The flight to quality in the office sector is real, and it's attracting demand where there has been less of it in recent years. Owners and developers have an opportunity to capture demand through major renovations and redevelopment—not just ground-up development—and the result can be a much better environmental footprint. Developers will share strategies used to successfully renovate and redevelop major office buildings in central business districts, navigating construction pitfalls unique to existing buildings, and the corresponding sustainability considerations and benefits. A panelist from the World Economic Forum or other global organization will share the importance and impact of renovations and redevelopment versus demolition and new construction on global sustainability goals. Rockefeller Group will specifically discuss the $600 million redevelopment of the landmarked Time & Life Building in New York and the $325 million WMATA headquarters redevelopment in Washington, D.C.

The PAE Living Building in Portland, Oregon, is the first developer-driven Living Building in the world. Phase 1 of the Bridge District in Washington, D.C., will be the world's largest multifamily building to achieve ILFI's Zero Carbon certification. Both projects prove the viability of developing mixed-use commercial structures that improve their urban and ecological context while delivering financial returns. With each project, the teams tackled seemingly unsolvable problems with practical solutions, building the case for balancing sustainable solutions with for-profit models, laying out a roadmap for others to follow. Key to both approaches is the premise that specifying sustainable and resilient strategies, including lowered embodied and operational carbon, reduced energy use, and improved air quality, daylight, and a biophilic interior, provide not only a better place to live and work, but also may translate into higher leasing rates, increased occupant satisfaction, better retention, and higher residual value. From design to construction to financing, presenters will share strategies that build the case that sustainability aspirations and developer returns do not have to be mutually exclusive.

Learn more about the impacts and progress made by the more than 20 global communities who have participated in ULI Net Zero Imperative program to accelerate the decarbonization of their built environment.

The race to reduce embodied carbon in the built environment is on, and real estate investors and developers are in the driver's seat. Through smart portfolio planning, integrated design, and targeted procurement decisions, real estate decision-makers are poised to create lasting economic value and reduce environmental impact through their projects. Join the RMI Carbon Free Building team and expert panelists to learn the wide range of levers available to real estate professionals seeking high-value, low-carbon development projects. Using real-world examples, the session will explore how strategies such as increased building utilization, adaptive reuse, material-efficient designs, and innovative material specification can turn a climate challenge into a business advantage.

In November 2023, ULI held its first utility and real estate developer convening with Xcel Energy based in Denver. The discussion was illuminating, finding that it is vital for real estate to source green power from utilities and collaboration is key for opportunities such as grid resilience, battery storage, and partnerships with policymakers, to name a few. Now, over a year later, ULI explores progress and opportunities in this follow-up short session , highlighting the perspectives of both Xcel and Denver-based developers.

Refrigerants can be found in nearly every commercial and industrial building and the vast majority of residential buildings globally. Despite being the fastest-growing greenhouse gas globally, the impact of refrigerants is often underestimated or completely overlooked by building owners. Developers must begin to address refrigerants or run the significant risk of increasing or even accelerating (through the introduction of heat pumps) their impact, while decreasing other scope 1 and 2 emissions, which will likely lead to financial implications such as duplicating capital expenditure spend to achieve critical climate targets. This short session will highlight the importance of addressing refrigerants and a data-driven means of doing so.

Climate change has established a new normal that threatens communities and challenges the future of our built environments. Climate impacts including droughts and floods significantly affect communities where population growth continues, building tension between heightened risk and real estate demand. This session will feature best practices and case studies for incorporating water-wise and flood-resilient measures into real estate projects, which help mitigate those risks and enhance asset value simultaneously.