CONFERENCE DAY ONE | TUESDAY JULY 16
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8:00 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
Inspiring Jobsite Sustainability
8:10 am Maximizing Project Sustainability: From Cradle to Grave, How Did We Maintain Commitment to Sustainable Decisions at Every Stage?
Synopsis
- Evaluating the strategies utilized to gain full team buy-in and maintain commitment to sustainable project execution
- Discussing the challenges faced during project acquisition, through field implementation and project closeout, highlighting the hurdles overcome and lessons learned by every project partner
- Demonstrating the process of monitoring and reporting to assess project success: What were the metrics achieved that demonstrated overall project sustainability?
8:50 am Driving Cultural Change: Ensuring Commitment to Implementing Sustainability in the Field
Synopsis
- Articulating the importance of sustainability in a way that engages and inspires field workers
- Aligning program activities with existing operational workflows for process simplicity and seamless execution
- Enforcing compliance with owner’s sustainability standards on-site, utilizing mechanisms like submittals and site verifications to ensure contractors adhere to specified sustainability practices
10:00 am Morning Refreshments & Speed Networking
Track 1
Reducing Embodied Carbon in Design
Reducing Embodied Carbon in Design
Integrating Sustainability into Early Design Decision Making
10:40 am Discover: Building the Business Case for Clients to Prioritize Sustainability & Overcome Cost Premium Pushback
Synopsis
- Evaluating the cost savings over the asset’s lifecycle to help build momentum with sustainability initiatives
- Emphasizing the risk reduction associated with sustainability practices in safeguarding against future uncertainties and unforeseen costs
- Understanding and directly addressing owner concerns by presenting compelling arguments, reinforced by data
11:40 am Develop: Encouraging Early Designer-Contractor Collaboration to Find Lower-Cost, Sustainable Alternatives
Synopsis
- Exploring the advantages of early contractor Involvement to unlock new opportunities
- Initiating early contractor engagement strategies at the project outset: What are the hurdles and challenges we have managed to overcome?
- Leveraging contractual frameworks as a pivotal tool to drive more sustainable outcomes
12:10 pm Action: Elevating the Benefits of Strategic Partnerships in Design to Empower Emissions Reduction with Clients
Synopsis
- Conducting life cycle analysis and carbon footprint assessments to identify emissions hotspots and opportunities for reduction
- Working with clients to develop innovative design approaches that minimize emissions portfolio wide
Track 2
Tackling Jobsite Emissions & Sustainability
Tackling Jobsite Emissions & Sustainability
Comprehensive Emission Tracking
10:40 am Discover: Establishing Project Carbon Performance Management Frameworks to Align Responsibilities & Accountability Across all Project Partners
Synopsis
- Outlining a systematic approach for capturing data across all project phases to ensure clarity and uniformity across stakeholders
- Allocating clear responsibilities for data capture to each project partner to establish clear ownership and accountability
- Monitoring adherence to established data capture frameworks to ensure compliance
11:40 am Develop: Improve the Quality of Data Collected in the Field to Improve Accuracy of Carbon Tracking
Synopsis
- Educating teams on what embodied carbon is produced in the field to ensure stakeholders comprehend and differentiate between scope one, two, and three emissions effectively
- Creating clear and easy ways to gather necessary project data and reduce manual entry
- Developing robust quality assurance procedures, to control data accuracy and completeness
12:10 pm Action: Tackling Challenges with Scope 3 Emission Tracking
Synopsis
- Understanding how to simplify the process of capturing scope three emissions on construction sites to ensure it’s a viable and cost-effective endeavor
- Evaluating the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of tracking tools on the market vs. the need for in house development
- Discussing the challenges with validation and governance of scope three emissions data
- Evaluating the direction of emerging regulations and how this extends beyond emissions to encompass various environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations
Track 3
Building Corporate Sustainability Frameworks
Building Corporate Sustainability Frameworks
Aligning Corporate Commitments with Strategic Goals
10:40 am Discover: Devising an Approach to Better Align Corporate Commitments with Client & Supplier Values
Synopsis
- Facilitating the conversation around shared values to identify stakeholder priorities • Harnessing research and the discovery process to guide corporate commitments
- Establishing transparent communication to share progress to goals, build trust, and enhance alignment between corporate commitments and stakeholder values
11:40 am Develop: Operationalizing Corporate Commitments into Clearly Actionable Goals to Lower Emissions
Synopsis
- Exploring the guidance in existing carbon measurement standards to support the operationalization of corporate commitments
- Setting personalized, achievable sustainability goals to keep lower emissions front of mind throughout team decision-making
- Utilizing various mediums such as workshops, forums, and digital platforms for transparent and consistent communication of organizational goals
- Assessing the elements of our corporate commitments that are hard to operationalize and how we are looking to overcome this as an organization
12:10 pm Action: Discussing What You Need to Effectively Resource Your Program at Different Stages of Maturity & Business Scale
12:30 pm Lunch Break
Track 1
Reducing Embodied Carbon in Design
Reducing Embodied Carbon in Design
Maximizing Sustainable Material Usage & Decarbonization in Design
1:30 pm Discover: Harnessing the Power of Mass Timber as a Material to Support Carbon Sequestration Goals
Synopsis
- Demonstrating how the project team got the buy-in from the client and other partners to pursue mass timber
- Assessing the supply chain constraints of timber and how to overcome this to move past the materials evaluation phase
- Discussing lessons learned and challenges faced by our team to inform future projects
2:00 pm Develop: Integrating Carbon Data into the Model From Schematic Design to Inform Early Design Decision-Making
Synopsis
- Understanding which data to include and how to get it into the model to empower informed early-stage decisions
- Discussing the current blueprint for embodied carbon modeling and what needs to change to drive more informed decision-making
- Examining the strengths and weaknesses of different platforms for embodied carbon modeling
2:30 pm Action: Creating a Framework for Sustainable Material Selection to Empower Teams to Make More Informed Decisions
Synopsis
- Defining a comprehensive set of criteria beyond environmental impact, to ensure a holistic assessment of materials
- Creating a structured tool or matrix that integrates the collected data and evaluation criteria, to compare materials and have a confident decision making
- Providing resources and training to teams on how to assess and select sustainable materials effectively
Track 2
Tackling Jobsite Emissions & Sustainability
Tackling Jobsite Emissions & Sustainability
Empowering Sustainable Practices Across Project Stakeholders
1:30 pm Discover: Educating Trades on the Importance of Decarbonization to Ensure Alignment with Project Goals
Synopsis
- Providing resources and training to trade partners to foster a comprehensive understanding of the impact of their work on emissions
- Developing practical skills and knowledge to implement low-carbon construction techniques onsite via hands-on workshops or demonstrations
- Establishing a platform for continuous dialogue to ensure trades remain informed and aligned with evolving decarbonization goals
2:00 pm Develop: Integrating Sustainability into the Bidding Process to Ensure Selection of Project Partners to Deliver Your Project Requirements
Synopsis
- Discussing the metrics and evidence that trades can provide to help evaluate their suitability
- Determining how to best request this information in project documentation to ensure a consistent benchmark for evaluation
- Understanding how contractors can further customize proposals to provide new sustainable options during bidding
2:30 pm Action: Sustaining Cross-Stakeholder Commitment to Decarbonization for End-to-End Sustainable Project Delivery
Synopsis
- Involving contractors in continuous discussions on decarbonization to ensure evolution of initiatives throughout the project lifecycle
- Fostering a shared responsibility for decarbonization across the project phases
- Tracking contractor adherence to sustainable practices to identify opportunities for further support
Track 3
Building Corporate Sustainability Frameworks
Building Corporate Sustainability Frameworks
Cultivating Organizational Alignment & Empowerment
1:30 pm Discover: Building Out Education Programs for Your Organization to Create Alignment with Corporate Commitments
Synopsis
- Evaluating the needs of each team when it comes to education on sustainability to build a system of complimentary training programs for all levels
- Defining clear learning objectives and measurable outcomes for each educational program to be able to track progress and engagement
- Securing active support from organizational leadership for educational initiatives and their widespread adoption
- Connecting participation in learning programs with performance evaluations or recognition systems
2:00 pm Develop: Upskilling Your People to Strengthen Conscious Action & Decision-Making
Synopsis
• Providing foundational knowledge on the carbon cycle, helping employees to understand their potential impact on reducing carbon emissions
• Developing training sessions that can be rapidly introduced and deployed across departments, without interrupting day to day operations
• Using diverse training methods, alongside materials like videos and written content, to engage different learning styles and time constraints within a large workforce
2:30 pm Action: Discussing Innovative Employee Engagement Strategies to Sustain Long-Term Culture Change
Synopsis
- Initiating recognition programs to celebrate and reward employees actively contributing to sustainable practices and innovation
- Cultivating a group of sustainability champions to organically spread the word among all teams
- Facilitating regular town hall meetings to discuss sustainability initiatives and invite feedback and ideas from employees at all levels
3:00 pm Afternoon Refreshments
Global Green Initiatives: Bridging Policy & Implementation
4:00 pm From Policy to Practice: How is Europe Embracing ESG Regulations?
Synopsis
• Sharing insights and learnings from UK/EU-based companies who have successfully adopted innovative sustainability practices: What’s our roadmap?
• Discussing international frameworks and trends in sustainability regulations to find out what might soon come to USA
• Exploring challenges companies face on their journey to compliance
4:50 pm Navigating Today’s Policy & Regulatory Maze: The Current State of Construction-Related Policy & How to Prepare for the Future
Synopsis
- Overview current and future developments in sustainable construction regulations and policies in the USA, including Buy Clean-related efforts
- Discuss how to best stay informed and ahead of the curve with regulatory changes to help prepare your organization for what’s to come
- Understand the tools and resources currently available to adhere to current and upcoming regulations