Climate Week Kickoff Summit: Decarbonizing Real Estate & Energy Efficiency

Climate Week Kickoff will bring together CEOs and global sustainability leaders to collaborate on renewable energy and decarbonization initiatives across the built environment.
This invite-only summit will convene industry leaders showcasing cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions from Europe and around the world.
Featured Speakers
Emily Hoffman, Director, NYC Dept of Buildings LinkedIn
Kelly Westby, Managing Director, Steven Winter Associates LinkedIn
Rich Gerbe, CEO, Highmark Building Efficiency
Tineesha McMullen, Program Manager, The Port Authority of NYNJ LinkedIn
Yaniv Kalish, CEO, SolarKal LinkedIn
Laziza Rakhimova, Sr. BD Manager, ConEd LinkedIn
Robert Sedaghatpour, CEO, STRATCO Property Solutions LinkedIn
Scott Donachie, CEO, Decarb Summits
Kevin Appleby, Managing Partner, RUHL LinkedIn
Emmanuel Bizien, Global TTAP BD, Halton Group LinkedIn
Tom Fenton, CEO, Senze LinkedIn
Joseph Michael Daniels, Chairman & Co-Founder, ELIXR LinkedIn
Sadie McKeown, Community Preservation Corp, President LinkedIn
Ryan Baxter, Carbon Strategist, 5 LinkedIn
Aaron Miller, Eastern Regional Manager, Sharc Energy LinkedIn

Summit Agenda
8:50 – 9:00 AM | Opening Remarks
Speakers:
Scott Donachie, CEO, Decarb Summits
Principal, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
9:00 - 9:40 AM- "Compliance for local laws in NYC". -From deep retrofits to the shift in pure building electrification to upgrading building envelopes and making building more efficient.
Moderator- TBD

Developing practical decarbonization roadmaps that balance compliance requirements, capital planning, and long-term asset value. (Steven Winter Associates)- Kelly Westby, Managing Director, Steven Winter Associates LinkedIn
Financing energy efficiency and electrification projects through innovative lending programs, incentives, and investment strategies. (Community Preservation Corporation)- Sadie McKeown, Community Preservation Corp, President LinkedIn
Leveraging state incentives, technical assistance, and emerging technologies to accelerate building decarbonization. (NYSERDA) TBD
Preparing for an electrified future by addressing grid readiness, infrastructure requirements, and energy demand management. - (Con Edison) Laziza Rakhimova, Sr. BD Manager, ConEd LinkedIn

9:40 – 10:10 AM The Road to 2030:" Lesson learned from the first year of LL97"
Fireside Chat
Moderator- TBD
Emily Hoffman, Director, NYC Dept of Buildings

• Emily Hoffman is Director of the Office of Building Energy and Emissions Performance (OBEEP) at the New York City Department of Buildings, leading implementation of Local Law 97 and other building sustainability programs. Previously, she spent 10 years leading the Department’s Energy Code team. A licensed mechanical engineer, she holds BS and MS degrees from Washington University in St. Louis and has been recognized as an NYC Climate Hero.
  LinkedIn
  • Lessons from the first year of Local Law 97 compliance — key challenges, market trends, and what regulators are seeing across New York City's building sector.
  • Strategies for achieving emissions reductions — electrification, capital planning, and the role of AI and building analytics in driving performance.
  • Preparing for 2030 and beyond — actions building owners can take today to reduce risk, avoid penalties, and create long-term asset value.
  10:10 - 10:30 "Building the Smart City: Using AI, Digital Twins, and Real-Time Data to Accelerate Decarbonization and Local Law 97 Compliance"
  Tom Fenton, CEO, Senze
  Joseph Michael Daniels, Chairman & Co-Founder, ELIXR

10:30 – 10:50 AM | Coffee Break

10:50 – 11:10 AM "The business case for solar investing"
Financing solar projects at scale through incentives, tax credits, and innovative capital solutions.
Integrating solar, storage, and electrification to support Local Law 97 compliance and long-term decarbonization goals.
Yaniv Kalish, CEO, SolarKal
11:10 - 11:30 Decarbonization Planning Designer
11:30 - 11:50 Decarbonization Planning Developer
11:50 - 12:10 Decarbonization Planning General Contractor
12:10 – 12:40 PM | Lunch

12:40 – 1:00 PM Optimizing Heat Pump Performance: Design, Sizing, and Commissioning for Successful Electrification
Common heat pump sizing and design mistakes that lead to higher costs, lower efficiency, and operational challenges.
How heat pumps interact with building systems and why real-world performance often differs from equipment specifications.
The role of ongoing commissioning, monitoring, and optimization in maximizing efficiency, reliability, and long-term decarbonization outcomes.- Rich Gerbe, CEO, Highmark Building Efficiency
1:00 – 1:20 PM Best in class building envelope solutions for NYC
Open slot
1:20 - 1:50 PM Preparing for 2030: How REITs Are Navigating Local Law 97, Capital Planning, and Building Decarbonization
Portfolio strategies for managing Local Law 97 compliance risk and capital investments.
Using data, building analytics, and continuous commissioning to reduce emissions and improve performance.
Balancing electrification, financing, and asset value preservation as stricter 2030 carbon limits approach.
1:50 - 2:40 PM Emerging Global Technologies- five companies will present for 10 minutes each.
2:40 - 3:10 PM Aligning Policy with economic reality
3:10- 3:30 Closing Remarks and end of Summit
3:30- 5:50 PM Open networking and cocktails