The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) is here, and with buildings accounting for 40 percent of global carbon emissions, urban development is a pertinent topic at the United Arab Emirates-hosted conference. COP28 offers a platform for the industry to redefine its contribution to a climate-conscious world, and it provides insight into how to strike a balance between immediate profitability and enduring environmental stewardship.
To support our readers during this transformative event, ULI is committed to sharing our best content throughout COP28. We aim to support climate action across the built environment, highlight the critical role of the Real Estate Sector in the future of our planet, and demonstrate how CRE and sustainability goals align. Below is a chronological list of events (both in-person and virtual) that ULI recommends for its readers.
For more information and to access our COP28 resource hub, visit ULI.ORG/COP28
Industry Events
Market Transformation Activation – Preparing for Paris 2024
When: Dec. 2, 4:00 pm-5:30 pm GST
Where: Buildings Pavilion, Livestream
Who: Lori Ferriss, AIA, PE; VELUX; WBCSD; Arup
What: Explore the tangible steps private sector actors in the built environment can and need to take before the presentation of the Buildings Breakthrough during the ministerial Global Forum in Paris in March 2024.
Why care? Preparing investors, developers, and stakeholders for what’s to come at Paris 2024.
Built Environment Market Transformation Workshop
When: Dec. 4, 8:30 am-12:00 pm GST
Where: Kempinski Hotel, Mall of the Emirates
Who: The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
What: In-person workshop that brings together many existing efforts that tackle identified system interventions and elevates them to a global shared agenda. It provides tools to work towards the global goal of halving emissions by 2030 to achieve a fully decarbonized built environment by or before 2050.
Why care? The only thing constant in the market is change. WBCSD identifies these changes and equips attendees with the knowledge needed to transform with the market, staying at the front of topics in sustainability and the built environment.
The Business Case for Sustainability in the Built Environment
When: Dec. 4, 11:00 am-12:00 pm GST
Where: Concrete Future Pavilion
Who: Diane Hoskins, CEO, Gensler and ULI Global Chair; Marta Guzzafame, Partner, BCG; Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA)
What: Global leaders from world-leading companies will share what they are doing to deliver low-carbon projects across the built environment from commercial office space to urban transport systems to critical water supply infrastructure to mass housing.
Why care? It’s a rare chance to get the perspective of architect, contractor, and material supplier all together, with the insight of leading consultancy BCG as well. Additionally, knowledgeable ULI Global Chair and co-CEO of Gensler Diane Hoskins is one of the event’s speakers.
IDEA District Cooling Conference
When: Dec. 5, 10:00 am-1:30 pm GST
Where: Connect Conference Center: Auditorium
Who: IDEA and Empower
What: A spotlight of district cooling as an energy and environmental strategy for cities, communities, and campuses.
Why care? Featuring experts on district cooling, this summit will demonstrate the critical role district cooling can play in energy efficiency, the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, and climate change mitigation. It will help professionals learn how to better implement and optimize district cooling to achieve their goals.
Energy Transition Change MakersWhen: Dec. 5, 10:00 am-7:00 pm GST
Where: Impact Hub: LVL 1 Atrium
Who: COP28 Presidency
What: A showcase of decarbonization projects selected by an expert committee, highlighting particularly innovative and scalable solutions. There will be a showcase event for each of four sectors: renewables and clean power, energy efficiency, heavy emitting sectors, and low-carbon hydrogen.
Why care? Learn by example. By studying some of the best decarbonization projects, attendees will inform future decisions on decarbonization projects of their own.
Dis[CO2]very: Building a Net Zero Future Promoting the Demand for Low-Carbon Building Materials
When: Dec. 5, 10:30 am-11:30 am GST
Where: Concrete Future PavilionWho: Diane Hoskins, co-CEO, Gensler and ULI Global Chair; Dr Nicola Kimm, Chief Sustainability Officer and Member of the Managing Board, Heidelberg Materials; Isabelle Spiegel, Global Head of Environment and Member of the Executive Committee, VINCI; Rana Ghoneim, Chief of the Energy Systems and Infrastructure Division at UNIDO
What: This event provides a unique opportunity to discuss net zero cement and concrete solutions to accelerate the deployment of low-carbon construction materials with policymakers and construction value chain leaders.
Why care? Learn about the future of concrete, cement, and embodied carbon from experts like ULI Global Chair and Gensler co-CEO Diane Hoskins, among others. This event gives its attendees a chance to be ahead of the curve on net-zero concrete, rather than behind it.
Drivers of Decarbonization: Transformation, Trends, and Levers in the Buildings Sector
When: Dec. 5, 11:00 am-12:00 pm GST
Where: Business & Buildings Pavilion
Who: USGBC, Arup
What: USGBC in partnership with Arup will be presenting a new report detailing how to achieve U.S. climate goals, which will require deep reductions across the U.S. commercial real estate sector.
Why Care? The report helps highlight the critical steps necessary to take our existing buildings to net zero and the role that stakeholders play in facilitating this transition.
Electrifying Cooking: A Just Journey Towards Net-Zero
When: Dec. 5, 11:30 am-12:30 pm GST
Where: B8: Plenaries & Meeting Rooms - Al Waha Theatre
Who: Global eCooking Coalition (GeCCo); COP28 Presidency: RR&P team; EW4A partners: WMO, IFRC, ITU, UNDRRWhat: GeCCo will present action plans and mobilize finance across the board, and government leaders will showcase how they have begun the eCooking transition by working with GeCCo to demonstrate opportunities in the future.
Why care? The path to global net zero is based on electrification. With large proportions of the world still using biomass for their cooking which poses health, environmental, and climate negative effects, electric cooking offers a way of leveraging the path to net zero for a just energy transition.
Demand for Sustainable Buildings and Tightening Regulations Drive Business Case for Investment
When: Dec. 5, 8:00 pm GST
Where: Livestream (register here)
Who: Lisette Van Doorn, CEO, ULI Europe; JLLWhat: Webinar that discusses JLL’s new The Commercial Case for Making Buildings More Sustainable report.
Why care? CEO of ULI Europe Lisette Van Doorn is an expert that’s worth hearing. Also, with rising demand for sustainable buildings, more restrictive regulations, and mounting costs from physical climate risks, the contents of this webinar will be valuable for anyone in real estate.
Scaling Decarbonization: Solutions and Drivers in U.S. Commercial Real Estate
When: Dec. 6, 9:00am-10:00am GST
Where: Pathways to 1.5 Pavilion
Who: Peter Templeton, President and CEO, USGBC; Guy Grainger, Global Head of Sustainability Services, JLL; Sara Neff, senior vice president, Lendlease Americas; Robert Kay, Americas Climate and Sustainability Services Leader, Arup
What: The event highlights key findings from the new USGBC report developed by Arup, State of Decarbonization: Market Transformation and Operational Emissions in U.S. Commercial Buildings. Then, a panel of leaders in building decarbonization will engage in a lively, moderated discussion picking up from the implications of these findings.
Why care? The roundtable talk will touch on finance and ESG trends such as the Inflation Reduction Act and incentives. Overall, it’s going to provide a toolkit on handling the changes to CRE through the lens of ESG.
Scaling Up Nature-Based Solutions in Urban Environments
When: Dec. 6, 1:15 pm-2:15 pm GST
Where: IUCN Pavilion, Livestream
Who: Pamela Conrad; Lisa Richmond
What: Discussing green, nature-based solutions to implement in urban planning, design, and CRE.
Why care? With a more sustainable future ahead, nature-based solutions may be the most innovative and effective way forward.
The Built Environment: A Catalyst for a Real-World Response to the Global Stocktake
When: Dec. 6, 4:00 pm-5:30 pm GST
Where: Blue Zone Level 3 - London GatewayWhat: Explores real-world case studies in response to the call-to-action of the Global Stocktake as it relates to the built environment.
Why care? This event offers the chance to reflect on the role the built environment plays in responding to the GST, and it collaboratively outlines a more sustainable path for the industry to take, benefitting professionals who work in the built environment.
Buildings Breakthrough Official Launch: Unlocking an Action-Oriented Response to the Global Stocktake
When: Dec. 6, 4:00 pm-12:00 am GST
Where: Blue Zone
Who: COP28 Cities Team & France, Morocco
What: This event will launch the initiative that will unlock intergovernmental and multi-level collaboration as a solution for mitigation, climate change adaptation, and resilience in the sector.
Why care? The sector accounts for nearly 40 percent of global energy-related CO2 emissions. The Buildings Breakthrough offers a platform for international cooperation to mitigate this impact.
When: Dec. 6, 6:00 pm-6:45 pm GST
Where: World Bank Group Pavilion
Who: Diane Hoskins, Co-CEO, Gensler and ULI Global Chair; Fiona Howarth, CEO, Octopus Electric Vehicles; Scott Tew, VP Sustainability & Managing Director, Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability and Center for Healthy & Efficient Spaces; Aime Williams, Climate Correspondent, Financial Times
What: How to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in cities through financing, decentralized grids, construction innovations, and transport decarbonization.
Why care? Cities are the largest emitters of GHG emissions globally, and city leaders are now faced with the challenge of transforming how cities function. This session guides leaders on how to tackle that tall task.
