“Future of Water” Design Competition Winners to be Announced, along with Product and Civic Awards
Christine Harada of CPUC & Julia Hatton of Rising Sun to Keynote;
Lunchtime Panel Explores Plug-in Solar with journalist Sammy Roth
Industry Expert Presentations, 60+ Exhibitors and Community Partners
LOS ANGELES (April 29, 2026) USGBC California (USGBC-CA) is honored to host its 25th annual California Green Building Conference for a second year in the Bay Area, this time in the East Bay on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. The impact-focused event–taking place on May 28, 2026, with shoulder events on May 27th, is the largest and longest-running gathering of leading green building advocates across California’s public and private sectors. Registration for the Conference is open.
The Conference is a dynamic platform, with keynotes, sessions, table talks, case studies, fast-pitches, tours, networking opportunities, and over 70 exhibitors and community organizations. The 900-plus attendees come to hear new ideas, learn best practices, find partners and take home actions to advance sustainability within their companies and for everyone across the state of California.
The Conference’s annual Product and Civic Leadership Awards, honoring the work and solutions impacting the drivers of climate change, will close out the day. New this year is
USGBC California’s first global design competition, “Shaping the Future of Water Use at Home.” This worldwide ideas competition empowers architects, engineers, designers, and students to create water-efficient homes that inspire change. Prizes totaling $50,000 will be awarded across both Professional and Student categories, with the winners being announced live at the Conference.
“We are at an important moment to bring people together in positivity and demonstrate to the world that sustainability is affordability, sustainability is economic development, and sustainability is resilience,” says Ben Stapleton, CEO, USGBC California. “Innovation in design and engineering, codes and policy, community engagement, and education are just some of the tools we can wield, and when this green building community comes together, we are powerful.”
On May 28th, the main conference day, the two keynote speakers are changemakers across our green economy and state and federal regulation:
- 10:15 am: Julia Hatton is President and CEO of Rising Sun Center for Opportunity at the Build Healthy Places Network, a nonprofit workforce development organization building career pathways for economic equity and climate resilience serving the greater Bay Area and Central California. She also served as Secretary, Vice-Chair, and Chair of the State’s SB 350 Disadvantaged Communities Advisory Group.
- 10:30 am: Commissioner Christine Harada was appointed to California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) by Gov. Gavin Newsom, effective March 9, 2026. She had previously served as Undersecretary of the California Government Operations Agency since 2025. She was Senior Advisor at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget from 2023 to 2025, Executive Director at the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council from 2021 to 2023, and President of i(X) Investments from 2018 to 2020. Commissioner Harada was the Federal Chief Sustainability Officer for The White House Council on Environmental Quality from 2015 to 2017. She held multiple positions at the U.S. General Services Administration from 2014 to 2015, including Acting Chief of Staff, Associate Administrator for Government-Wide Policy, and Chief Acquisition Officer.
Top representatives from the host city and host campus–both with strong histories of climate action, environmental justice and community action–will kick off Thursday’s program, setting the tone. Morning welcome remarks will be offered by City of Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii, and by Nathan Jandl who leads the UC Berkeley Office of Sustainability.
Climate & culture journalist Sammy Roth (Climate-Colored Goggles) will lead a lunchtime fireside chat with key topic representatives on the potential for plug-in solar to make distributed clean energy more widely accessible at a lower price point, while relieving grid stress and addressing climate goals.
The Conference design provides a rich and diverse educational experience for all attendees through tracks that include (alpha order) Circular Economy & Waste, Climate Action, Decarbonization, Equity & Environmental Justice, Nature-based Solutions & Regenerative Design, Resilience & Recovery, Water Innovation and Workforce Development. Twenty-two panel sessions provide the event’s foundation; the Collective Impact™ Series presents case studies with brief moderated discussions at the end; and Table Talks offer more informal, topic-based group discussions. Finally, Net Zero Accelerator companies will present their innovations and previews of pilot opportunities.
The full agenda is accessible from the main Conference page. Select topic highlights within the tracks include:
- Reducing wildfire risk more equitably, sustainably, and effectively through collaborative governance and public funding.
- Developing a decarbonization roadmap for California’s extensive state portfolio
- Building a regulation-proof climate reporting strategy that drives business value.
- Actionable regional circular economy strategies prioritizing regeneration, reuse and remanufacturing.
- Advancing low-carbon design via LEED V5 and California codes, and the role of AIA 2030 Commitment.
- Case study: Building climate-positive, non-market-rate communities without federal subsidies.
- Decentralized, building-scale water solutions improving infrastructure resilience and efficiency at the building, neighborhood, and city scale.
- Manufacturers, architects and general contractors collaborating to achieve circular economy goals.
- Identifying community engaged multibenefit projects.
USGBC California is grateful for the significant support for the California Green Building Conference: Capture H2O, DPR Construction, Glumac, Greenplaces, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), MCE, Premier Recycle, Webcor. Molly Wood serves as a Media Partner.
To learn more about the Conference, please click here. To contribute in any way or to inquire about exhibiting or sponsorship, please email carrie@usgbc-ca.org.
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About USGBC California (USGBC-CA)
USGBC California is a 501(c)3 non-profit and member-based organization whose vision is to transform California’s built environment into a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable region for all. USGBC California, an independent chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, comprises green building communities across the state. We lead by inspiring leaders throughout our communities to take action on climate change, public health, and environmental justice while educating, developing, and empowering a diverse talent pipeline through our training, mentorship, and direct-to-community programs. We connect by merging interdisciplinary perspectives and collaborations to create positive systemic change. We advocate through promoting innovative, impactful policy solutions addressing the most urgent environmental and social challenges of our time. (www.usgbc-ca.org)
