Building Tomorrow: Conversations with Climate Solvers

NYC’s multifamily buildings are at a crossroads: LL97 deadlines are approaching, summers are getting hotter, and the economics of electrification remain stubbornly complex. In this episode of Building Tomorrow, we're sharing the live taping of session 2 from our annual conference, Meeting the multifamily moment! Tune in to hear from a terrific panel of building industry experts about the path...

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.

For this episode of Building Tomorrow, we’re excited to share another live taping from our 2026 conference held on June 3 at NYU. In this session, our panelists draw from their diverse experiences in the public and private sectors to discuss the benefits of decarbonization for stakeholders and how building professionals can best communicate them to sell their projects. Tune in for an insightful di...

For this episode of Building Tomorrow, we're excited to share our live conversation with New York City Comptroller Mark Levine! At our 2026 conference, the city’s comptroller joined Urban Green Board Chair Sara Kendall to discuss the relationship between the climate and the city’s economy. You can find the full video of our conference introduction and keynote conversation on YouTube and our websit...

“Recognition is the first step to justice,” says Diana Hernández, co-author of  Powerless: The People’s Struggle for Energy.  In the U.S., energy insecurity impacts over 1 in 3 households, according to a  new federal report . With energy costs  rising , many more households face high utility bills and struggle to maintain adequate temperatures in their homes.  In this episode of Building Tomorrow,...

In this episode of Building Tomorrow, we delve into the state of New York City’s electrical grid, whether it can handle building electrification today and what is needed to transform it for the future. New analysis from Urban Green Council reveals that electrification doesn’t need to wait: NYC’s current grid has ample capacity to support heat pump installations, and even with a dirty grid, heat pu...

In this episode of Building Tomorrow , we’re introducing you to New York State’s Energy Plan, the policy that will guide energy-related decision making for the next 15 years — from now until 2040.  Today’s host, Danielle Manley , Associate Director of Policy at Urban Green is joined by John Williams , the Chief Policy Officer of NYSERDA. They discuss the current state of the market and how energy...

In this episode of Building Tomorrow, guest host Adam Schiabor interviews NYCEDC’s Jamie Horton and NYU Stern Center’s Marianna Koval to discuss the recent report, Banking on Climate , which dives into the role of mortgage lenders in supporting building decarbonization efforts in New York City. They also share their personal journeys into sustainability, the importance of regulatory frameworks lik...

In this episode of "Building Tomorrow," we delve into New York State's ambitious climate goals and the pivotal role buildings play in achieving them. New data analysis from Urban Green Council reveals that one-third of all large buildings in the state exist outside of New York City, but we know little about their energy use. Listen in as Danielle Manley, Associate Director of Policy at Urban Green...

Live from Urban Green's 2025 annual conference, this special episode of Building Tomorrow features an exciting conversation about how resilience is shaping building design today and how the industry is evolving to meet climate challenges. Sustainability and resilience are closely linked in the building sector. With more frequent heat waves and extreme storms, New York City’s buildings must be prep...

Live from Urban Green's 2025 annual conference, this special episode of Building Tomorrow features an exciting conversation about the future of battery storage on the grid and in buildings.  In the coming years, battery storage will be an increasingly important tool for adding capacity to the electrical grid and increasing resilience. As demand for renewable energy grows, battery storage offer...

Live from Urban Green's 2025 annual conference, this special episode of Building Tomorrow features an exciting conversation about a new concept for a program that would dramatically simplify decarbonization projects and drive down costs.  The panel discussion is moderated by Chris Halfnight , Urban Green’s Senior Director of Research and Policy.  The other panel speakers include:  James Gepner...

The 32BJ Training Fund provides free training to eligible 32BJ SEIU workers, ranging from cleaners, maintenance workers, building engineers, and superintendents so they can build the environments where people want to live and work.  Hear from Michaela Boren, Manager for Green Programs, about how the 32BJ Training Fund has incorporated sustainability training into their work, and how that training...

The Inflation Reduction Act is the largest climate action ever taken by the federal government. In this episode of Building Tomorrow , hear from Amanda Clevinger and Ion Simonides about the IRA’s substantial incentives for green building initiatives, including tax credits and rebates for energy-efficient upgrades and renewable energy installations. HOSTS: Ellen Honingstock , Senior Direction, Educ...

In this episode of Building Tomorrow , Mark MacCracken, the Vice President of CALMAC at Trane Technologies, joins host Ellen Honigstock and co-host Whitney Smith to discuss thermal energy storage. Thermal energy storage is a clean energy alternative that involves using ice for cooling and water for storing heat. Listen in to learn more about how this method of heating and cooling compares to fossi...

To decarbonize New York City buildings, heating systems reliant on fossil fuels must be replaced with sustainable alternatives. In this episode of Building Tomorrow , Brightcore’s Jonathan Hernandez joins Urban Green’s Ellen Honigstock to discuss geothermal energy and how it can be expanded in NYC to decarbonize buildings and make them more resilient.  Listen in as they dive into the geothermal in...

Building systems are designed and installed separately, but at the end of the day, they have to work together in order for a building to work as intended. Commissioning makes that happen. In this episode of Building Tomorrow , Kelly Westby from Steven Winter Associates joins Urban Green’s Ellen Honigstock to discuss all things commissioning, including: Commissioning as a systems-thinking process T...

Retrofitting existing buildings can help increase energy efficiency and cut carbon emissions. But what do these retrofits look like in a place like Manhattan, where almost one-third of total floor area has landmark status and is, therefore, energy-code exempt? In this episode, Dr. Erica Avrami, Nate Rogers and Kate Reggev discuss these energy code waivers and how, despite the waivers, new greenhou...

The first compliance period for Local Law 97 is here, and energy upgrades in NYC’s existing buildings will need to pick up. But what kind of upgrades are needed, and who will do the work?  Manny Pastreich, President of 32BJ SEIU, joins Urban Green CEO John Mandyck on Building Tomorrow for a discussion on how we can mobilize the green workforce to complete these energy upgrades. HOST: John Mandyck...

Installing an energy upgrade in an occupied building is difficult. These projects are also critical to realizing decarbonization goals. In this episode of Building Tomorrow, hear from Trevor Smith, a construction manager with extensive experience in completing design-build energy projects in occupied buildings. Trevor shares tips on how to carry out these projects successfully, including how to im...

Measuring and disclosing “financed carbon emissions”—or Scope 3 emissions—by banks and financial institutions is critical for investors who seek to understand climate risk in their portfolios. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is responsible for the management of over $240 billion in pension funds and is leveraging this role to drive carbon disclosure, including Scope 3 emissions, from the com...

In Dr. Melissa Checker’s 2020 book, The Sustainability Myth , she took a critical look at the hidden costs—and contradictions—of New York City’s ambitious sustainability agenda. Her insights into the dynamics of environmental gentrification shed light on some of the hidden forces driving redevelopment in the city.  Three years after the book was published, Dr. Checker joined Building Tomorrow to c...

Embodied carbon—the emissions resulting from the manufacturing, transportation, installation, maintenance, and disposal of building materials—will play a key role in decarbonizing the built environment.  In this episode of Building Tomorrow, Ellen Honigstock and Prateek Srivastava sit down with Stantec’s Robby Vogel to get a Structural Engineer’s perspective on strategies to reduce embodied carbon...

As New York City transitions away from fossil fuels, it’s imperative that environmental justice be centered in policy making, and that people from historically disadvantaged communities actively benefit from the transition. In this episode of Building Tomorrow, Zakiyah Sayyed and Anushka Maqbool sit down with Sonal Jessel, Director of Policy at WE ACT for Environmental Justice, to talk about Sonal...

In February 2023, Michael Deane, former Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer for Turner Construction and Urban Green Board Member, passed away, leaving behind a legacy as a dedicated sustainability champion and friend to the green building movement.  Today, we’re re-releasing this 2018 conversation between Michael and Urban Green Senior Director of Education Ellen Honigstock: a wide-ran...