Announcing Sustainability Symposium 2023: The Great Conversion

Green Builder Media's seventh annual Sustainability Symposium 2023: The Great Conversion, was held virtually on April 19 & 20. 

In the face of divisive politics, existential environmental threats, global pandemics, and social justice challenges, the rules of engagement are changing rapidly.

Green Builder Media invites you to attend our annual Sustainability Symposium 2023: The Great Conversion, considered to be one of the most interesting and innovative events of the year, as we explore how we can flip the script on the current national dialog to yield a radical reimagination of our culture.

Each year, the Green Builder Media team poses thought-provoking questions and delivers trailblazing ideas through our annual Sustainability Symposium. 

We’ve had internationally esteemed venture capitalists, business executives, climate scientists, elected officials, and sustainability leaders like Paul Hawken, Jeremy Rifkin, Michael Mann, Governor Martin O’Malley, General Wesley Clarke, Philippe Cousteau, and Andrew Beebe as keynote presenters.

This year’s lineup is chock full with riveting presentations by vanguard experts: 

• The Great Energization: Transition to Electrification—Senator Martin Heinrich, D-NM and Co-Chairman of the Electrification Caucus

It’s time to break free from fossil fuels and transition to renewable energy, powering the electrification of everything. From heat pumps to solar panels, smart homes to EVs, we’re starting to implement successful electrification strategies—and glean the corresponding benefits. 

Senator Heinrich from New Mexico, Chairman of the Bicameral Electrification Caucus and vocal advocate for the transition to electrification in the United States, will share his work, vision, and passion for promoting policies supporting the clean energy economy.

• The Great Decarbonization: Buildings Reborn—Panama Bartholomy, Director, Building Decarbonization Coalition

Decarbonization of the built environment is both urgently needed and incredibly complex. The United States has seen an increasing level of government adoption, financial programs and consumer awareness, but the pace of change remains anemic. A building decarbonization future based on our current market model won't allow us to meet our climate, social equity, and financial goals.  

We need a better path—a path that can scale. Panama Bartholomy will explore the challenges and opportunities associated with decarbonization, the high and low roads to building decarbonization, and how we can move rapidly from planning to implementing decarbonization at scale.

• The Great Rehumanizing: Cities Regenerated—Majora Carter, real estate developer and urban revitalization specialist

MacArthur Fellow and Peabody Award winning broadcaster Majora Carter believes that “Nobody should have to move out of their neighborhood to live in a better one.” 

In this session, Majora will outline strategies for transforming urban communities into thriving sustainable mixed-use local economies, harnessing re-urbanization capital flows to increase wealth generation for residents, and producing long-term fiscal benefits for governments, communities, and developers. 

• The Great Resocialization: New Consumer Zeitgeist—Ashlee Piper, author, political strategist, sustainable brand expert

Supply chain issues, economic uncertainty, and our urgent sustainability needs have created a new sense of measured consumerism. Younger generations are embracing movements like ‘buy one thing’ and ‘don’t buy this jacket,’ calling for a systemic restructuring of the economy with equality and justice in mind. 

Sustainability expert Ashlee Piper will explore the transformation that is taking place in the consumer psyche and how businesses and professionals can create bold solutions that meet the challenges of our moment, as well as market their message more effectively to those 'buy less, buy better'-focused consumers.

• The Great Reprioritization: Turning Talk into Action—Cheyenne Hunt, progressive activism attorney and political advisor  

As Millennials and Gen Zs increase their business, political, and cultural influence, they’re calling out a broken status quo, demanding an urgent reckoning, bold leadership, and a radically better future. Born from crisis, the passion, purpose, optimism, and outrage of these generations is creating endemic structural change. 

Gen Z influencer Cheyenne Hunt will offer a cross-generational view on how the undaunted optimism of younger generations is transforming the national dialogue and yielding a total reimagination of our culture.

• The Great Transformation: Political, Policy & Market Journey to 1.5 Degrees - Hon. Reuven Carlyle, climate entrepreneur, former Washington state senator and chair of state Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee. 

While federal incentives are vital, deep front-line decarbonization of major sectors plays out at the community, local and state level with investment in sectors as diverse as renewable energy, buildings, electrification of transportation, biofuel for maritime and aviation, methane and super pollutants, energy storage, circularity, density and land use policy, and regenerative agriculture. New regional policy alignment between Washington, Oregon, and California is setting a global standard for best practices by accelerating corporate and government climate action.  Carlyle, co-founder of Earth Finance and lead sponsor of Washington state’s climate policies in partnership with Gov. Jay Insee, will outline how the Pacific Coast region is advancing the corporate and government journey to a 1.5 degree Celsius future.

A heartfelt thank you to Trane Technologies and Whirlpool Corporation for their continued support of our annual Sustainability Symposium, as well as their total commitment to corporate sustainability.