What should the next-gen building environment look, feel, and sound like? What are the biggest barriers preventing us from getting there? Today’s existing technology can drastically reduce the climate impact of buildings, improve occupant health and well-being, and better prepare for an unpredictable climate. However, the benefits of sustainable buildings have been inequitably distributed and are not being adopted quickly enough. Learn about the innovations that will define tomorrow’s buildings and retrofits, and what it will take to accelerate the scale, scope and speed of change.

The cement industry is responsible for seven percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and demand for concrete is constant. Yet one company has a blueprint for a future buildings sector that produces far less carbon. The second documentary premiere on The Climate Pledge Stage tells the story of the vision behind CarbonCure, a fast-growing startup with a solution to the world’s cement emissions. Following the screening, CarbonCure’s CEO will discuss his company’s progress and take your questions. For more on Future Forward, watch the series trailer.

Building construction has historically been a slow and dirty process. What innovations will allow us to leapfrog the entrenched processes and technologies we currently use to construct buildings? Speakers in this session will showcase promising new construction materials and processes that offer novel ways to reduce waste, embodied carbon emissions and construction timelines.

Attendees will leave with an understanding of the applications, strengths and weaknesses of different building materials. Practitioners will leave better equipped to see around corners when communicating the value of these materials to decision-makers in their organizations.

Ambitious policies at all levels of government are crucial levers in catalyzing change in the built environment. However, each jurisdiction faces unique regulatory, climate, technical and workforce challenges. What’s more, ensuring a just and equitable transition to decarbonized, healthy buildings requires frequent and deep collaboration between utilities, nonprofits, government agencies and the private sector. 

The Inflation Reduction Act ​​could drive retrofits, upgrades and clean technology installations on top of the projects being driven by policies at the local and state levels in hundreds of millions of square feet of commercial real estate. However, deriving the full intended benefits of these incentives will require careful alignment and coordination. 

Attendees will leave this cross-sector panel with a better understanding of how to navigate this exciting new policy environment.