The French National Assembly has approved a law decreeing that all new buildings in commercial areas must be partially covered in either plants or dedicated to renewable energy, such as solar panels or micro-wind turbines. The energy generated must contribute to meeting the energy requirements of the new commercial centres.
Environmentalists had campaigned for the bill to apply to all new buildings, but parliament limited the scope to commerce.
The first instance of such legislation occurred back in 2009, when Toronto adopted a by-law mandating green roofs in both industrial and residential new-build.
Signal spotted by Anna Simpson
Image: Michele Roy / Flickr
