BOROUGH HALL — Last week, Brooklyn Borough Hall filled with local, national and global leaders in business, climate and government for a Sustainable Cities Summit in honor of the 2024 Climate Week NYC. The day-long affair featured presentations and panels on everything from freight solutions and congestion pricing to net-zero schools and low-carbon construction. 

“Becoming a sustainable city isn’t a choice nor should it be a luxury — it’s both an imperative and a responsibility,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “Every year, we see the dangers of the climate crisis up close in New York City. Whether it’s flooded streets and homes or skies orange with smoke, we cannot wait to safeguard our neighborhoods against the harms of an unhealthy, damaged environment. I’m so grateful to Sidara, TYLin, Introba, Perkins&Will, and Currie & Brown for putting together this urgent and important summit. A big thank you to our panelists as well, who brought wide-ranging expertise to Borough Hall to help our city on the way to a greener future.”

Panelists included elected officials Reynoso, State Sen. Liz Krueger, and Councilmember Alexa Avilés, as well as representatives from the White House Climate Policy Office, Seattle Department of Transportation and New York City Department of Transportation. Reynoso co-hosted the event alongside Sidara brands TYLin, Introba, Perkins&Will, Currie & Brown and Climate Group. 

“As a group of companies, we have a long history of climate action here in New York. The city has been at the forefront of changing generations so it’s fitting that we should be discussing solutions to the greatest challenge our world has ever faced here in the heart of the city,” said Michael Shamma, New York Metro executive at TYLin. “With only 9,000 days left until our world needs to achieve net zero, we don’t have the luxury of time. Finding the solutions that are actionable, scalable and have the greatest impact for the city and all who live and visit here will be the sole focus of our discussions.”

“I was excited to join our fellow Sidara brands at the Sustainable Cities Summit to discuss one of the most pressing issues of our time — how to transform climate goals into concrete actions, and how to make true progress,” said Pia Engel-Moss, principal of sustainability at Introba. “Whether at the government, corporate or NGO level, the pathway to decarbonization is full of opportunities to make a lasting impact, and I look forward to exploring how we can turn ambition into real progress.”

Panels and presentations featured at the Sustainable Cities Summit included “Delivering Change: Accelerating Sustainable Freight Solutions in Urban Environment” moderated by Catherine Ittner, senior program manager of the Zero-Emissions Freight Program at C40 Cities. The panelists were Global Head of Climate and Mobility at IKEA Himanshu Raj, Senior Director for Transportation at Climate Policy Office at The White House Gilde, Avilés and Catherine Ponte, senior freight planner at NYC Department of Transportation.

The panel “Navigating the Road Ahead: The Future of Congestion Pricing in New York City” was moderated by Mike Flynn, New York general manager for City Solutions at TYLin.

The panelists were Reynoso, Krueger, Kate Slevin, executive vice president at the Regional Plan Association and Betsy Plum, executive director at the Riders Alliance. “The Road to Net Zero: Tackling Emissions from Citywide Planning to Building Design” was moderated by Shamma and featured panelists Ben Rosenblatt, National Practice Leader-Sustainability for City Solutions at TYLin Kate Sargent, Associate for Sustainability at Introba Jeremy Field and Director of Land Use and Topography at the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President Spencer Williams. 

“From Commitments to Action: Sustainability Solutions for Large Building Stocks” was presented by Introba; “Reducing the Whole Life Carbon of Data Centers by Adapting the Use of Existing Buildings” was presented by Currie & Brown and Introba; “Net Zero Energy Schools: Designing K-12 Schools That Address Our Climate Challenges” was presented by Perkins&Will; and “Going with the Grain: Forestry, Mass Timber and the Future of Low-Carbon Construction” was presented by TYLin.

“We are thrilled to have co-hosted the Sustainable Cities Summit with our Sidara collaborative, building and strengthening the partnerships that will create real and lasting change,” said Mark Wartenberg, sustainability advisor at Currie & Brown. “Data centers are increasingly critical to our digital infrastructure, yet the sustainability questions surrounding their future remain largely unanswered. We understand how important it is to have these conversations center stage at key events like NYC Climate Week, challenging the industry to consider the significant yet practical shifts required to build a truly sustainable future.”

“The climate impact of the built environment — whether it’s an office tower, a school building, a civic center, a multi-family residential development or a transit hub — cannot be understated. It’s massive,” said Jason F. McLennan, chief sustainability officer for global architecture and design firm Perkins&Will. “Beyond mere sustainability, the time is now to be taking bolder action toward regeneration: We must be thinking, planning, designing and building our cities in ways that actually heal our natural ecosystems. This isn’t hyperbole; the urgency is 100% real, and the outcome is 100% achievable. That’s why conversations at events like NYC Climate Week are so important — to inform, inspire and scale up our efforts, together.”