Green Roofs in the Environmental Policies to Induce Measure for Sustainability

Abstract

The accelerated and unorganized urbanization process generated a rampant growth of urban centers, effectively contributing to environmental degradation worldwide. There is no return to the status quo ante, in view of the current capitalist production model. Therefore, inducing measures of environmental protection, without neglecting development in a sustainable way, is increasingly necessary and should be encouraged by the Government through public policies. Thus, this article aims at: a) designing concepts, arising from the doctrine and the Brazilian environmental legislation relating to green roofs, b) pointing the principles of law that are relevant to the study of green roofs, and c) presenting the public policy of the existing green roofs in national and international scope. For such, a literature review was conducted on topics such as green roofs, public policies, sustainable development, environmental law and its principles, the National Environmental Policy, and the examination between presented legal and conceptual provisions, as well as the presentation of empirical cases of public policies about green roofs worldwide, presented from a sustainability’s perspective. We conclude by arguing that incentives for the implementation of public policies of green roofs are still shy at the national level, but are also increasing every day and should be encouraged, not only as a potential solver of various urban problems, but also as a technology in Engineering that contributes to sustainability, thus helping to compose a more harmonious setting between man and nature, building another present and future with different values.