Designing roofs in European cities to reflect more solar energy would help prevent climate change, at little to no extra cost.

The amount of solar energy that is reflected by different materials can have a significant impact on temperatures, both at a local level and across the globe. As Tiziana Susca writes, cities generally have higher temperatures than surrounding areas, in part because the materials used in construction reflect less energy. She argues that by encouraging the construction of rooftops in European cities which reflect more solar energy, temperature increases could be mitigated within cities, potentially improving the welfare of local populations and contributing to the prevention of climate change. Moreover, if this policy were integrated into existing urban maintenance plans it would essentially be a cost-free intervention.