Private sector or company

The company running the Zabalgarbi waste disposal site manages a solid waste–to-energy plant and also houses a mechanical biological treatment (MBT) plant, a composting plant, a landfill and a leachate treatment plant. During construction of the first plant, Zabalgarbi regenerated and recovered the entire Artigas-Arraiz area covering 108 hectares. The area was degraded by shaft mining activity and an opencast quarry. The project aimed at the reforestation and landslide mitigation of this degraded area. Today the area has been reforested, trails were built and space provided for people to enjoy themselves in gardens, picnic areas and along forest tracks. (Ref 1)

The drought-tolerant garden was established by Portsmouth Water at its Head Office entrance in 2007. The plants in the garden, all of which require little or no watering, were chosen to be visually stimulating whilst contributing colour, scent and variation in leaf texture and shape (1). This garden has been designed to be drought-tolerant, easily maintained and can take some wear and tear. The planting reflects the changing seasons with something of interest all year. None of the plants is difficult to grow and is easily obtainable (2).

Portsmouth and its surrounding areas are under ‘serious water stress’ and water companies are being asked to take less water from some of their sources. This includes reductions to the amount of water that Southern Water can take from the rivers Test and Itchen in Hampshire. To address this, Portsmouth Water started the planning of a new Havant Thicket Reservoir.
The water to be stored in the reservoir will be supplied from surplus winter yield from the Havant & Bedhampton Springs. In winter, higher rainfall leads to a higher springs yield which flows into the sea, but a portion would now be pumped to the new reservoir. Long-term benefits of the proposed reservoir include enhancing the local environment and providing a new wetland habitat. (1,5)
In November 2020, the Havant Thicket Reservoir planning applications have been submitted to Havant Borough Council and East Hampshire District Council for validation. (7)

The area of the Port of Antwerp is one of the most important habitats for threatened species, even at the European level (Ref. 1). Therefore, a species protection programme was launched in 2014 for the conservation of 90 protected species by means of creating an ecological infrastructure of green areas, green corridors and small green spaces that include spawning grounds, ecological river banks, and road verges (Ref. 1, 2, 3).

This intervention is part of a broader masterplan regarding harbours and seacoast in Palermo, with a specific focus on the Cala coastal area. The waterfront has importance for the city not just as a harbour, but for its relational, cultural and recreational functions as well. In particular, the Molo Trapezoidale can become the new “water district” in which compatible port functions will be integrated with the existing urban functions and the new residential areas, as well as the new cultural and recreational services with new infrastructures linked with natural features such as green areas and trees. (Ref.1.)

Following a severe storm in 2000 that overwhelmed the sewage system of Portsmouth along with its main Wastewater Pump Station, causing major flooding in the city with the destruction of private and public properties, prevention of such events become a key priority (5).
The Portsmouth Flood Alleviation Scheme aims to relieve the pressure on the sewage system in wet weathers by diverting the accumulated surface water flows away from the combined sewer networks and discharge them into the harbours around the island (5). The Scheme consists of several measures across the city, among others the creation of a new open watercourse channel across the Great Salterns Golf Course diverting surface water directly into Great Salterns Lake (5). This measure of the scheme is a solution that separates surface water to provide resilience, boost flood protection and benefit the environment with the minimum of new infrastructure (1).

Focus Park is a large shopping mall with green terraces (900 m2) and green walls in the city of Bydgoszcz. The project serves marketing purposes – the green areas outside the mall are visible from various vantage points. Due to the selection of pollution resistant plants and installation of an automatic irrigation system the project also involves water retention and supports local biodiversity and good air quality [1].

On an office building, one of the largest green walls of Belgium was created (50.000 plants) that improves air quality, reduces heat stress, and improves biodiversity. The green wall also isolates the building, resulting in less energy use (Ref. 1-3). The wall consists of a variety of native plants and is irrigated with water collected on the roof of the building (Ref. 1, 2).

The ‘Mountain Forest Initiative’ was launched in 2009 by the Bavarian Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry to restore the protective function of the vulnerable alpine forest in light of climate change, and was ongoing until 2014. To create a general sense of ownership in the process, the Mountain Forest Initiative sought the involvement of different stakeholders at the local level (e.g., private forest owners, land-use related authorities, hunters, nature conservationists, and tourism associations) (Ref. 1).

The acronym VERDIR stands for Sustainable Rehabilitation and Responsible Innovation (Valorisation de l’Environnement par la Réhabilitation Durable et l’Innovation Responsable) and is a project of the University of Liège, about the development of local economic activities based on urban and peri-urban agriculture. It aims to convert existing brownfield sites according to the needs of the population. This involves the large-scale production of vegetables and plants which can be used for food but also for the pharmaceutical industry and the production of biomass, which is increasingly needed (Ref. 1).