The summits that set the tone for Greenbuild 2026

While Greenbuild 2026 runs October 20-23 at the Javits Center, Tuesday, October 20 is when a select group of professionals will already be immersed in technical deep dives that tackle the challenges keeping the industry up at night.

Greenbuild's five Pre-Event Summits aren't typical conference sessions. They're full-day intensives designed for practitioners who need more than surface-level insights. Real case studies. Actual implementation strategies. The kind of knowledge that changes how you approach your next project.

Here's what you need to know.

Designing for resilience in an era of climate and disaster risk

Climate risks are transforming how cities, communities and businesses plan, invest and build. This summit helps you decode the demand signals driving resilience and understand how markets and institutions are responding.

You'll gain practical guidance on the expanding landscape of resilience frameworks and tools, and learn from real-world case studies demonstrating integrated decarbonization and resilience strategies across new construction, retrofits and post-disaster reconstruction.

Strategic decarbonization: regulatory drivers, tools, and real-world execution

(Sponsored by NYSERDA)

This full-day summit immerses you in practical pathways to address one of the most significant challenges in the existing buildings sector: decarbonizing buildings over time.

You'll gain insight into best practices, tools (including LEED V5), regulatory drivers (including NYC's Local Law 97) and real-world case studies across a range of project complexities. Learn how to navigate uncertainty, evaluate multiple pathways and build a compelling business case for decarbonization.

Accelerating the adoption of low embodied carbon materials

Accelerate the shift to a low-embodied carbon future at this interactive summit. Explore strategies to scale biobased and circular materials, unlock the carbon potential of existing buildings and improve whole-life carbon data and measurement.

Collaborate with experts to drive regenerative, climate-smart design and construction that delivers measurable impact before 2030.

Building intelligence in the age of AI

(Sponsored by Autodesk)

Turn AI promise into measurable green building results. This full-day summit highlights real-world AI use cases across design, construction and operations, as well as the enabling conditions that determine success: data quality, interoperability, workflow changes and lifecycle continuity.

Learn how to assess investment tradeoffs, verify outcomes and scale adoption responsibly.

Global impact day

This CE-accredited day explores sustainability across two interconnected domains: the digital infrastructure that powers modern business and the physical spaces that shape our built environment.

The morning examines Data Centers, exploring global technical innovations and regulatory developments redefining how next-generation facilities are designed and operated. The afternoon shifts to Global Portfolios, broadening the lens to the built environment at large.

Why Tuesday matters

These summits happen on the first day of Greenbuild for a reason. They're designed for professionals who want to go deeper, who need practical guidance, not just inspiration. The kind of focused learning that sets the tone before 10,000+ green building professionals from 60+ countries fill the Javits Center.

You'll spend the day with practitioners facing the same challenges you are, gaining the technical expertise and strategic frameworks that will shape your next project.

Join us in New York

Greenbuild 2026 brings together the most influential voices in sustainable building October 20-23 at the Javits Center. With 300+ expert speakers, 100+ CE-accredited sessions and 250+ exhibitors, there's no better place to connect, learn and turn conversations into climate action.

But it all starts on Tuesday, October 20 with five summits designed to give you the competitive edge.