Turf roofs good for the climate

Scientists at Michigan State University in the USA have studied thirteen grass roofs sown with hardy Sedum species, and have come to the conclusion that such roofs “eat up” CO2. The scientists found that green roofs are capable of absorbing 375 grams of CO2 per square metre in the course of two years.

This suggests that a city of one million inhabitants who swap their roof-tiles for grass could get rid of as much CO2 as is released by 10,000 large cars in a year. The American scientists are now working with Nittedal Torvindustri and SINTEF to study the large-scale climate impact of turf roofs.