Thank you for your interest in this year’s conference. The event is now sold out and registration has closed. Sessions will be released as videos and podcasts shortly after the conference.
It’s a pivotal moment for climate action. Federal headwinds are impeding progress, states are prioritizing energy cost and reliability, and New York City is entering a new mayoral era with fresh opportunities. Where do we go from here?
At NYC NEXT: 2026 Building Trends, industry leaders will unpack the forces transforming the future of commercial and residential buildings and the strategies that can move New York toward a cleaner and more resilient built environment, while keeping affordability front and center.
Join us at NYU on June 3 to hear from the people and companies leading the way to decarbonizing buildings. Then, connect with industry peers at our post-conference reception at the AIA Center for Architecture.
Note: Our post-conference networking reception has reached full capacity. For future networking opportunities, please join us on June 16 for our Summer Member Reception
Program
Opening remarks
Cecil Scheib, New York University
John Mandyck, Urban Green Council
Chris Halfnight, Urban Green Council
Keynote conversation with NYC Comptroller Mark Levine
Comptroller Mark Levine, New York City Comptroller
Sara Kendall, SourceBlue LLC | Turner Construction Co.
Session 1 • How to sell decarbonization in 2026
Climate communication in a shifting policy and economic landscape.
HG Chissell, Advanced Energy Group
Anthony Fiore, NYSERDA
Hrisa Gatzoulis, Rudin
Dana Schneider, Empire State Realty Trust
Fiona Cousins, Arup (Moderator)
Fireside chat • On energy insecurity with Diana Hernández
Energy insecurity impacts approximately 1 in 3 U.S. households, with many more at risk. In this fireside chat, Diana Hernández, author of Powerless: The People’s Struggle for Energy, joins Daphany Rose Sanchez to unpack the essential dimensions of energy insecurity. They’ll discuss the physical, economic, and behavioral toll of inadequate energy, as well as strategies for advancing equity.
Diana Hernández, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
Daphany Rose Sanchez, Kinetic Communities Consulting (Moderator)
Session 2 • Meeting the multifamily moment: Challenges, breakthroughs and what’s next
NYC’s multifamily buildings are at a crossroads: LL97 deadlines are approaching, summers are getting hotter, and the economics of electrification remain stubbornly complex. This session examines how innovations in policy approach, technology and retrofit practices are creating a path forward to balance affordability, carbon reduction and access to cooling in NYC’s multifamily sector.
Jennifer B. Leone, NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development
Adam Romano, Association for Energy Affordability
Kelly Westby, Steven Winter Associates
Kelly Ziegler, Con Edison
Danielle Manley, Urban Green Council (Moderator)
Fireside chat • Building toward 2030 with Laura Popa
A conversation about NYC building decarbonization, Local Law 97 results and the road ahead.
Laura Popa, NYC Department of Buildings
Chris Halfnight, Urban Green Council (Moderator)
Closing remarks
Thank you to our sponsors!
