At our 2025 conference, experts offered insight into the latest trends shaping the future of sustainable building design in NYC.
The building industry is rapidly evolving, and New York City is at the cusp of a market shift. With the first compliance period of Local Law 97 now behind us, the city is accelerating toward a net-zero future. What key trends will shape the next phase of this transformation?
At NYC Next: Shaping Building Decarbonization, experts explored three key forces impacting the future of buildings: financing building decarbonization, making resiliency central to sustainable design, and strengthening grid integration with battery storage.
Check out the event recordings below to hear our speakers tackle each topic and offer expert advice on how to design healthy, resilient buildings. Then, read our blog recap for the key takeaways from each session at our 2025 conference.
Keynote conversation
- Rory Christian, Chair and CEO, New York State Public Service Commission
Session 1
Funding the Future of Decarbonization
- Chris Halfnight, Urban Green (Moderator)
- James Geppner, NYSERDA
- Marc Zuluaga, Cadence OneFive
- Joe Chavez, NYC MOCEJ
- Susan Leeds, Garrison Associates
Session 2
Boosting the Grid with Battery Storage
- Gina Bocra, WSP (Moderator)
- Daniella Leifer, Sustainable CUNY
- John Romano, Con Edison
- Claudia Villar-Leeman, NY-BEST
- Molly Rafelson, The Clean Fight
Session 3
Built to Last: Resilience in Every Retrofit
- Susanne DesRoches, NYSERDA (Moderator)
- Ilana Judah, Arup
- Jessica Mederson, Stafford Rosenbaum LLP
- Talley Burley, Environmental Defense Fund
- Mónika Serrano-Riedlinger, Adaptate LLC
Thank you to our sponsors!
Outreach Partners:
32BJ Training Fund
AIA-NY
ASHRAE NY
Building Energy Exchange
BuildGreenCT
Earth Forward Group
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
NYSSPPE
NESEA
Passive House Accelerator
The Architect’s Newspaper
Urban Design Forum
USGBC
UA Local 1 Plumbers
RETI Center
Soulful Synergy
NYC Next: Facing down the future
Read our recap of the Urban Green 2025 conference, NYC Next: Shaping Building Decarbonization!
Keynote conversation w/ Rory Christian
Rory Christian, Chair and CEO of NYS Public Service Commission, discusses how NYC can achieve a just transition to sustainable energy.