Explore the Agenda

7:00 am Registration & Networking

8:00 am Chair’s Opening Remarks

Regional Director - Mountain, U.S. Green Building Council, Inc

Balancing External Pressures & Internal Commitments

8:10 am Panel: Evaluating the Top Pressures on Contractors’ Today: From Federal Regulations to Client Goals and Employee Drivers

Environmental and Sustainability Director, JE Dunn Construction
Chief Sustainability Officer, Ryan Co. US, Inc.
Director - Federal Legislative, U.S. Green Building Council, Inc
  • Defining the various ways a sustainable agenda can manifest for a contracting organization to ensure maximum resilience despite changing operating environments and competing pressures: How are firms looking to go broader, deeper and faster at any given point to grow as much as possible?
  • Tracking evolving U.S. policies, particularly in California and other leading regions, to assess direction of travel for investments, tax incentives, and federal funding
  • Identifying strategies to integrate decarbonization efforts into long-term financial planning, even amid regulatory uncertainty and the need to remain agile as sustainability policies and economic landscapes evolve

8:50 am Audience Discussion: Ensuring Social Actions Are a Core Part of Your ESG Transformation

  • Understanding how government and client requirements are shaping contractor social commitments
  • Examining how companies are integrating social responsibility within broader sustainability initiatives and the impact this is having on their competitive advantage
  • Identifying key metrics and frameworks for assessing the long-term success of social initiatives, and ensuring they go beyond regulatory requirements

10:00 am Morning Refreshments & Speed Networking

Track 1
Tackling Jobsite Sustainability

“Ensuring effective emission reporting & reduction in the field”

Enhancing Accountability & Transparency

10:40 am Discover – Embedding Meaningful Sustainability Goals into Project Scopes from Day One

Director of Sustainability, Hathaway Dinwiddie
  • Making sustainability a standard discussion point in project interviews and early planning phases to align client expectations and contractor execution
  • Harnessing industry benchmarks and reports to shape stretching but achievable targets
  • Engaging estimators, contractors, and clients to ensure goals are budgeted for and owned by a specific stakeholder at every project stage

11:40 am Discover – Collecting Reliable Emissions Data Across Complex Supply Chains

Director Environment & Sustainability, Graham Group Ltd
  • Defining the necessary data and identifying the responsible parties trace emissions and environmental impact across multiple tiers of the supply chain
  • Leveraging innovative methodologies to streamline data collection and improve accuracy
  • Navigating the limitations of diverse suppliers with varying levels of maturity in carbon reporting and sustainability efforts

12:10 pm Develop – Navigating LEED v5 Certification to Achieve Practical & Scalable Green Building Project Success

Regional Director - Mountain, U.S. Green Building Council, Inc
National Decarbonization & Sustainability Leader, Mead & Hunt Inc.
  • Discussing key changes in LEED v5 compared to previous versions and examining prerequisite revisions, stricter requirements, and their impact on project planning
  • Exploring how to accurately measure and balance embodied and operational carbon
  • Understanding the role of carbon credits and how they impact LEED certification
  • Sharing strategies for timely certification without compromising cost or quality
  • Finding repeatable approaches for companies looking to certify multiple assets

12:40 pm Lunch Break

Carbon Reduction Strategies

1:40 pm Discover – Looking Into MEP Scopes to Unlock Impactful Carbon Reductions

Director, Strategic Partnerships, Cupertino Electric Inc.
  • Understanding the financial and logistical hurdles of integrating lower-carbon MEP solutions and how to navigate them
  • Discussing how sustainability strategies like natural ventilation can adapt to new environmental challenges, such as poor air quality from wildfires
  • Making prefabrication an inherent part of construction delivery to support long-term sustainability and waste reduction goals: How can GCs take a proactive role in leading prefab discussions rather than waiting for client or specialty contractor direction?

2:10 pm Develop – Overcoming Challenges with Employing Low Carbon Alternatives

Data Centers & Sustainable Construction Lead, Google
Executive Director, NEU Concrete
Associate Principal, Thornton Tomasetti
Sr. Sustainability Manager, Fortis Construction Inc
Director of Sustainability, Consigli Construction Co. Inc.
  • Exploring how contractors can advocate for, and facilitate the adoption of low-carbon materials and alternative solutions on projects
  • Understanding how potential tariffs may impact the possibility of lower carbon alternatives
  • Exploring how contractors can support smaller, lower carbon suppliers that may lack resources to provide Environmental Product
  • Declarations (EPDs)
  • Finding ways to continue low-carbon procurement efforts even if government incentives are reduced or removed

2:40 pm Action – Using Scenario Analysis to Identify the Most Efficient Carbon Reduction Alternatives for Your Project

  • Exploring the step-by-step framework of building scenario analysis: from defining key variables to stress-testing strategies against regulatory, economic, and technological uncertainty
  • Educating clients on low-carbon systems and materials, even when sustainability isn’t a contractual requirement
  • Harnessing effective evaluation sessions to move your team beyond low-hanging fruit to trialling more ambitious, innovative technologies and strategies

Track 2
Building Corporate Sustainability Strategy

“Shaping business strategies & priorities”

Strengthening Resilience Into Your Program

10:50 am Discover – Securing Financial & Cultural Commitment to ESG Initiatives to Support Your Net-Zero Transformation

CSO, Turner Construction
  • Evaluating where your company should invest in emission reductions, carbon offsets, and operational changes to get the highest ROI
  • Exploring whether costs should be covered at the corporate level, project level, or through an internal carbon charge
  • Presenting a robust business case to upper management to secure adequate financial backing
  • Shifting the mindset from sustainability as a client-driven cost to an internal investment for long-term success

11:40 am Discover – Crafting Corporate Messaging That Resonates with Customers & Employees Alike

Senior Vice President - National Design Director, JE Dunn Construction
Environmental and Sustainability Director, JE Dunn Construction
  • Positioning sustainability as a competitive advantage for attracting clients, talent, and investment opportunities
  • Developing messaging frameworks to connect sustainability commitments with individual employee drivers
  • Leveraging cross-functional collaboration to integrate success stories into everyday conversations and promote further support

12:10 pm Develop – Building Internal Investment Programs to Promote & Propel Innovation

CSO, Turner Construction
Healthcare Electrician, Borrell Electric Co. Inc.
  • Exploring how large companies are driving industry change by showing financial interest in emerging sustainable technologies
  • Addressing common challenges in aligning financial, operational, and environmental priorities within large enterprises to sustain innovative investments
  • Exploring cost-effective strategies for fostering innovation within smaller firms

12:40 pm Lunch Break

Climate Regulations & Risks

1:40 pm Discover – Navigating the Impact of CSRD on U.S. Climate Disclosure & Global Reporting Standards

National Vice President of Sustainability, Skanska
  • Understanding the complexity of CSRD’s data requirements and strategies for effective, streamlined compliance
  • Mapping out the differences between CSRD, SEC climate disclosure requirements, and emerging state-level regulations in the U.S
  • Anticipating how U.S. companies can proactively align with evolving regulations to remain competitive in global markets

2:10 pm Develop – Developing A Climate Risk Mitigation Plan to Translate Vulnerabilities into Resilience

Director, Climate Change and Decarbonization, Clayco Construction Company
National Vice President of Sustainability, Skanska
Chief Sustainability Officer, Ryan Co. US, Inc.
  • Adjusting project schedules and construction methods to accommodate extreme weather disruptions
  • Implementing heat mitigation strategies for worker safety amid rising temperatures
  • Exploring material and design innovations that improve structural resilience against wildfires, hurricanes, and flooding
  • Weighing the upfront costs of resilience efforts against longterm savings on insurance and disaster recovery
  • Integrating stakeholder feedback to shape actionable risk strategies and stay agile to evolving climate conditions, real time

2:40 pm Action – Adapting to Evolving Climate Change Issues to Strengthen Durability & Reduce Environmental Impact

  • Discussing where evolving building codes lag behind climate realities and what companies can do to stay one step ahead of mandated requirements
  • Exploring innovative materials and nature-based solutions for climate resilience
  • Evaluating the return on investment (ROI) of climate-adaptive strategies, including insurance savings and long-term cost benefits

3:00 pm Afternoon Refreshments

Building Alignment & Consistency

3:30 pm Client Panel: Creating Consistency in Requirements Across Markets to Drive Transparency, Accountability & Maximize Industry Progress

Director of Global ESG, ProLogis
Principal PM, Sustainable Buildings, Worldwide Sustainability, Amazon Web Services, Inc
Executive Director, iMasons Climate Accord
Director, Strategic Partnerships, Cupertino Electric Inc.
  • Understanding client motivations for ESG Reporting – whether disclosures are a “check-the-box” exercise or a strategic decision-making tool – to align project proposals with client priorities
  • Discussing what truly defines net-zero to get greater consistency of expectation across market sectors
  • Exploring how clients are ensuring transparency and accountability in sharing real project and material emissions data, not just corporate carbon strategies

4:10 pm Empowering Field Teams to Incorporate Sustainability Initiatives Into Their Day-to-Day to Build a Stronger Jobsite Culture

Director, Climate and Sustainability, EllisDon
Vice President, Climate and Sustainability, EllisDon
  • The evolution of incorporating sustainability into company culture, similar to the shift in safety culture
  • Translating corporate goals into action and creating clear expectations, accountability, and practical implementation strategies for sustainability at the jobsite
  • Developing enforcement mechanisms to ensure sustainability expectations are met— whether through incentives, clear job site protocols, or accountability measures at the project level

4:50 pm Chair’s Closing Remarks

Regional Director - Mountain, U.S. Green Building Council, Inc

5:00 pm End of Conference Day One