Climate Week Kickoff Summit: Decarbonizing Real Estate
Summit Agenda
Decarbonizing NYC Buildings: Compliance, Capital & Technology
9:00 AM – 9:10 AM
Welcome & Opening Remarks: Setting the Stage for Deep Decarbonization
Speakers:
Alkis Klimathianos, Co-Managing Principal, Perkins Eastman Linkedin
9:10 AM – 9:40 AM
Navigating NYC Building Compliance and Decarbonization
Building decarbonization roadmaps, compliance planning, financing electrification, state incentives, and grid readiness.
Moderator: Laziza Rakhimova, Senior Business Development Manager, Con Edison Linkedin
Lindsay Robbins, Senior Director of Market Innovation & Sustainability, Community Preservation Corporation Linkedin
Laura Spencer Humphrey, Senior Director of Energy & Sustainability, L&M Development Partners Linkedin
Jeffrey Perlman, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Bright Power LinkedIn
9:40 AM – 10:00 AM
Preparing for 2030: Lessons from the First Year of Local Law 97
Presentation on Local Law 97 implementation, Year One lessons learned, enforcement priorities, and how building owners should prepare for 2030 compliance.
Emily Hoffman, Director of Building Energy & Emissions Performance, NYC Department of Buildings Linkedin
10:00 AM – 10:20 AM
The Missing Piece of Building Electrification: Reinventing the Window Heat Pump
Tim Fu, CEO, Sensible Linkedin
10:20 AM – 10:30 AM
Coffee & Networking Break
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Decarbonizing K–12 Schools: What's Working and What's Next?
An in-depth look at how New York City and leading design teams are delivering high-performance, low-carbon K–12 schools.
Caleb Crawford, Director of Sustainable Design and Resiliency, NYC School Construction Authority Linkedin
Mark McCarthy, Principal, Perkins Eastman Linkedin
Jordana Viuker, Senior Associate, Perkins Eastman Linkedin
11:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Building Better: How 270 Park Avenue Advanced Safety, Efficiency, and Performance Through Innovative Plumbing Solutions
Moderator: Kevin Appleby, CEO, RUHL Linkedin
Jason McKinnon, Director, Engineering and Specifications, Viega Linkedin
Eric Chan, Rockrose Development (Invited)
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Fireside Chat: The Future of NYC Real Estate — Vornado's Path to Decarbonization
Moderator: Scott Donachie, CEO, Decarb Summits Linkedin
Guest: Lauren Moss, Senior VP & Chief Sustainability Officer, Vornado Realty Trust Linkedin
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Lunch & Networking
1:00 PM – 1:20 PM
Optimizing Heat Pump Performance for Successful Electrification
Heat pump design, commissioning, monitoring, and optimization for successful electrification projects.
Rich Gerbe, CEO, Highmark Building Efficiency
1:20 PM – 1:40 PM
Open Session – Speaker / Topic TBD
1:40 PM – 2:10 PM
Preparing for 2030: How REITs Are Navigating Local Law 97
Managing compliance risk across portfolios, balancing electrification investments, financing, and long-term asset value.
Moderator: TBD
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM
The Business Case for Solar Investment
Financing solar through incentives and tax credits while integrating storage and electrification to support Local Law 97 compliance.
Yaniv Kalish, Founder & CEO, SolarKal Linkedin
3:00 PM – 3:10 PM
Closing Remarks
Scott Donachie, CEO, Decarb Summits Linkedin
3:10 PM – 5:30 PM