The City of Leipzig’s Office for Environmental Protection developed the green roof exhibit in collaboration with the Botanical Garden, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH (UFZ) and the company ZinCo. The model covers an area of 18 square metres. It shows the elements that can make up a green roof. An accompanying brochure explains how a green roof can be constructed, the different functions it performs and how local residents can receive financial support from the city authorities to install green roofs.
“The effects of climate change are already being felt in the city of Leipzig. As the city administration, we must therefore both pursue effective climate protection and take precautionary measures to adapt to climate change,” says Heiko Rosenthal, Leipzig’s Mayor for the Environment, Public Order and Sports, who will open the vernissage together with the director of the Botanical Garden, Professor Christian Wirth. He adds that when it comes to issues such as heat, drought or heavy rainfall events, there is a consensus that health-related environmental protection must be put at the centre of administrative action.
A joint project between the city and the scientific community
“Climate change and biodiversity loss are huge challenges. Green roofs have a cooling effect and provide habitats for a surprising number of species. Public authorities, the scientific community and society need to join forces to take action,” says Wirth. The Leipzig BlueGreen research project (funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research) has already successfully implemented this cooperation. “Green roofs are a vital part of the blue-green infrastructure portfolio of a water-sensitive city, covering a wide range of water management and microclimate functions,” emphasises Professor Roland Müller, head of the Centre for Environmental Biotechnology at the UFZ.
“It is important that the city of Leipzig establishes and promotes effective green roofs, even in the face of current and future climate challenges, in order to prevent negative human impacts such as heat stress. That is why the Office for Environmental Protection also helps individuals to install their own green roofs,” says Peter Wasem, head of the City of Leipzig’s Office for Environmental Protection.
The exhibit will be presented to the public at the Botanical Garden’s summer festival on 1 July 2023, from 3pm to 8.30pm, and can then be visited daily during opening hours (currently 9am to 8pm) at Linnéstraße 1.