The construction industry has relied on traditional materials and processes for decades, but the urgent need for decarbonization demands a complete rethinking of how we build. While developing low-carbon alternatives for steel and concrete is crucial, true transformation requires collaboration across the entire construction value chain. This panel brings cross-sector experts together to explore how their roles and relationships must evolve. From early-stage design decisions to procurement strategies and on-site construction methods, panelists will discuss how they adapt their business models and processes to enable low-carbon construction. The discussion will highlight practical challenges, successful collaborations, and necessary systemic changes to accelerate the industry’s transition.
Learnings
Moderator
Jenny Zhang
Director of Sustainability
Urban Land Institute
Urban Land Institute
Director of Sustainability
Jenny is the Director of Sustainability for Urban Land Institute APAC. She is the regional lead for ULI’s Greenprint community, a global alliance of leading property developers and investors striving to achieve net zero. Her previous experience includes climate-tech entrepreneur building carbon management software, and financial advisory on cross-border M&A transactions. Jenny graduated from UC Berkeley, is a licensed CPA, and a trainer in social impact assessment and design thinking.
My Sustainability Goals for 2025:
1) Connect the property development value chain (from building material all the way to tenants) to collaborate on accelerating the sector’s decarbonizing process.
2) Connect property investment value chain (from LPs, benchmark/standards, to asset managers) to price-in climate resilience as core value protection metric.