ULI Net Zero Imperative
The ULI Net Zero Imperative (NZI) is a multi-year initiative to accelerate decarbonization in the built environment and is a significant aspect of ULI’s work to advance its net zero mission priority. The program sponsors technical assistance panels in a select number of global cities per year and is designed to help building owners, cities, and other relevant constituents reduce carbon emissions associated with buildings, communities, and cities.
Thanks to the generosity of Owen Thomas and additional gifts from Lynn Thurber, Joe Azrack, Franz Colloredo-Mansfeld, and Dan Cashdan, who made it possible to further support and bolster the NZI program’s scale and impact in global cities to help accelerate efforts toward net zero. Take action today and donate to ULI’s Net Zero Imperative: uli.org/donate/nzi.
Applications for Cohort 4 will officially open on May 1, 2024, stay tuned! The statement of interest for the technical assistance grants can be accessed here and the statement of interest for implementation grants can be accessed here. We only accept applications from ULI’s global network of District and National/Local Councils (Europe and Asia Pacific) in partnership with local governments, real estate leaders, and community stakeholder groups. Please send completed statement of interest applications to [email protected].
Select each respective dropdown menu below to learn more about the NZI program, key dates for Cohorts 3 & 4, previous Cohorts, and more!
About the ULI Net Zero Imperative
About NZI
The ULI Net Zero Imperative is a growing, collaborative network of ULI District and National Councils, including ULI staff, local governments, real estate leaders, and community stakeholder groups focused on decarbonizing cities and real estate.
Key Program Components
The 5-year program started in July 2021 and includes the following key components:
- Leveraging a 2-day technical assistance event in each city to help the public and private sector develop a “pathway to decarbonization”
- Running long-term on-the-ground campaigns in global cities to accelerate decarbonization of the built environment
- Building a global cohort who can receive ongoing technical assistance to refine on the ground campaigns, and work together to share best practices and lessons learned
- Creating global resources (research, toolkits, and other tools) to help all ULI members accelerate decarbonization in their real estate operations (and in their cities)
Program Goals
- Accelerate the decarbonization of the built environment in cities
- Chart a cost-effective path to zero for the real estate industry
- Leverage the power of ULI’s global network to drive development and investment that supports this path to decarbonization
- Get the private sector working hand-in-hand with cities on policy and incentives that can help accelerate investment in decarbonization
Did you miss it?
Watch the Net Zero Imperative webinar to learn about the program’s cohort of participants across the globe, and their planned technical assistance panels designed to help building owners, cities, and other relevant constituents reduce carbon emissions associated with buildings, communities, and cities via a roadmap to zero. Access the webinar recording here.
Meet the Cohorts
Cohort Three
- ULI Australia (Melbourne, Australia).The goal of the effort is to develop a precinct scale decarbonization model, with measurable outcomes, that can be replicated across the City of Melbourne and Australia more broadly to build critical mass towards pilot and action. Development of this prototype for a zero-carbon precinct will enable a pilot of the Retrofit Melbourne Plan Initiative. The effort also seeks to identify additional precinct activations and future–proofing opportunities that can occur in parallel with precinct decarbonization, such as infrastructure upgrades, accessibility, economic development, artwork, biodiversity, and microclimate improvement.
- ULI British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada). Decarbonizing older below-market buildings is key to an electrified, equitable, and stable housing market. ULI British Columbia is collaborating with building owners to understand how to track life-cycle embodied carbon in retrofitting key affordable housing stock. They will also investigate how to meet emerging public-policy initiatives relating to carbon reduction and climate change. Stakeholders from non-profits, private companies, and the public sector will be brought together to consider the future of housing and embodied carbon.
- ULI Germany (Berlin, Germany). Engage through the second phase of a two-phase project as part of the ULI Europe C Change program. In the first stage, the focus was on identifying assets in Berlin that could potentially be stranded, based on a common methodology developed by the ULI C Change program that assesses transition risks as part of real estate valuations. In the second phase, the aim is to identify potential solutions to decarbonize these buildings in close collaboration between all stakeholders including the private and public sector.
- ULI East China (Shanghai, China). The local industry in general lacks reliable data on embodied carbon counts for building materials, and also, the industry as a whole has limited understanding of how to implement embodied carbon estimation for new development and remodeling projects. The ULI East China’s NZI program will bring together important stakeholder groups including developers, building material manufacturers, construction companies, and service providers and identify areas where improvements are needed to enhance transparency, reliability, and efficiency of embodied carbon estimation. The intention is to promote best practices for reducing embodied carbon through improved building design, increasing awareness of embodied carbon among building material manufacturers and real estate development professionals, and substitution of high embodied carbon building materials with low embodied carbon materials, where feasible.
- ULI Los Angeles. Building upon two of the main recommendations from ULI-LA’s initial NZI TAP, which were to: explore opportunities to connect “satellite” district cooling plants to the existing Bunker Hill Plant; and, to bring down costs by piggybacking on existing subterranean infrastructure projects. The project team will explore both recommendations, engaging with LA METRO and stakeholders from DTLA’s Little Tokyo community to explore the feasibility of developing a district cooling plant that would serve Little Tokyo and utilize METRO subway tunnels to route piping to additional areas.
- ULI Greater Bay Area (Shenzhen, China). The project aims to promote the Shenzhen Net Zero Imperative TAP report and enhance sustainable community development in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) by extending the influence of ULI NZI. This will be achieved through activities such as decarbonization tech tours, ESG tech roundtables, and showcases to empower the decarbonization tech ecosystem, connect stakeholders, and attract tech firms to the GBA. These initiatives are planned for the next 12 months in response to China’s “dual carbon target” and its impact on the urban development industry.
Cohort Two
- ULI Atlanta (Atlanta metro area, GA). Conduct 5-6 different net zero-themed mTAPs as capstone projects for ULI Atlanta’s Center for Leadership (CFL) program. The CFL participants will partner with 5-6 different public sector sponsors to assist in accelerating different aspects of building decarbonization efforts across the Atlanta region.
- ULI Charlotte (Charlotte, NC). In partnership with a private developer, Crescent Communities, the City of Charlotte will establish a development incentive program using the River District as a pilot to create a net zero road map for development and construction.
- ULI Chicago (Chicagoland metro area, IL). Build resilience from climate change impacts and strengthen the Chicago region as a climate refuge by leveraging current strategies and proposing bold new measures to create a net zero future that includes residents, municipalities, and the real estate industry.
- ULI Germany (Berlin, Germany). Engage through a two-phase project as part of the ULI Europe C Change program. In the first stage, the focus is on identifying assets in Berlin that could potentially be stranded, based on a common methodology developed by the ULI C Change program that assesses transition risks as part of real estate valuations. In the second phase, the aim is to identify potential solutions to decarbonize these buildings in close collaboration between all stakeholders including the private and public sector.
- ULI Hong Kong (Central, Hong Kong). Create a toolkit focused on tenant engagement in high density central business districts that will draw on existing strengths and address areas of growth that will aid in major reduction in carbon emissions for owners and their tenants.
- ULI Mexico (Monterrey, Mexico). Engage the public and private sectors in the creation of a city-wide roadmap to net zero. Result in actionable recommendations of potential incentives, education, or code amendments to achieve energy-efficient, net zero carbon buildings.
- ULI Minnesota (Root District, Minneapolis, MN). Build upon existing ULI NZI efforts to bring the public and private sector together to refine the current draft of the Equitable Framework Guide for developing a 115-acre site into a transit-oriented, net zero district. Develop long-term communication campaign to accelerate incorporation of district energy and develop a plan that can scale for infrastructure, master planning, and individual developments of similar types.
Cohort One
- ULI Austin (Austin, TX). – Increase the local real estate sector’s awareness and buy-in of electrification, energy efficiency, and on-site renewable energy in commercial and multifamily buildings, in line with net zero initiatives in the City’s Climate Equity Plan. Result in actionable recommendations for potential incentives, education, or code amendments to achieve energy-efficient, net zero carbon buildings.
- ULI Beijing (Beijing, Mainland China).– Develop a roadmap to net zero economic, environmental and social development in China. Explore deep energy efficiency by piloting solutions in a Beijing mixed-use site to build upon current sustainability efforts to reduce operational costs and increase economic savings. Further address climate via adaptation planning with nature-based stormwater management solutions in a trial district that could scale country-wide.
- ULI Kansas City (Kansas City Region, KS).– Advocate for a net zero economy by (1) identifying best practices for a regional Energy Efficiency Investment Fund to provide lending tools for the real estate sector to invest in energy efficiency improvements, and (2) maximizing community impact through building decarbonization improvements to achieve high-performance affordable housing that address the energy burden in low-to-medium income markets.
- ULI Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA). Identify both technical and market strategies to decarbonize the Bunker Hill neighborhood with a district energy system across assets with multiple private owners. Serve as a scalable and replicable roadmap for cross-sector collaboration to harness the power of energy efficiency and grid integration on a community-level scale.
- ULI Minnesota (Root District, Minneapolis, MN). – Develop a framework for policymaking and development strategies to evaluate climate impacts and drive net zero in the equitable redevelopment of a 115-acre district. Promote district energy, set clear and measurable targets on net zero, and develop a plan that can scale for infrastructure, master planning, and individual developments of similar types.
- ULI San Francisco (San Jose, CA). – Build upon existing ULI efforts to bring the public and private sector together to unlock the benefits of building electrification and the integration of renewable energy generation and storage in both market rate multifamily and affordable housing assets to meet decarbonization goals, increase the financial viability of projects, and improve social equity outcomes.
- ULI Shenzhen (Greater Bay Area, Mainland China).– Explore how Shenzhen can incentivize the private sector to integrate new and innovative technology into both new and existing buildings, to decarbonize while still sustaining profitability. Use as a demonstration city to showcase to the Greater Bay Area how advancing community change can influence positive outcomes toward a lower carbon city.
- ULI Toronto (Brampton and Greater Toronto, ON). – Build upon existing ULI efforts to support the city of Toronto in encouraging retrofits of aging privately owned multifamily rental towers to reduce their carbon emissions and be resilient to climate risks while maintaining affordability. Develop long-term communication campaign to accelerate the decarbonization of the multifamily towers in line with the city’s new net zero existing building strategy.
Cohort 4 Application & Selection
Timeline and Key Dates
Applications for Cohort 4 will officially open on May 1, 2024 and are due by July 31, 2024! The statement of interest for the technical assistance grants can be accessed here and the statement of interest for implementation grants can be accessed here. We only accept applications from ULI’s global network of District and National/Local Councils (Europe and Asia Pacific) in partnership with local governments, real estate leaders, and community stakeholder groups. Please send completed statement of interest applications to [email protected].
Application & Selection Timeline
Still have questions? Schedule a call with us to learn more by reaching out to [email protected]!
Cohort 3 Program Timeline & Global Cohort Meetings
Program Timeline for Cohort 3
Global Cohort Monthly Meetings
Cities participating in the Net Zero Imperative are expected to participate in the NZI Global Cohort monthly interactive meetings. The purpose of these meetings is to create a community of practice & best practices shared amongst NZI participants. Members can talk about each NZI project, challenges they are facing, successes achieved, and any technical questions that may arise. These meetings bring NZI participants together to foster a more holistic well-rounded NZI experience.
2024 Global Cohort Monthly Calls
NZI participants will be invited to join their cohort and NZI alumni in virtual monthly meetings on the third Thursday of the month. Meeting times will alternate to provide globally convenient time zones to the entire cohort.
11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. ET — January 18, March 21, May 16, July 18, September 19, and November 21
8:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. ET – February 15, June 20, August 15, and December 19
2024 Global Cohort In-Person Gatherings
NZI participants will also have an opportunity to gather in-person at an off-site location (dates below) during ULI’s Spring and Fall Meetings — Spring Meeting 2024 in New York, New York – April 9-11 and Fall Meeting 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada – October 28-30.
NZI-Inspired Resources
ULI has created many NZI-Inspired Resources. Learn more about them below:
Resource | Author & Year |
---|---|
Induction Cooktop Demonstration | ULI Greenprint Center for Building Performance (2023) |
Net Zero for All Report | ULI Greenprint Center for Building Performance (2023) |
Net Zero Deal Profile: HopeWorks | ULI Greenprint Center for Building Performance (2023) |
Net Zero Deal Profile: Entegrity Energy Partners' Network Building | ULI Greenprint Center for Building Performance (2022) |
Nature Positive and Net Zero | ULI Greenprint Center for Building Performance and Jacobs (2022) |
Heat Pump Mythbuster Report | Coming soon! |
Green Finance Primer | Coming soon! |
Learn More & Get Involved
Learn More
Want to learn more about the pathway to zero and access a comprehensive list of ULI’s net zero resources? Visit the Net Zero Compendium!
Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions or comments.
Get Involved
Interested in sharing your expertise as a panelist? Volunteer your expertise through this ULI Navigator opportunity. Note that submission does not guarantee you will be chosen as a panelist. Panelist selection is based on needed expertise and availability.