A TOOLKIT has been launched to help London’s rooftops “go green”.

Government body the Environment Agency says as climate change bites London will experience more extreme weather, with hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters.

This could lead to increased flooding, overheating and droughts.

The agency, which works to protect the environment, has now developed a toolkit to encourage green roof design.

It says green roofs, which can be planted with vegetation ranging from small shrubs to wild flowers, help the environment in a number of ways.

They reduce the risk of flooding by storing rainwater which could run off and overwhelm drains at the same time as insulating buildings, reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions.

The agency says the roofs could cut the “urban heat island effect” where temperatures in a built-up area are much higher than their rural surroundings.

Advice in the toolkit includes what types of plants to grow and species to introduce to the area, depending on the type and size of the roof.

Information is also given on how to assess how much water can be absorbed, preventing it from falling to the ground and filling up drains.

Buildings with green roofs can already be found in Canary Wharf and at Cannon Street station.

More are planned for new developments such as new London & Quadrant housing association homes on the Greenwich peninsula and at Battersea Power Station.

Robert Runcie (pictured left), the agency’s Thames regional director and London sustainable development commissioner, said: “Green roofs will help adapt our cities to climate change.

“London is leading the way and the Living Roofs toolkit will enable developers to produce quality green roofs.”

The toolkit is part of the agency’s Guide for Developers Pack, which was launched on September 17 at the World Green Roofs Congress, London.

For more information on the toolkit, visit environment-agency.gov.uk/greenroofs