BuildingGreen participates in the annual Net Zero Conference

Celebrating its 13th year, the Net Zero Conference, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center and hosted by sustainability consultant Verdical Group, focused primarily on climate, net zero, ESG, equity, carbon and resilience. With subfocuses including biomimicry, biophilia, built environment, design, energy, health and wellness, materials, technology, transportation, urbanism, waste and water, the programming was overflowing with sustainable ideas and initiatives, with keynotes from among the most dedicated voices in the green building sector.

“We had great momentum this year,” says Drew Shula, founder of Verdical Group, pronounced like “vertical” but with a green root. Shula emphasized the importance of gathering thought leaders such as Sierra Club Executive Director Loren Blackford, World Wildlife Fund Senior Vice President of Climate Change Marcene Mitchell, and Dr. Carmen Blackwood, CEO of Earthrise and formerly with NASA JPL.

The morning consisted of informative panels, keynote addresses and a trailblazer awards ceremony to commemorate the current leaders in the push for net zero carbon. The day was filled with an exposition of industry with leaders like USGBC CA and several panels led by guiding experts in the field. 

From an informative panel on achieving net zero water to “The Net Zero Stories that Landed,” on which our very own Editor-in-Chief Erika Heet served as a panelist, the Net Zero Conference was a space for a variety of sustainability professionals to push their ideas forward. 

“The Net Zero Stories that Landed” was moderated by PR Strategy and Consulting leader Kathy Berardi. Panelists were our aforementioned BuildingGreen Editor-in-Chief Erika Heet, Forbes Senior Editor and Climate Newsletter Author Alan Ohnsman, CBS News Los Angeles Meteorologist, Climatologist and Environmental Reporter Marina Jurica and Utility Dive Contributing Editor Herman K. Trabish. Panelists answered questions such as “What storytelling approaches do you use to share today’s net zero and climate stories in a way that resonates with a broad audience?” and “Do you see the narrative you share in your reporting today go beyond environmental coverage?”

Answers ranged from informally teaching the public about the benefits of growing tomatoes in California soil to having a clear point of view to drive the narrative, many times against the status quo. Other answers touched on the fact that climate endeavors are illegitimate if the most vulnerable of our population are not represented. Cultural implications and the environment are at the forefront of reporting. 

These takeaways are a great sliver of many of the productive conversations made throughout the more than 40 panels and discussions that took place at the Net Zero Conference. Even if the goal as an environmental professional is to go beyond net zero carbon into climate positive actions, it is integral to convene in settings like this to have those innovative exchanges with similar minded professionals.