About Us
Who we are
The founding green roof associations of Austria, Germany and Switzerland established the European Federation of Green Roof and Living Wall Associations (EFB) in 1997. Since then the following associations have joined: Netherlands, Belgium, France, Scandinavia, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Portugal, England, Spain and Romania. As of 2024, there are 18 member associations in EFB. The Federation and its national members actively promote the use of green roofs and green facades throughout Europe. Such technologies are known to provide a better quality of life for towns and cities by returning sealed surfaces back to nature.
By organizing urban green infrastructure conferences over Europe (EUGIC) the transfer of knowledge becomes enhanced. In 2015 the first European Urban Green Infrastructure Conference took place in Vienna with great success, followed by Budapest in 2017, London in 2019, and Berlin in 2023. Within the last years, working groups supported by the European Commission intensified and Green Roof and Wall Technologies became part of Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects across Europe. Currently, the EFB is working on a market research initiative to generate a comprehensive market report for the greening industry.
Vision & Mission
Liveable – safe – green: cities for future generations
The Federation and its national members actively promote the use of green roofs and green facades throughout Europe. Such technologies are known to provide better quality of life for towns and cities by returning sealed surfaces back to nature and help with Climate Change Adaptation. In 2018 the European Parliament and the Council amended the Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings and the Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency. In this light, green roofs and walls can contribute even more by improving building’s energy performances and help meeting other important targets like renewable Energies development.
Board
President
#strategies
#technology
#research
Paulo Palha
Paulo Palha works to promote vegetation as a mandatory building material: Green roofs, green walls, gardens, and parks, along with all nature-based and nature-promoting solutions, are his areas of expertise. He has always worked in landscaping and nature-based solutions for cities, currently CEO of Neoturf, and president of the Portuguese Green Roofs National Association. He has been involved in hundreds of landscaping, green roof, and vertical garden projects in Portugal and abroad.
Vice Presidents
EFB Ambassador
#strategies
#research
Vera Enzi
Landscape Planner and researcher focussed on measurable Benefits of Nature based solutions and Green Infrastructure. Leading Expert for green walls technology, strong interest in Biodiversity and buildings. Networker.
#greenroofcontractor
#research
#education
Maurizio Crasso
Geologist and green roof contractor. He is involved in working on standards and set up a research group focusing on green roofs. He gives lectures and seminars at universities and participate as a speaker at national and international conferences.
#market
#greenroof
#strategies
Pavel Dostal
International politics and diplomacy, now running green roof family business. He has a great knowledge of how to support cities to set up strategy plans, policy work and subsidies.
#funding
#research
#urban greening
Rebecca Landwehr
Expert on municipal funding instruments for green roofs and facades working for BuGG. She managed a DBU-funded project on urban greening. Co-author of BuGG market report, she lectures and advises on green building funding and research.
#biodiversity
#policy
#education
Dusty Gedge
Urban Ecologist, Speaker and Conference Host for Green Roofs and Living Walls in Europe. His main focus is on Greenroof and Livingwall Policy related work and he has been guiding numerous Cities in Europe in related processes.
Steering Committee
#research
#innovation
#technology
Jörg Fricke
Landscape ecologist and working as a landscape architect. He is specialized in green roofs, but also builds swimming pools and implements extremely sophisticated garden designs.
#greenroof
#standards
#controlling
Simon Perneel
Simon Perneel is the president of the Belgian association and the owner of Green Building Projects. He is an expert in green roofs.
#livingwall
#green infrastructure
#nature-based solutions
Fernando Hidalgo Romero
Fernando Hidalgo Romero is an Architect from the School of Architecture (ETSAS) at the University of Seville (Spain), he is also a member of the Board of Directors of ASESCUVE – Spanish Association of Green Roofs and Vertical Gardens. He’s a founding partner of Terapia Urbana, specializing in green façade and rooftop projects. Fernando has spoken at national congresses and training seminars on Living wall design and Nature Based Solutions.
#green roof
Zoltan Kolcsar
Zoltan Kolcsar has more than 17 years of background in the green roof, and green wall industry. This experience also covers green roof roll, green roof vegetation trays and green wall modules production. From the beginning, he has worked to develop a real green roof market demand in Romania.
#greendesign
#construction
#maintenance
Balbina Gryczyńska
Balbina Gryczyńska is the CEO of CALLA, a polish company concerning with landscape and urban furniture design, construction and maintenance as well as interior greenery arrangement since 1992. She has a strong background in economics and represents the Polish Green Roof Association (PSDZ) within the EFB.
#urbanfarming
#education
#publications
Julian Briz
Researcher and Lector with the focus on market research and socioeconomic affairs, governance of local policies, publishing papers and books. He is currently involved in developing a Living Lab on Urban Farming and Green Infrastructure.
#localclimate
#greenroof
#biotope
Francois Lassalle
His background and skills concerns especially the relationship between local climate, biotope and plants in the frame of extensive green roofs.
#greenroof
#green infrastructure
#nature-based solutions
Michiel van de Bunt
Michiel van de Bunt is working in the green business for 20 years and the last 15 years with roof gardens. Since 2000 he is the company leader of ZinCo Benelux.
Michiel is president of the VBB (Vereniging Bouwwerk Begroeners – Building Greenworkers Association) in the Netherlands. The VBB is the branche organisation for creators, suppliers en advisors for green building.
Péter Dezsényi
Managing director at Deep Forest Landscape and Green Roofs.
#research
#innovation
#education
Tobias Emilsson
Tobias Emilsson is a researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) with special attention on green walls, green roofs and urban green. The primary focus has been on issues related to substrate on different green roof systems. Besides teaching at the SLU he also has been involved in developing the Swedish handbook and guidelines for green roof installation.
#landscapearchitect
Erich Steiner
Erich Steiner is a landscape architect with over 20 years of experience in golf and landscape architecture. He is the founder of the landscape architecture office “Steiner & Partner Landschaftsarchitektur GmbH” in Thun. Since 2001 he is the managing director of the Swiss Greening Association (SFG) and representing his long and extensive knowledge of green infrastructure in urban areas.
EFB office
#efb-office
#solargreenroofs
Elisabeth Weiss-Tessbach (prev. Gruchmann)
She has a master degree in landscape architecture and works as a project manager at GRÜNSTATTGRAU, the innovation lab of green roofs and green walls in Austria. Her focus is on biosolargreenroofs and urban biodiversity.
#efb-office
#rainwatermanagement
Isabelle Haymerle
She has a master degree in Water Management with focus on urban rain water management. As a project assistant she works at GRÜNSTATTGRAU, the innovation lab of green roofs and green walls based in Vienna.
on maternity leave
#efb-office
#research
Tetiana Konchenko
She has master degree in ecology, environmental protection and sustainable development, and bachelor degree in management. Her focus is on educational projects in the environmental field.
