The CityLinks Team was recently in Townsville Australia for the Portmore, Jamaica and Townsville, Australia climate partnership. We had an incredible time looking at the great work Townsville is doing to become a more resilient city. One of the most strikingly simple solutions Townsville has implemented to address heat island effect and a reduction in energy usage is an aggressive campaign for white roofs on commercial and residential buildings. The city has seen significant results in the reduction of reliance on air conditioning in buildings with white roofs. Additionally, homes with solar panels on their roofs have seen increased efficiency when paired with white roofs. You can see some of the specifics along with the outreach campaign that is being supported by the private and public sectors here.

This simple and inexpensive solution is being explored in communities all over the world and is incredibly promising for reducing heat island effect. The White Roof Project has an incredible info graphic demonstrating how white roofs can contribute to significant reduction in urban heat island effect and reduce peak demand on electric networks.

This promising and simple idea is relevant for both new construction and requires minimal investment on older buildings. In Townsville this has also created or expanded business opportunities and contributed to a green economy. Excited about the possibilities the delegation from Portmore looks forward to seeing how this might be implemented as a pilot in their community.