Gain inspiration and explore practical solutions with Greenbuild Virtual's keynote speakers and special events.
In a few days, from Nov. 10–12, the green building community will gather virtually for the three-day Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. In a year marked by unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, racial inequality, wildfires, hurricanes, political polarization and international economic uncertainty, there is no better time to convene our community to share stories, find solutions and move toward our collective vision of a sustainable, equitable and prosperous future.
Over the past two months, three virtual summits provided a deeper dive into the topics of green business, resilience, and global health and wellness in the lead-up to the main event. The summit keynotes provided perspectives on the evolution of responsible business, valuable insights in resilience planning and advancing equitable development, examples of how buildings and design can promote health and well-being and prevent the spread of disease, and a moving personal story outlining the inextricable links between environmentalism and public health promotion. You can catch these incredible keynotes, and all summit education content, on demand with your all-access pass or your individual summit pass.
Greenbuild will deliver the same caliber of inspiration you would expect at a live experience with renowned keynote speakers and special events. Each day offers a moment to provide attendees with a shared experience, even when we can’t be together in person, before diving into specialized education, networking, and exhibitor meetings in the virtual Expo Hall. We will close Greenbuild by showcasing the leaders advancing the development of sustainable and resilient buildings, cities and communities at the 2020 USGBC Leadership Awards.
Greenbuild Tuesday keynotes: Christiana Figueres and Mahesh Ramanujam
Tuesday, Nov. 10 | 12–1 p.m. ET
Facilitating cooperation for climate progress: As the Former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and a key facilitator of the historic Paris Climate Agreement, Christiana Figueres knows a thing or two about fostering international cooperation. Now co-founder of Global Optimism Ltd., she is continuing to accelerate the global response to climate change with a people-centric approach. Learn how Figueres forged a new brand of collaborative diplomacy that brings groups together to deliver critical outcomes.
Mahesh Ramanujam, President and CEO of USGBC, GBCI and Arc, will examine the compounding effects of a global pandemic, an evolving geopolitical landscape and the increased frequency of climate-related risks. A veteran leader in tackling concurrent environmental and economic crises, Ramanujam will explore the growing challenges posed by fragmented building practices and the unprecedented opportunity for impact investing. Ramanujam will also make a prescient argument for how deepening the green building community’s adherence to ESG in the coming decade can lead to mainstream adoption of healthier, more equitable and more resilient living standards for all.
Greenbuild Wednesday keynote: Catherine Huang, Julia Watson and Kotchakorn Voraakhom
Wednesday, Nov. 11 | 12–1 p.m. ET
Innovation from nature—Ancient solutions for building a climate-resilient future: Decades of rapid urbanization across the globe that works against natural systems has caused challenges such as flooding, the heat island effect, pollution and more. Many advancements in technology and development have ignored millenia-old wisdom of how to live in symbiosis with nature. Solutions to these modern challenges may lie within indigenous and nature-based design strategies that create productive landscapes, increase urban resilience, strengthen communities and buffer against climate-related emergencies.
Greenbuild Wednesday special event: Women in Green networking
Wednesday, Nov. 11 | 1–2 p.m. ET
Women in Green is a worldwide leadership platform creating space for women who are shifting the narrative on empowerment, access and impact in the clean energy economy. Women in Green reminds us that each of us is a person of great influence. In fact, we are all “sheroes, a female hero; a woman that displays strong heroic traits under tremendous pressure and is triumphant over her circumstances," as defined by Sheroes United.
So many of today’s sheroes can be found all around us—in our families, our communities and our workplaces. Our green building sheroes are called on like never before to stand up! Stand up for what we believe in, stand up for others, stand up for speaking our minds, and stand up for paving the way for future generations of strong women. Sheroes stand up for a future with clean air, clean water, healthy food, access to quality education and equitable housing. Together, our work holds so much promise, as we deliver access to the voiceless and disenfranchised.
Greenbuild Thursday closing special event: 2020 USGBC Leadership Awards
Thursday, Nov. 12 | 5 p.m. ET
The USGBC Leadership Awards ceremony will recognize outstanding individuals and organizations committed to advancing green building design, construction and operations.
Learn more about Greenbuild and gain access to these exciting events by registering now.