The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti

Charlie Cichetti
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Do green buildings matter to you? This podcast fuels your fire with inspiring interviews from industry and nonprofit leaders across the built environment. Not sure if green building matters? Listen to the personal stories of our guests and let Charlie's passion help convince you why green buildings are essential to our shared future. Each episode illustrates a unique journey through sustainability and towards resilience. Charlie explores the challenges and celebrations of the movers and shakers in the green building industry. Hear behind the scene stories from the inner world of green and healthy building design, construction, and management.

  1. Metrics-Driven Design and the Future of Green Infrastructure with Umesh Atre

    6D AGO

    Metrics-Driven Design and the Future of Green Infrastructure with Umesh Atre

    🎯 The Green Impact Report Quick take: Umesh Atre shares a powerful journey from India to becoming a LEED Fellow and a sustainability leader at Parkhill. In this episode, he dives into how metrics-driven design, embodied carbon strategies, and infrastructure-focused sustainability are changing the green building landscape — especially in challenging regions like West Texas. 🙋‍♂️ Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Umesh Atre, LEED Fellow, WELL AP, Fitwel Ambassador, is a seasoned sustainability professional with over two decades of experience working across various building sectors in India, the United States, and Canada. A LEED AP since 2004, he is a highly regarded LEED expert in Texas. Prior to joining Parkhill, a 650-person interdisciplinary firm as 'Sustainability Lead', he held the position of 'Director of Sustainability' at Studio8 Architects, where he managed the firm's extensive green building consulting portfolio (LEED/WELL/Fitwel/AEGB/Green Globes), while also guiding the firm's in-house projects, AIA 2030 and JUST label efforts. Umesh has managed over 150 green building certification projects and has directed sustainability efforts on award-winning developments, including multiple LEED Platinum and Gold projects. Umesh is a USGBC Mentor, is an Advisor for the GNFZ (Global Network for Zero) led by past USGBC President & CEO Mahesh Ramanujam, has served as a judge on the prestigious Austin Green Awards, and proudly serves on the USGBC Central TX Regional Council. Technically proficient in various green rating systems & versions, he has presented extensively on LEED and other sustainable design topics at local and national conferences. He is based in Austin, TX. 🌱 Breaking Ground on Better Building In this episode, Umesh Atre revolutionizes traditional construction approaches: 🔍 Key Insight #1: Retrofitting Existing Buildings with New Purpose The Challenge: Demolishing outdated buildings instead of reusing them. The Solution: Umesh helped convert an old high school and a mall into flagship community college campuses in Austin. ROI: Saved embodied carbon, cut waste, and created sustainable, functional spaces for learning 🔍 Key Insight #2: Building a Metrics-Driven Design Culture The Challenge: Lack of data-driven sustainability strategies in project design. The Solution: Umesh spearheaded a building performance team at Parkhill to embed energy modeling, daylighting, and embodied carbon analysis into every project. ROI: Quantifiable performance improvements that elevate sustainable design outcomes across disciplines 🔍 Key Insight #3: Pioneering Sustainable Infrastructure Standards The Challenge: Infrastructure often lags behind buildings in green innovation. The Solution: Parkhill, under Umesh's leadership, adopted Envision and SE 2050 frameworks to decarbonize infrastructure projects. ROI: Scaled sustainability impact beyond buildings to bridges, roadways, and civic infrastructure 🎙️ Sustainable Soundbite I see becoming a LEED Fellow not as the end of a journey, but as a restart—with greater responsibility to give back and push the movement forward." – Umesh Atre Your Green Building Action Plan Transform your next project with these steps: This Week: Assess one existing building for reuse potential. This Quarter: Embed energy and daylight modeling into all project proposals. This Year: Join a sustainability rating system or professional community (LEED, WELL, Envision, etc.) to expand your impact. 🔗 Connect & Learn More 🌿 Access full episode resources: https://gbes.com/podcast/ 🗒 Read the transcript here 🔗 Connect with Umesh Atre: 👩🏻‍💻 Websites: Parkhill studio8architects.com LinkedIn 💚 Join the Green Building Movement: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe ♻️ Want More Green Building Insights? Get sustainability tips 2x a week. 👉 Subscribe to our FREE newsletter: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe Green Building Matters, Inc © 2026 | Good Green Fun.

    48 min
  2. Making Zero-Carbon Pencil (Without Killing the Pro Forma) with Fin MacDonald

    FEB 4

    Making Zero-Carbon Pencil (Without Killing the Pro Forma) with Fin MacDonald

    🎙️ The Green Impact Report Quick take: Zero carbon isn't a tech problem anymore — it's a business model problem. Fin MacDonald breaks down how developers can hit LEED Platinum + Zero Carbon goals by shifting costs smartly, partnering creatively, and treating finance like an ally instead of a villain. 🎓 Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Fin MacDonald is a newly minted LEED Fellow and zero-carbon strategist based in Ontario, Canada. He leads zero-carbon advisory work at Urban Equation (alongside Windmill Development Group), helping developers build the business case for high-performance buildings — and actually deliver them. 🌱 Breaking Ground on Better Building In this episode, Fin revolutionizes how sustainability teams talk about decarbonization — shifting the conversation from "nice-to-have" to "makes-the-deal-work." 🎯 Key Insight #1: Zero carbon scales when you make the business case real The Challenge: "Zero carbon" gets value-engineered out when it looks like a cost center. The Solution: Speak developer: pro formas, risk, ROI, vacancy, and investor appetite — then connect decarbonization to what actually moves money. ROI: Faster lease-up, lower vacancy, stronger investor demand, and access to sustainable finance pools that aren't available to "business as usual." 🎯 Key Insight #2: Energy-as-a-Service turns upfront pain into operational logic The Challenge: Condo developers build and walk away — so why would they pay higher upfront capital costs for long-term savings they'll never capture? The Solution: Use structures like Energy-as-a-Service so the developer doesn't eat the geothermal (or other low-carbon system) capex — and tenants pay for delivered heat over time. ROI: Enables geothermal (and similar systems) across every project while keeping upfront costs down and aligning payers with beneficiaries. 🎯 Key Insight #3: The next wave after "carbon tunnel vision" is holistic performance The Challenge: Carbon became the only metric — and other essentials (people, place, resilience, whole-building outcomes) got sidelined. The Solution: Once teams learn the new carbon playbook, return to holistic thinking — without losing the momentum decarbonization created. ROI: Better buildings that win on carbon and quality of life: especially in residential, where sustainability is personal and lived every day. 🎙️ Sustainable Soundbite "The green building industry was built by people who refused to accept the status quo—so don't be afraid to ask why, innovate, and change the way things are done." – Fin MacDonald 🧩 Your Green Building Action Plan Transform your next project with these steps: This Week: Book 30 minutes with your finance lead (or your client's) and ask them to walk you through the pro forma — where costs land, who benefits, and what gets cut first. This Quarter: Run a "zero-carbon business case" workshop: model 2–3 pathways (electrification, geothermal, envelope upgrades) and tie each to ROI, risk, and delivery constraints. This Year: Pilot one alternative-finance or contracting mechanism (Energy-as-a-Service, sustainable loan, green lease alignment) that makes low-carbon upgrades repeatable — not heroic. 🔗 Connect & Learn More 🌿 Access full episode resources: https://www.gbes.com/podcast 📝 Read the transcript here 👩🏻‍💻 Connect with Fin MacDonald: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finmacdonald/ Website: cagbc.org/zerocarbon 💚 Join the Green Building Movement: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe ♻️ Want More Green Building Insights? Get sustainability tips 2x a week. 👉Subscribe to our FREE newsletter here: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe Green Building Matters, Inc © 2026 | Good Green Fun.

    36 min
  3. Returning Guest: Sustainability Visionary Alicia Silva Villanueva on Greening Stadiums, Hospitality, and Resilience

    JAN 28

    Returning Guest: Sustainability Visionary Alicia Silva Villanueva on Greening Stadiums, Hospitality, and Resilience

    🧨 The Green Impact Report Quick take: Alicia Silva Villanueva is back! In this powerful follow-up episode, the renowned sustainability leader from Mexico shares lessons from greening iconic places like Estadio Azteca for the FIFA World Cup, redefining resilience in hospitality, and writing the playbook to inspire the next generation of changemakers. 😎 Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Alicia Silva Villanueva is a LEED Fellow and founder of a Mexico City-based consultancy that's been shaping the future of green buildings in Latin America for over 17 years. With 120+ LEED projects under her belt — from data centers to luxury resorts and World Cup stadiums — she brings deep insight, international perspective, and an infectious passion for sustainability. She's also the author of Leave the Gap, a new book about overcoming the barriers to meaningful impact. 🌱 Breaking Ground on Better Building In this episode, Alicia Silva Villanueva revolutionizes traditional construction approaches: 🎯 Key Insight #1: Turning a National Treasure Into a World Cup Sustainability Leader The Challenge: Transforming Estadio Azteca — Mexico's beloved soccer stadium — into a green icon for FIFA 2026. The Solution: Achieving LEED Platinum for O+M and major renovation with a strong focus on water savings, circular economy, and community impact. ROI: One of the greenest stadiums in the tournament, inspiring staff, fans, and suppliers to level up their sustainability game. 🎯 Key Insight #2: Resilience as Business Continuity in Hospitality The Challenge: Coastal hotels and resorts in Cabo facing climate threats, water shortages, and energy insecurity. The Solution: Resilience screenings, climate value-at-risk modeling, and smart systems for energy and water efficiency. ROI: Reduced operational risk, stronger investor confidence, and long-term savings in high-risk zones. 🎯 Key Insight #3: Storytelling That Shifts the Sustainability Conversation The Challenge: Clients and teams seeing sustainability as too costly or complex. The Solution: Alicia's new book, Leave the Gap, offers practical levers for overcoming resistance and sparking systemic change. ROI: Empowered consultants, clearer business cases, and a replicable framework for sustainable leadership. 🎙️ Sustainable Soundbite "Sustainability is no longer about reputation — it's about business continuity." – Alicia Silva Villanueva 🧩 Your Green Building Action Plan Transform your next project with these steps: This Week: Identify one building in your portfolio that would benefit from a resilience screening. Start the conversation. This Quarter: Push one client to go beyond minimum certification requirements — challenge them to go for Platinum. This Year: Read Leave the Gap and apply at least one of Alicia's levers to your practice or pitch. 🔗 Connect & Learn More 🌿 Access full episode resources: https://www.gbes.com/podcast 🗒 Read the transcript here 👩🏻‍💻 Connect with Alicia Silva Villanueva: website: revitalizaconsultores.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aliciasilvasynergy 🎧 Missed her first episode? 👉 Mexico City's LEED Pioneer – Alicia Silva 💚 Join the Green Building Movement: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe ♻️ Want More Green Building Insights? Get sustainability tips 2x a week. 👉 Subscribe to our FREE newsletter here: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe Green Building Matters, Inc © 2026 | Good Green Fun.

    40 min
  4. Raising a New Generation of Green Building Advocates with Julia Pooler

    JAN 21

    Raising a New Generation of Green Building Advocates with Julia Pooler

    The Green Impact Report Quick take: This episode shines a light on how youth advocacy and sustainability education are creating ripple effects in the green building world. Julia Pooler shares how empowering children with the right tools and mindset today can shape the carbon-zero leaders of tomorrow. Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Julia Pooler is the executive director of the Carbon Zero Youth Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to educational outreach towards a sustainable built environment. She is also the author of Buildy Green, it Takes a Team! A Better Building Story, a children's book that celebrates the work of green building and sustainable materials professionals and introduces green building ideas through simple, accessible language and vibrant illustrations. She became involved in green building as a Girl Scout Leader supporting a troop-level national outreach campaign about embodied carbon and low-carbon building materials. Drawing on lessons learned from that project, Julia is working to support community demand for greener building materials and practices through outreach resources and youth engagement. Breaking Ground on Better Building In this episode, Julia Pooler revolutionizes traditional construction approaches: Key Insight #1: Elevating Youth as Catalysts for Carbon Awareness The Challenge: Sustainability efforts in construction often overlook youth engagement. The Solution: Julia's Girl Scout troop created an award-winning project on low embodied carbon concrete, even presenting at Greenbuild 2022. ROI: Youth-driven outreach reached professionals, spotlighting embodied carbon while building leadership in the next generation. Key Insight #2: Turning Green Buildings into Educational Tools The Challenge: Green building principles rarely make it into early education. The Solution: Julia authored a children's book that demystifies green building concepts and celebrates the professionals behind them. ROI: Kids begin to understand and appreciate green design early, creating a lasting foundation for eco-conscious thinking. Key Insight #3: Building a Movement with Joy and Accessibility The Challenge: Sustainability messages can feel overwhelming or negative. The Solution: Julia emphasizes fun, uplifting, and community-driven resources through the Carbon Zero Youth Initiative. ROI: More meaningful engagement from students and professionals, driving curiosity and long-term cultural shifts in the built environment. Sustainable Soundbite Your Green Building Action Plan Transform your next project with these steps: This Week: Share your green building story with a young person in your life. This Quarter: Volunteer to speak at a local school, troop, or youth event about sustainable design. This Year: Integrate youth-friendly sustainability resources into your company's community outreach efforts. Connect & Learn More 🌿 Access full episode resources: Green Building Matters Podcast 💚Join the Green Building Movement 📄 Read the transcript: HERE 🔗 Connect with Julia Pooler: LinkedIn Carbon Zero Youth Initiative Buildy Green, It Takes a Team! A Better Building Story Don't forget to catch more episodes and resources for all of your green building news at the Green Building Matters website. ✉️ Want More Green Building Insights? Get sustainability tips 2x a week. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter here: Green Building Matters, Inc © 2025 | Good Green Fun

    32 min
  5. Scaling Low-Carbon Building Data for Real Impact with Jack Rusk

    JAN 14

    Scaling Low-Carbon Building Data for Real Impact with Jack Rusk

    📌 The Green Impact Report Quick take: This episode explores how data-driven design can shift the building industry toward true decarbonization. Jack Rusk, co-founder of C Scale, shares how better data at the right time empowers architects and project teams to make real progress toward carbon reduction goals. 🙋 Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Jack Rusk is the CEO and Co-Founder of C Scale, a company helping architects integrate carbon data earlier in the design process. With a background that bridges ecological science, hands-on construction, and architectural education, Jack brings a unique perspective to sustainable innovation in the built environment. Prior to founding C Scale, Jack ****was Director of Climate Strategy at EHDD, where he led groundbreaking work in electrification and embodied carbon analysis. 🌱 Breaking Ground on Better Building In this episode, Jack Rusk revolutionizes traditional construction approaches: 😎 Key Insight #1: Redefining project success through holistic carbon data The Challenge: Traditional focus on energy performance alone misses deeper carbon impact. The Solution: C Scale provides early-stage carbon modeling, considering operational and embodied emissions. ROI: Enables project teams to pitch and deliver on net-zero carbon targets, aligning with climate goals from day one. 😎 Key Insight #2: Empowering architects with decision-ready data The Challenge: Architects lack access to timely, granular data during early design phases. The Solution: C Scale integrates carbon intelligence directly into design workflows. ROI: Informed material and system choices lead to lower emissions and better project alignment with decarbonization goals. 😎 Key Insight #3: Bridging data gaps across the design lifecycle The Challenge: Data silos prevent continuity from early planning to construction. The Solution: C Scale's "red thread" approach ensures data persists across design phases. ROI: More consistent sustainability outcomes, smoother collaboration, and increased transparency across stakeholders. 💬 Sustainable Soundbite "The goal is not to have a few better projects. The goal is to change the way buildings are delivered as an industry." – Jack Rusk 📆 Your Green Building Action Plan Transform your next project with these steps: This Week: Review your past project data — see what sustainability insights can be reused. This Quarter: Incorporate early-stage carbon modeling in proposal phases. This Year: Build a cross-functional team to champion data continuity from design to delivery. 🔗 Connect & Learn More 🌿 Access full episode resources: https://www.gbes.com/podcast 🗒 Read the transcript here 👩🏻‍💻 Connect with Jack Rusk: Website: cscale.io LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusk/ 💚 Join the Green Building Movement: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe ♻️ Want More Green Building Insights? Get sustainability tips 2x a week. 📬 Subscribe to our FREE newsletter here: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe Green Building Matters, Inc © 2026 | Good Green Fun.

    48 min
  6. Decarbonizing Campus Design and Mentoring the Next Generation with Allison Wilson

    JAN 7

    Decarbonizing Campus Design and Mentoring the Next Generation with Allison Wilson

    📣 The Green Impact Report Quick take: From decarbonization strategies to student-centric campus design, this episode with LEED Fellow Allison Wilson is a masterclass in sustainability leadership for mission-driven institutions. 👷‍♂️ Meet Your fellow Sustainability Champion Allison Wilson is a newly inducted LEED Fellow and architect at Ayers Saint Gross, where she champions sustainable, student-focused design for higher education institutions. Based in Austin, TX, Allison works nationally on everything from lab planning to decarbonized campus housing, helping clients align their values with the right frameworks — LEED, WELL, Fitwel, and beyond. 🌱 Breaking Ground on Better Building In this episode, Allison Wilson revolutionizes traditional construction approaches: 💡 Key Insight #1: Leading with sustainability in academic architecture The Challenge: Campus projects historically siloed sustainability goals from design decisions. The Solution: Allison uses frameworks like LEED and WELL — whether or not clients want formal certification — to guide holistic, decarbonized design. ROI: Reduced operational carbon, improved indoor health, and more engaged campus communities. 💡 Key Insight #2: Mentorship as a design strategy The Challenge: Talent development often takes a back seat in fast-paced firms. The Solution: Allison actively mentors interns and staff, building cross-disciplinary fluency across architecture, engineering, and planning. ROI: A resilient, empowered team capable of delivering complex, sustainable projects at scale. 💡Key Insight #3: Healthy materials and deep client alignment The Challenge: Material selection lacked accountability and long-term health focus. The Solution: Through tools like the Materials Pledge and annual reporting, Allison's teams help clients link procurement to environmental and human health. ROI: Reduced toxicity, enhanced lifecycle performance, and greater transparency in the supply chain. 💬 Sustainable Soundbite "We all know that my building might say it's LEED, but we have to do it together." – Allison Wilson 📈 Your Green Building Action Plan Transform your next project with these steps: This Week: Start a running timeline of your accomplishments — it will serve you later in grant or LEED Fellow applications. This Quarter: Assess your current or upcoming project against multiple frameworks (LEED, WELL, Fitwel, etc.) and map values to systems. This Year: Mentor a peer or intern to pass down your knowledge and build a stronger sustainability network. 🔗 Connect & Learn More 🌿 Access full episode resources: https://www.gbes.com/podcast 🗒 Read the transcript here 🔗 Connect with Allison Wilson: Websites: 2011.solarteam.org , asg-architects.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/allison-wilson-aia-leed-fellow-well-ap-lfa-8970557 💚 Join the Green Building Movement: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe ♻️ Want More Green Building Insights? Get sustainability tips 2x a week. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter here: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe Green Building Matters, Inc © 2026 | Good Green Fun.

    35 min
  7. Impact-Driven Sustainability, LEED Leadership, and Building for Climate Resilience with Dr. Hoda Ibrahim

    12/31/2025

    Impact-Driven Sustainability, LEED Leadership, and Building for Climate Resilience with Dr. Hoda Ibrahim

    🎯 The Green Impact Report Quick take: What does it really take to deliver LEED Platinum projects across the Middle East and Africa — at scale, in extreme climates, and without blowing budgets? Newly minted LEED Fellow Dr. Hoda Ibrahim shares how impact-driven sustainability, material transparency, and market transformation are reshaping the built environment worldwide. 👷‍♂️ Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Dr. Hoda Ibrahim is a LEED Fellow, sustainability executive, architect, researcher, and global green building leader based in Cairo. With nearly two decades of experience spanning Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Africa, Hoda has delivered some of the region's most complex LEED Platinum, WELL, and high-performance developments. She currently serves as Head of Sustainability & Climate Change at a leading multidisciplinary consultancy, while also contributing to the evolution of LEED itself through USGBC technical advisory roles. 🌱 Breaking Ground on Better Building In this episode, Dr. Hoda Ibrahim redefines what sustainable building looks like when performance, people, and planet are all treated as non-negotiables. 🎯 Key Insight #1: Sustainability Is No Longer a Checklist — It's a Decision-Making System The Challenge: Sustainability is treated as a box-checking exercise focused only on certification points. The Solution: Integrating sustainability into early design thinking, construction coordination, and long-term operational strategy. ROI: Buildings that perform better, last longer, reduce operational costs, and deliver real climate and human-health benefits. 🎯 Key Insight #2: LEED Platinum Is Achievable — Even in Emerging Markets The Challenge: The perception that LEED Platinum is too expensive or unrealistic in regions with extreme climates or limited resources. The Solution: Strategic credit selection, early planning, regional material sourcing, and leveraging "no-cost" opportunities tied to site, energy, and water. ROI: Landmark projects such as Africa's first LEED Platinum building, large-scale Saudi developments, and multi-city sustainable master plans. 🎯 Key Insight #3: Material Transparency Is the Next Sustainability Frontier The Challenge: Limited disclosure around embodied carbon, health impacts, and end-of-life material performance. The Solution: Driving adoption of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), Health Product Declarations (HPDs), and circular economy principles. ROI: Lower embodied carbon, healthier interiors, market transformation, and stronger alignment with LEED v5 and future regulations. 💬 Sustainable Soundbite "Buildings can either protect nature — or damage it. Sustainability for me was never a trend. It was a continuation of values I grew up with." — Dr. Hoda Ibrahim ✅ Your Green Building Action Plan Transform your next project with these steps: This Week: Review your current projects for "no-cost" LEED and performance opportunities already on the table. This Quarter: Engage manufacturers early to discuss EPDs, VOC limits, and material transparency pathways. This Year: Shift from certification-first thinking to impact-first design focused on decarbonization, health, and resilience. 🔗 Connect & Learn More 🌿 Access full episode resources**:** Green Building Matters Podcast 🗒 Read the transcript here 🔗 Connect with Dr. Hoda Ibrahim: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hoda-ibrahim-ba924b50 Facebook: m.facebook.com/leedaccreditedprofessionals/ 💚 Join the Green Building Movement: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe ♻️ Want More Green Building Insights? Get sustainability tips 2x a week. 👉 Subscribe to our FREE newsletter here: **https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe** Green Building Matters, Inc © 2025 | Good Green Fun.

    37 min
  8. Scaling Sustainability from Buildings to Communities with Julio Carrillo

    12/24/2025

    Scaling Sustainability from Buildings to Communities with Julio Carrillo

    🎯 The Green Impact Report Quick take: From rural Peru to the skyline of Austin, Texas, Julio Carrillo shares how planners can be powerful sustainability changemakers. In this episode, learn how a LEED Fellow is pushing the green building movement beyond buildings — and into data-driven, community-scale transformation. 👷‍♂️ Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion Julio Carrillo is a Peruvian-born architect, urban planner, and newly named LEED Fellow based in Austin, Texas. With a passion for sustainable urbanism, Julio has helped launch the Peru Green Building Council, works at Parkhill as a planner tackling large-scale urban projects, and lectures at UT Austin on AI and planning. His career is defined by actionable ideas, metric-driven innovation, and a relentless drive to move fast on meaningful change. 🌱 Breaking Ground on Better Building In this episode, Julio Carrillo revolutionizes traditional construction and planning approaches: 🧠 Key Insight #1: Founding the Peru Green Building Council to ignite LEED adoption at a national level The Challenge: Lack of local sustainability infrastructure and LEED awareness in Peru. The Solution: Co-founding the Peru GBC and launching a consulting firm. ROI: Grew from 1 to 100+ LEED projects in just two years; national transformation and market momentum. 🧠 Key Insight #2: Creating the Planning Challenge to scale sustainability across communities The Challenge: Cities lacked tools to track decarbonization and climate goals. The Solution: Built a dashboard platform inspired by Architecture 2030 to track 100+ metrics across 15+ cities. ROI: Expanded nationally and internationally, empowering cities to benchmark and scale climate solutions. 🧠 Key Insight #3: Teaching planners to leverage AI for public good The Challenge: AI is often personalized, not built for community impact. The Solution: Developed and now teaches a UT Austin course on AI & planning. ROI: Equips future planners with tools to use AI for equity, access, and sustainable development. 🗣 Sustainable Soundbite "Every building is a little piece of the big puzzle. We've done great with green buildings — now we need green communities." — Julio Carrillo ✅ Your Green Building Action Plan Transform your next project with these steps: This Week: Explore the LEED for Cities and Communities framework This Quarter: Begin tracking key sustainability metrics for your city or district This Year: Launch or support a data-driven sustainability initiative like the Planning Challenge 🔗 Connect & Learn More 🌿 Access full episode resources: Green Building Matters Podcast 🗒 Read the transcript here 👩🏻‍💻 Connect with Julio Carrillo: Website: urbanammo.wordpress.com , perugbc.org.pe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julio-carrillo-aicp-leed-fellow-83636529/ 💚 Join the Green Building Movement: https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe ♻️ Want More Green Building Insights? Get sustainability tips 2x a week. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter here: 👉 https://www.greenbuilding.news/subscribe Green Building Matters, Inc © 2025 | Good Green Fun.

    36 min
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About

Do green buildings matter to you? This podcast fuels your fire with inspiring interviews from industry and nonprofit leaders across the built environment. Not sure if green building matters? Listen to the personal stories of our guests and let Charlie's passion help convince you why green buildings are essential to our shared future. Each episode illustrates a unique journey through sustainability and towards resilience. Charlie explores the challenges and celebrations of the movers and shakers in the green building industry. Hear behind the scene stories from the inner world of green and healthy building design, construction, and management.

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