September 17, 2025
In this webinar, the experts behind the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) criteria for buildings join Urban Green to explain this new standard for decarbonizing buildings. Listen in to learn about the key changes introduced by SBTi and the benefits of using this criteria to guide building practices.
Speakers
John Mandyck (Moderator)
CEO, Urban Green Council
John Mandyck joined Urban Green Council in 2018 as its first-ever CEO. He capped a 25-year career as Chief Sustainability Officer for United Technologies Corporation, a Fortune 45 global leader in the building, aerospace and food refrigeration industries. He also serves as a Visiting Scientist at the Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Business. John is the founding chair of the Corporate Advisory Board for the World Green Building Council, a former board chair of Urban Green, and co-author of the book Food Foolish.
Diana Farmer
North America Regional Lead, Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
Diana is the North America Regional Lead at the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). In her role, she supports companies and partners to drive ambitious climate action through the adoption of science-based targets in North America. She also works to advance the relevance of SBTi standards while strengthening partnerships to address systemic barriers to decarbonization. She joined the SBTi from one of its founding partners, CDP where she worked for several years supporting the industrial sectors in their CDP disclosures and developing campaigns to advance the adoption of environmental best practices.
Amanda Skeldon
Buildings Engagement Specialist, Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
Amanda is the global lead on engaging the buildings sector at the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). In her role, she works with companies, financial institutions and partners to drive rapid decarbonisation of the built environment through the adoption of science-based targets across the buildings sector. She also works to engage the sector to advance the relevance of the SBTi Buildings Criteria and drive clarity and collaboration that creates an ecosystem that facilitates systemic decarbonisation in the sector. Amanda joined SBTi, from global real estate company JLL where she was the Climate and Nature Director for the UK. She has previously held a range of roles focussed on stakeholder engagement, cross-sector collaboration and sustainability.
Shawn Hesse
NCARB, RA, LFA, LEED AP, CSRM, Vice President, Sustainability Advisory North America Practice Co-Lead, JLL
Shawn is a senior leader in JLL North America’s Sustainability consulting team, focused on manufacturing, industrial, logistics, and data center real estate clients. With over two decades of experience as an architect, facilitator, and sustainability consultant, he specializes in developing sustainability targets and crafting sustainability and resilience strategies to achieve them. His team leads development of sustainability strategy, green leasing, sustainability reporting, decarbonization planning, and climate risk analysis for global clients. He has advised on high-performance buildings, achieving certifications, implementing carbon accounting practices, setting Science-Based Targets, and green leasing strategies for portfolios spanning 200 million square feet. Based in Philadelphia, he resides in his fully-electrified 1905 townhouse with his partner Laur and their young daughters, Ella and Ivy.
Kathleen Hetrick
Associate Principal at Buro Happold, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, CSR-P
Kathleen is an MPH Bloomberg Fellow at Johns Hopkins University. As Sustainable Integration Lead for Buro Happold US region, Kathleen combines her passion for regenerative design and environmental justice with a technical background in Architectural Engineering. She leads the sustainable design process on a wide range of cutting-edge projects including LEED Platinum, ILFI Zero Carbon and Living Building Challenge buildings, including leading the circularity strategy for the NYCEDC Sparc Kips Bay Project. She is currently a board member of USGBC-California and the Co-Chair of the California-wide Circularity Committee. She was part of the original SBTi Buildings Guidance Expert Advisory Group. In 2023 Kathleen received the prestigious International Living Future Institute’s Living Future Heroes Award.
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