The Architect's Guide to Climate Week NYC
Demonstrators at the 2019 Climate Strike in New York.
Photo © Architectural Record
September 23–29 is Climate Week in New York. Organized by The Climate Group—an international non-profit focused on accelerating climate action—in conjunction with the UN and the City of New York, hundreds of events, symposiums, and panels are taking place this week, all aiming to facilitate conversations around climate action, and to highlight how everyone from designers to governments can affect change. In addition to the release of several important reports and tools, many events of interest to members of the architecture profession are still to come. Read on for RECORD’s top picks for the rest of Climate Week NYC 2019.
Events
Date: September 25, 2019
Time: 6 to 8 p.m.
Location: Stone Creek Bar, 140 E 27th St #A, New York, NY 10016
Cost: Free for Urban Green members, $5 for non-members
Urban Green Council is hosting a Jeopardy-style trivia night at the Stone Creek Bar, where participants can with industry peers and friends to test their sustainability knowledge. Registration is closed, but contact kl@urbangreencouncil.org for more information.
Do No Harm: Achieving Net Zero Buildings
Date: September 25, 2019
Time: 6 to 8 p.m.
Location: Building Energy Exchange, 31 Chambers St Suite 609, New York, NY 10007
Cost: $15
The discussion will touch on the power of urban zero energy targets to meet long-term climate action goals as well as near term targets like New York City’s carbon emissions limits for buildings (LL 97). Speakers include Amanda Sturgeon, International Living Future Institute; Brent Trenga, Building Technology Director, Kingspan; Stas Zakrzewski, ZH Architects; and moderator Yetsuh Frank, Building Energy Exchange. Register here.
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How Low Can We Go: Historic Preservation and Carbon Reduction
Date: September 26, 2019
Time: 6 to 8 p.m.
Location: Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, New York, NY 10012
Cost: $10
The Center for Architecture is hosting a panel discussion that will explore the intersection of preservation and sustainability within the context of the recent legislation passed in New York City to lower its collective carbon emissions. Register here.
International Pathways: Cities Decarbonizing Buildings
Date: September 27, 2019
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
The Japan Climate Initiative and the Building Energy Exchange (BE-Ex) are hosting an event showcasing leading policies and programs from cities around the world that are driving effective climate action and building energy efficiency. The event is sold out, but can be viewed via livestream.
World Leaders Forum: Olafur Eliasson
Date: September 26, 2019
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: The Forum at Columbia University, 601 W. 125th St., New York, NY 10027
Cost: Free
Renowned Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson will speak about his works that encourage dialogue on climate change and our relationship to nature. The event is co-presented by Columbia University School of the Arts and The Forum. Registration is closed, but a standby line will form at 5:30 p.m., and the event will be live-streamed.
Activating Local Solutions to Global Climate Targets
Date: September 27, 2019
Time: 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.
Location: Canadian Consulate in New York, 466 Lexington Avenue, 20th Floor, New York, NY
Cost: $50
The World Green Building Council and Urban Green Council are holding a breakfast and program that explores how businesses and governments can play a role in in the zero carbon emissions economy of the future, including incorporating innovative approaches, adapting business models and developing new policy mechanisms. Register here.
Reports, Tools, and Announcements
The World Green Building Council’s “Bringing Embodied Carbon Upfront” Report
The World Green Building Council, in partnership with European Climate Foundation, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, C40 Cities and Ramboll, has released a call-to-action report demanding “radical cross-sector coordination” to tackle embodied carbon emissions and enact systemic change that will move buildings and the construction industry towards a net zero future. Download the report.
The Carbon Leadership Forum’s Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (“EC3”) Tool
The Carbon Leadership Forum and more than 30 partners from the building and tech industries—including Skanska, C Change Labs, Microsoft, and Autodesk—have developed an open source tool for architects, engineers, owners, construction companies, building material suppliers, and policy makers to compare and reduce embodied carbon emissions from construction materials. Register to use EC3.
Gensler’s Cities Climate Challenge
At the UN Climate Action Summit, Gensler co-CEO Diane Hoskins has announced the firm’s challenge to the entire design industry to eliminate of all greenhouse gases associated with the built environment. Read more about the challenge.
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