rise significantly from 2024 onwards. Green roofs and green façades are among the most effective, durable, and verifiable measures: they reduce summer overheating, improve winter insulation, reduce the burden on heating and cooling systems, and provide benefits over decades. Depending on climate zone, studies show winter energy savings of 10–30% and up to 90% in summer.
EPBD: Solar obligations and building renovation as an opportunity for green roofs
The revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive requires Member States to gradually install solar energy systems on almost all building types – starting in 2026 with new public non‑residential buildings and from 2030 onwards also on existing buildings over 250 m² of usable floor area. Crucially, the directive explicitly demands an assessment of whether roofs are suitable for combining photovoltaics with vegetation. Such biosolar roofs improve PV performance, cool modules and roof surfaces, extend system lifetimes, and create valuable habitats.
The EPBD also sets strong impulses in the building stock: by 2030, the 16% worst‑performing non‑residential buildings must be renovated, rising to 26% by 2033. For residential buildings, primary energy consumption must drop by 16% by 2030 and 20–22% by 2035. Green roofs and façades are recognised as effective measures to reduce heating and cooling demand.
UWWTD: Retaining water instead of
overloading systems
The new EU Urban Wastewater Treatment
Directive revolutionizes the way cities manage rainwater. From 2028 onwards,
Member States must identify which cities require integrated rainwater
management plans due to overflow events, pollution, or climate‑related risks.
These plans must prioritise green and blue infrastructure – systems that store,
delay, evaporate, or locally reuse rainwater. Green roofs, retention roofs,
rain gardens and green façades thus become binding planning instruments that
help prevent flooding and significantly reduce pressure and costs in sewer
systems.
NRR: No net loss of urban green space from 2030
The new Nature Restoration Regulation introduces binding targets for urban ecosystems. From 2030 onwards, Member States may not allow any net loss of urban green space; from 2031 onwards, the total area of urban green must increase. Innovative and important: building greening is explicitly recognised as a means to achieve these targets. Green roofs and façades close spatial gaps, connect habitats, and create stepping‑stone environments for pollinators.
