It is the French who are setting an example of commitment to environmental sustainability. After Toronto in 2009 and Sydney in 2014, France too has joined the list of countries looking to "furnish" building rooftops with green technology.

On 4 March, the French Parliament passed an environmental law requiring residential buildings to dedicate their rooftops to photovoltaic panels and gardens.

The nation most committed to the use of nuclear power for its energy supply — 80 per cent of the electricity produced in France is of nuclear origin — has decided to follow in the footsteps of Germany and Denmark in developing green practices. First with the (largely symbolic) gesture of placing two wind turbines on the Eiffel Tower, and then with the passage of a law requiring buildings in commercial zones to be fitted with green roofs, France is working towards its goal of reducing energy consumption and emissions by 25 per cent by 2020.

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Green rooftops are an element of urban decoration with extraordinary qualities. Roof gardens promote biodiversity by developing suitable habitat for bird nesting and the proliferation of many other animals, including bees. They represent a reclaiming of nature and landscape within the city, with enormous benefits for people too. An increase in green areas within the city enables the development of so-called ecological corridors, through which it is possible to restore biodiversity and improve air quality and quality of life.

In this regard, it has been shown that green rooftops combat the phenomenon of heat islands — the bubbles of hot air that envelop urban settlements — which, according to research by the Environmental Protection Agency (Epa), raise temperatures in urban centres by 12 degrees compared to those in rural areas.

Furthermore, green roofs help to maintain indoor comfort by regulating temperature fluctuations and humidity levels in buildings, while from an energy-saving perspective they reduce the amount of energy required for winter heating and ensure cool temperatures in summer.

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It is a strategy ahead of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change and, at the same time, one capable of softening opposition from environmental groups, who are nonetheless ready to push for the law to be extended to all buildings and not just commercial areas. In any case, the mandatory green roof requirement is a far-sighted move on the part of the French government.