by Shane Henson — May 17, 2013—LiveRoof LLC, a U.S.-based horticultural science company in the green roof industry, announced that it has formed LiveRoof China Inc., a company charged with working within China to help absorb carbon dioxide and control storm water runoff through the installation of its green roof system atop buildings.
As LiveRoof notes, the Chinese population explosion has created massive cities with equally massive challenges of pollution control and water management. Green roofs, also known as planted roofs, make it possible for densely built urban space to be greened, and this greening helps improve widespread environmental concerns.
LiveRoof’s planted roof system is already licensed for distribution in many global markets, including South America, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The licensing of LiveRoof China is the latest and largest international effort to date to establish the U.S. technology in foreign markets, the company says. In its twelfth five-year plan, the People’s Republic of China has placed particular emphasis on environmental production measures such as green roofs, according to LiveRoof China CEO Mr. Dana McIntyre.
“We are excited to bring this green roof science and technology to Beijing. The LiveRoof system is a simple, proven and effective solution to many of the problems that plague densely populated urban settings,” he says.
Early efforts in the region have been greeted with enthusiasm and readiness.
“Top real estate developers, universities and other state-owned entities in Beijing are eager to adapt the system to local climate and implement a distribution network reaching all major Chinese markets,” McIntyre added. The plants chosen for use on the green roofs must be able to adapt to a rooftop environment with little soil and protection from heat, cold and wind exposure.
LiveRoof Business Development Manager Amber Ponce explains that the company’s experiences gained in developing a North American network with local plant experts in nearly all climate types will guide LiveRoof China in establishing a similar network.
“The plants aren’t ‘one-size-fits-all,’ which is why this new venture will localize the selection and growing of the plants in each region,” she says.
Ponce also noted that local production is more sustainable as it reduces the amount of resources required for transportation.
