Green Badger sponsored the third annual Advancing Construction Decarbonization conference in Denver a few weeks ago. The construction industry is famously competitive, and it was refreshing to see so many leaders in sustainable construction come together and openly share insights into the work they are doing to decarbonize construction.
This year, the conference grew significantly, featuring an entire day of pre-conference workshops divided into two tracks:
- Track 1 focused on getting sustainability and ESG programs started for companies at the beginning of their journey.
- Track 2 focused on growing existing sustainability and ESG programs for companies that are further along in their journey.
The next two days of the main conference were jam-packed. Tuesday morning began with a few words from Charlie Woodruff of USGBC. Charlie shared the exciting news that LEED v5 will be coming in early 2025.
Next, a Mortenson presented a case study of a project at the University of Washington. The decarbonization efforts on this project included tracking and reducing embodied carbon in addition to on-site emissions.
Then, Green Badger took the stage to share insights on how deeply integrated carbon emissions will be in the LEED v5 construction credits. We highlighted how our software will continue to support project teams in LEED v5 and shared a sneak peek at the updates we will be making to the platform soon. To stay up-to-date on this, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter!
Finally, Jasmin Rajak from Fluor presented on the importance of creating cultural changes in an organization to support sustainability efforts.
The remainder of the day was split into three tracks: Reducing Embodied Carbon in Design, Tackling Jobsite Emissions & Sustainability, and Building Corporate Sustainability Frameworks.
Reducing Embodied Carbon in Design
This track focused heavily on collaboration between architects, engineers, and general contractors to maximize reductions in embodied carbon.
Tackling Jobsite Emissions & Sustainability
This track focused on the beginning stages of tracking emissions on construction sites. Notably, the importance of getting started, even if your process or data isn’t perfected yet, was emphasized. You can always refine things and get more granular, but it’s important to start tracking the data you currently have.
Many tools and resources were discussed, including several shout-outs to Green Badger’s Construction ESG platform and the new AGC Playbook on Decarbonization and Carbon Reporting. A few sessions addressed specific issues beyond jobsite emissions, such as reducing waste and water use.
Building Corporate Sustainability Frameworks
The final track honed in on developing and/or refining corporate sustainability and ESG commitments and goals. One of the highlights was a roundtable discussion on how to resource your program effectively and plan for scaling as the business grows.
Other Highlights
In addition to the educational offerings from experts in sustainable construction, there were many opportunities to network and have fun in Denver. Green Badger even hosted a happy hour in a speakeasy-style bar for our customers. The event provided an excellent opportunity for attendees to connect, share ideas, and build relationships, that will help advance decarbonizing the construction industry.
