Greenbuild International Conference & Expo is the world’s leading green design and construction event today. Ecogradia’s report on the 2024 edition comes directly from its expo and conference halls in Philadelphia, USA.

Greenbuild 2024, held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in November, centred on sustainability, resilience, health, and wellness within the built environment. The annual event offered a hub for community engagement, learning, and collaboration to professionals committed to advancing green practices.

Key themes at the conference included embodied carbon, green finance, materials, Passive House, resilience, and circularity. One significant focus among the many exhibitors was the circular economy, which became a high point of the expo.

In addition to representatives from the steel, concrete, wood, insulation, building envelopes, and smart tech industries, there was a notable presence of companies dedicated to carbon software and advocacy.

Greenbuild 2024 was packed with sustainability professionals attending the event from all over the globe.
© Greenbuild International Conference & Expo

The conference highlighted several innovative products and emphasized the interconnectedness of various vectors of a circular economy.

Steel company Nucor, for example, presented a model illustrating the macro-level circular economy, which included major industrial sectors. Nucor demonstrated a strong understanding of the metal journey in manufacturing, from initial creation to recycling.

Other companies, such as Mercer Mass Timber, ClearVue Technologies, and The Home Depot, showed a similar willingness to expand the sustainable economy.

Many vendors acknowledged the need for a broader outlook beyond their own industries. While immediate business decisions can be made within individual sectors, long-term strategic planning demands a fuller, more comprehensive vision.

Again this year, the event saw companies and brands bringing sustainability to the forefront.
© Greenbuild International Conference & Expo

Products and services aimed at current architecture limitations stood out. In cities like New York, where new construction represents around 90% of total building volume, addressing the carbon impact of existing structures is a significant challenge.

Software and solutions that target these issues are particularly relevant. One noteworthy company was ActiveScore/ModeScore Certifications, which tracks active-travel infrastructure for real estate across portfolios, campuses, and urban structures. Their accreditations underscore the growing importance of integrating sustainable transport into building strategies.

At the conference, sustainability experts led talks on critical topics like decarbonisation, resiliency design, sustainable finance, and more.
© Greenbuild International Conference & Expo

Also of interest were software companies such as cove.tool and Autodesk, which offer integrated tools to assess project sustainability and enhance energy efficiency.

Products that cater to a wide range of clients and building types are essential for raising awareness about sustainability, while software solutions that bridge sector boundaries help break down “siloing” within the industry.

Looking ahead, it is hoped that future Greenbuild events will feature more technologies related to sustainable materials and fabrication methods. For example, the University of Pennsylvania’s booth on 3D printing brought to the fore a promising development in material sustainability, with this fabrication method generating zero waste in the production process.

A deeper dialogue is also needed to examine how branches outside of architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) can contribute to sustainability.

Achieving success in sustainability requires more than just isolated achievements within a single sector. Ultimately, AEC performance must align with the broader macroeconomic landscape to form a cohesive sustainability ecosystem.

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Abe Jasinowski is part of the Ecogradia business development team, based in New York City. If your company is interested in partnering with Ecogradia, contact us at hello@ecogradia.com.