As part of the Life Med Green Roof Project, the Standardisation Directorate within the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) has organised a workshop to launch the public consultation on the Draft National Standard for Green Roofs.

As part of the EU’s 2020 strategy which aims at reducing the energy requirements by a minimum of 20 per cent by 2020, the Commission’s Energy Efficiency Plan 2011 has identified that buildings have the greatest energy saving potential. The plan focuses on mechanisms to reduce the energy requirements of existing buildings in particular public buildings and the role of dissemination projects in introducing energy-efficient measures.

Many countries encourage the dissemination of green roofs because they offer a number of benefits which increase the urban quality of life. Green roofs are considered an important addition in the effort to create sustainable cities. Unfortunately, in Malta green roofs have not as yet gained ground.

The Life Med Green Roof project aims at understanding better the performance of green roofs, especially in the local context, and to demonstrate the benefits of the technology for a wider dissemination of the technology.

As a project partner, the MCCAA’s role is to draft the Green Roof standard for Malta based on results obtained from the research being carried out at the University of Malta, the project’s lead partner. The project has to date identified baseline information, including a list of local flora that can be grown on a roof, and has confirmed that green roofs improve thermal insulation of buildings and reduce stormwater run-off to mitigate flooding. They also provide important habitats and feeding ground to wildlife increasing ecosystem benefits and provide visual amenity.

Following a workshop held in May 2016, which launched the process of developing the national standard, a technical committee made up of various stakeholders was set up and a number of technical meetings were held during the last six months to draft the standard.

The second workshop, held last month, launched a public consultation on this draft standard. During the workshop, technical committee members explained the benefits of green roofs and the technical details of constructing and maintaining them in Malta.

The draft standard is available from the MCCAA website (http://www.mccaa.org.mt/en/development-of-standards) and on the MCCAA Facebook page. MCCAA welcomes comments by March 3 for the technical committee to consider before it is finalised. Comments can be addressed to the Director Standardisation on standards@mccaa.org.mt

The final standard will be launched at a public event in the coming months.

For more information about the Life Med Green Roof project, visit www.lifemedgreenroof.org or the Life Med Green Roof project Facebook page. The project is partially funded by the EU through Life+, the EU’s financial instrument supporting environmental projects. The partners in the project include two Maltese institutions (the University of Malta and the MCCAA) and two Italian ones (Minoprio Analisi e Certificazioni and Fondazione Minoprio).

odette.vella@mccaa.org.mt

Odette Vella is director, Information, Education and Research Directorate, Office for Consumer Affairs, Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority.

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