Where 1,000+ Leaders Advance Climate Resilience & Sustainable Innovation in California

 

May 27-28, 2026 | University of California, Berkeley 

 

The California Green Building Conference 2026, hosted by USGBC California, is the state’s leading sustainability conference focused on green building, climate resilience, and cutting-edge solutions for California’s built environment. More than 1,000 professionals from across industries, including architecture, design, engineering, construction, development, manufacturing, policy, education, and community leadership, come together for a dynamic day of networking, learning, and inspiration.

 

Who Should Attend?

If you're designing, building, funding, regulating, teaching, or advocating for a more sustainable California, this conference is for you. Whether you're an architect, engineer, developer, product innovator, policymaker, sustainability professional, student, or community leader, you’ll find people here who share your goals, and the tools to help you move them forward.

In two powerful days, you’ll explore bold ideas, discover breakthrough solutions, and make connections that drive real impact. Celebrate trailblazers at the Materials and Civic Leadership Awards and be part of the movement empowering people, transforming places, and sustaining California.

 

Why You Should Attend:

Direct Access to Decision-Makers 

✓ Build Strategic Partnerships

✓ Stay Ahead of California Policy & Market Shifts

✓ Discover Proven, Implementable Solutions

✓ Access Innovative Materials & Technologies

✓ Earn Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)

✓ Elevate Your Brand & Industry Visibility

✓ Gain Strategic Foresight

Get Actionable Decarbonization Strategies

✓ Future-Proof Your Business

Keynote Speakers

Julia Hatton is the President & CEO of Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, a nonprofit workforce development organization building career pathways for economic equity and climate resilience serving the greater Bay Area and Central California, and recipient of the USGBC-CA 2024 Environmental Justice Award. Rising Sun specializes in preparing people with limited or no income, youth, women, and folks who’ve been incarcerated for sustainable, high-road careers that provide the opportunity to build wealth while building sustainable communities.

Its programs include Opportunity Build, a construction pre-apprenticeship for the building and construction trades (including one of the nation’s only all-women cohorts), and Climate Careers, a youth employment social enterprise that provides free energy efficiency services to thousands of hard-to-reach residents each year in partnership with Regional Energy Networks. Rising Sun also advocates for high road labor standards tied to climate investments, including building decarbonization, to advance economic equity alongside climate resilience. Julia started at Rising Sun in 2012 serving in multiple roles before becomingCEO in March of 2020, and has led the growth and deepening of Rising Sun's programs over the past 14 years.

Julia also has experience designing and implementing income-qualified energy efficiency and healthy homes programs and in economic development, and served as Secretary, Vice-Chair, and Chair of the State's SB 350 Disadvantaged Communities Advisory Group. She's a proud graduate of the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs and of Northwestern University.

Christine Harada was appointed to California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) by Governor Gavin Newsom on Feb. 18, 2026, effective March 9, 2026. 

Commissioner Harada 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. She was the Executive Director of the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council from 2021 to 2023, and the 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.

Commissioner Harada is from La Crescenta-Montrose, and she earned a Master of Business Administration degree and a Master of the Arts degree in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Welcome Speakers

Mayor Adena Ishii
Mayor, City of Berkeley
Elected in November 2024, Adena Ishii is the first Asian American and the first woman of color to serve as Mayor of Berkeley. She grew up in Southern California and was actively involved in the Asian American community. As a Japanese American whose family was incarcerated during WWII, she values ensuring that every voice is heard, questioning the status quo, and advocating for justice and equity. Mayor Ishii moved to Berkeley, attended Berkeley City College, and later transferred to the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. She went on to earn a Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University School of Law.

Mayor Ishii brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience rooted in community organizing, civic engagement, and organizational development. In her professional career, she worked as a consultant to several local nonprofits, helping them with strategic planning, culture building, and facilitation. This work aligns closely with her role as Mayor, where she facilitates difficult conversations and council meetings. Her leadership and expertise in these areas allow her to work across differences and bring a sense of camaraderie to City Hall.

As Mayor, she is leading efforts on homelessness and housing both locally and regionally, serving as chair of the Alameda County Mayors’ Conference working group on homelessness. She convenes the Sanctuary City Task Force monthly and led the passage of an ordinance reaffirming Berkeley’s position as a Sanctuary City. She is excited to continue her work improving the everyday lives of Berkeleyans and carrying forward Berkeley’s legacy of showing the nation what progressive policy can achieve.

She lives in beautiful South Berkeley, with her family and three dogs.
Director of Sustainability and Carbon Solutions
UC Berkeley
Nathan Jandl leads the UC Berkeley Office of Sustainability, providing strategic direction and oversight to advance institutional sustainability goals, collaborating with campus and community partners, supporting the Clean Energy Campus initiative, and ensuring alignment with the University of California's system-wide policies, among other responsibilities. Nathan brings an interdisciplinary background to climate and sustainability work, as well as a deep commitment to building strong relationships that support a vibrant, participatory culture of sustainability. He holds a BA from Middlebury College and a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Nathan Jandl

NEW! California Green Building Career Fair

 

Connect with green building employers at UC Berkeley! Jobs, internships, headshots & networking at the CGBC Green Building Career Fair.

As a shoulder event of the California Green Building Conference, the California Green Building Career Fair connects leading employers in architecture, engineering, construction, sustainability, and renewable energy with students and emerging professionals seeking career opportunities.

Conference registration is not required but recommended.

Voices of Experience: Testimonials From Our Past Exhibitors

Put Your Brand in Front of 1,000 Sustainability Decision-Makers.

 

✔ Prime speaking opportunities
✔ Exhibit space
✔ Brand placement across digital + onsite materials
✔ Exclusive networking access

Volunteer Opportunities

We have reached our volunteer goals and are not taking any more at this time. If you would like to receive information on volunteering for the conference next year, please fill out our volunteer interest form.

About the Venue

The University of California was founded in 1868, born out of a vision in the State Constitution of a university that would “contribute even more than California’s gold to the glory and happiness of advancing generations.” Named after the Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkeley, UC Berkeley is the state's first land-grant university and the founding campus of the University of California system.

Designed by Vernon De Mars and completed in 1961, the Martin Luther King Jr. Building stands both as a reminder of Dr. King’s courageous advocacy and as an inspiration for leadership within our community. Renovated in 2015 the building now blends the best of mid-century modernism with all the contemporary amenities necessary such as environmentally sustainable features, complete ADA accessibility, and LEED Gold certification.

Where to Stay

Name
Full Address
2086 Allston Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
United States
Phone
+1 510-845-7300
Website

California Product & Civic Leadership Awards

 

*SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

Join us at the conference to celebrate outstanding achievements in sustainability, green building, and innovative products that are making a difference.

Through our annual Product Awards, USGBC-CA honors products that have a significant impact on both policy and projects, transforming Southern California into a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable region for all.

Categories:

Material Impact Award: The Material Impact Award honors a building product or material presenting the biggest opportunity to move the market forward by reducing embodied carbon in buildings across California and beyond.

Market Transformation Award: The Market Transformation Award recognizes a product or solution that has significantly influenced the adoption of sustainable practices and transformed how the market approaches green building and sustainability.

Ripple Effect Award: The Ripple Effect Award honors a product, technology, initiative, or organization that catalyzes sustainable water management. By driving conservation, efficiency, capture, or reuse, this innovator is creating a far-reaching impact, helping to build a more resilient water future for California and beyond.

Categories

The Policy Leadership Award honors a municipality or agency that is leading the way in advancing green building and sustainability for California and beyond.

The Elected Official Award honors an elected official who is leading on sustainability for California and beyond.

The Future of Water: Architectural Design Challenge (ADC)

 

*APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

The Shaping the Future of Water Use at Home Architectural Design Challenge (ADC) is an international ideas competition organized by USGBC California and supported by regional and international partners and prize funders.

The goal: inspire residential solutions that can be applied in the next one to three years, accelerating progress toward a water-positive future.

How can we design homes that use water and energy more intelligently, without sacrificing comfort or beauty?

The Future of Water: Architectural Design Challenge (ADC) invites architects, designers, engineers, and students to envision residential spaces that advance a water-positive future.

Winners will be announced live at the California Green Building Conference on May 28, 2026, where they’ll receive free admission and the opportunity to be featured during the event among industry leaders and change makers shaping California’s built environment.

Thank You To Our Conference Sponsors!

Thank You To Our Annual Sponsors!

Hosted at the University of California, Berkeley, the California Green Building Conference draws professionals from across the Bay Area, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, San Diego, and beyond.

As a nonprofit organization, USGBC-CA relies on the generosity of supporters like you to continue advancing our mission. If you’ve found value in this event, please consider making a donation. Every contribution helps us create more opportunities, resources, and community connections.