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ULI SPRING MEETING ULI SPRING MEETING
Colorado Convention Center, Denver, CO, United States May 12-14, 2025

From Finger-Pointing to Handshakes: Reducing Embodied Carbon in Real Estate Developments

Mission Priority
Tue Apr 09 4:00 PM — 5:00 PM (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time New York Hilton Midtown - Level 2, Gramercy Suite
Over the lifetime of a building, embodied carbon from materials, transportation of materials, and building construction can account for half of a building's carbon emissions. Global building floor area is expected to double by 2060, which amounts to an incredible amount of upfront carbon emissions to address in the built environment. The process, and responsibility, to do so spans multiple stakeholders: materials supply chain, structural engineers, architects, construction, and developers. No longer can excuses be made or fingers be pointed for not achieving reductions; there is an urgent need to address embodied carbon. Plus, as global momentum builds for climate action, federal, state, and local governments are introducing building-sector requirements covering both operational and embodied carbon. This session will provide perspectives from a general contractor, a structural engineer, and a developer who have successfully reduced embodied carbon in new developments. Panelists will walk the audience through embodied carbon reductions from predesign through development, building occupancy, and deconstruction, all of which encompass a vital part of the industry's journey to net zero.

Speakers

Moderator

Head of Sustainability Lendlease

Ms. Neff is the Head of Sustainability for Lendlease Americas, where she is helping the company meet its ambitious goal of achieving absolute zero carbon across every scope by 2040 while creating $250.0 million of social value by 2025. In both 2022 and 2023, under her leadership Lendlease earned the top residential score in the Americas on GRESB and multiple green leasing awards from the…
Panelist

National SVP Sustainability Skanska

Myrrh Caplan is the Senior Vice President of Sustainability for Skanska in the US. She has been working in sustainable construction and development for over two decades and now is engaged on multiple committees, roundtables, and boards that are influencing and leading the industry. Her work and that of her team includes ensuring projects are fully supported regarding certifications, carbon accounting, and other requirements, providing…
Panelist

Senior Vice President, Sustainability BXP

Ben Myers is the Vice President, Sustainability, at Boston Properties (BXP), the largest publicly-traded developer, owner and manager of Class A office properties in the United States. He is responsible for sustainability and ESG strategy, implementation, reporting and stakeholder engagement. He has a genuine passion for sustainable real estate and is committed to disrupting the status quo as an industry leader on climate action, resilience,…
Panelist

Associate | Structural Engineer Arup

Jordan Woodson is an Associate Structural Engineer based in Arup's Washington DC office. Having joined the firmed in 2012, he has over ten years of experience in providing innovative structural solutions for a diverse array of building projects locally and internationally, including commercial and residential high-rises, bandshells, airports, and sculptures. He has strong analytical and modelling skills and is valued for developing tools and workflows…