Global change requires local action! While the climate crisis has been well articulated at the global level by the United Nations, national governments, and scientific consensus, climate solutions still require community-scale responses. Ancient human wisdom and modern ingenuity provide us an array of effective tools, but it is up to us to implement them within our own communities. How can we best leverage the tools we have available? What are the right  questions to ask next? How can we achieve broader engagement in climate action?

As the nation strives for carbon neutrality by 2050, the role of the building sector is both critical and often overlooked. As clients, manufacturers, designers, engineers, constructors and operators, we know that the most cost-effective carbon saving solutions are those in the built environment, and that those solutions can dramatically improve quality of life and address longstanding inequities. We also know that “environmental surfing” for daylight, fresh air, passive heating, and natural cooling is key for our sustained health and the health of the planet.

The Design for Freedom Initiative is raising awareness about the pervasiveness of forced and child labor in the construction supply chain. The materials that go into our buildings are heavily reliant on slave labor.  We’ll explore the risks and highlight ways you can shape your practice to address this pressing humanitarian issue as part of your social equity goals.  Learn about the tools and resources available to use in advocacy, internal operations, client conversations, and pilot projects.

What lessons can you learn from completed new construction passive and net zero affordable projects? How can we bring costs down with further experience and tools? Learn from a design build firm experienced in passive and net zero affordable projects.  Hear best practices, what works, and what hasn’t been working. Hear about typical bottlenecks in delivery of affordable high performance housing and how open-source tools can bring down cost, design and analysis barriers.  Learn what incremental costs have been seen on eight Passive House multifamily affordable projects in Massachusetts.

Many businesses are struggling to find, hire, and retain the next generation of workers. This session will help employers connect with training programs, understand barriers to employment, and learn how they can support new hires. Learn from graduates and teachers of training programs about the challenges and opportunities for people entering the construction workforce. We’ll explore common mistakes that employers make, what was useful about the training process (and what was missing), and suggestions for how to reach a broader pool of potential hires.

The City of Boston is on the cutting edge of emissions performance standards for existing buildings. Staff from the City’s Environment Department will present on Boston’s new Building Emissions Reduction Ordinance (BERDO 2.0). The purpose of this session will be to engage building and energy professionals on pathways that help owners comply with the new standard. The speakers will present on the requirements of the ordinance, compliance mechanisms, the ongoing regulations development process, and resources to assist owners in complying.

In recent years both Boston and New York City have officially declared racism to be a public health crisis. In this moderated panel discussion, you'll hear from a group of diverse speakers that represent various aspects of the building industry. Through the lens of building science, consulting, outdoor spaces, healthy materials, policy, and medical backgrounds, we will explore and unpack how race, geography, and economics intersect in the area of healthy housing.

Ventilation-system design and occupant behavior both significantly impact indoor air quality and consequently the health of occupants in affordable multi-family housing, that is increasingly being sited adjacent to highways and busy roadways in cities.

Buildings and deforestation together produce 50% of global carbon emissions. This session will address how climate-smart forestry and sustainable agriculture can store carbon in ecological landscapes and generate wood and plant-based building materials that reduce embodied carbon in buildings. Key topics include a proposed strategy to double carbon sequestration by global forests, and an assessment of the validity of biogenic carbon claims with an expanded Life Cycle Analysis.

In response to the increasing demand for certified electricians to meet the challenges of transitioning to a clean energy future, ReVision Energy launched a state-certified training education program in 2018. This innovative program is the first of its kind in the nation, providing trainees with the trade skills and licensing that will set them up for a lifetime of success. The training center is also a valuable recruiting tool for Revision Energy in hiring women and minorities in all positions within the company.