The 2025 ASHRAE Building Decarbonization Conference, set for October 22-24, 2025, in Chicago, will be the gathering place for professionals to determine how to accelerate building decarbonization strategies.

“Decarbonization is not just about technology. It’s about rethinking how we design, operate, and value our buildings,” said 2025-26 ASHRAE President Bill McQuade, P.E., CDP, Fellow ASHRAE, LEED AP. “This conference is about equipping building professionals with the strategies, partnerships and tools needed to make measurable progress. This is the ‘must-attend’ conference for professionals in the business of designing, constructing or operating buildings.”

The two-and-a-half-day program will feature 21 seminars, 14 panels, five technical tours and three keynotes across four tracks: Scaling Decarbonization, Innovator’s Showcase, Blueprints for Change, and Beyond Decarbonization. Sessions will deliver both visionary perspectives and practical solutions that attendees can apply immediately in their own projects.

Some highly anticipated sessions are as follows:

Demystifying Existing Building Decarbonization: New Tools for Strategic Decarbonization Planning (Panel)

This panel introduces the audience to the strategic decarbonization planning process, present the three tools, and provide examples of strategic decarbonization plans that have been developed and implemented.  The panel will describe and highlight projects where the strategic decarbonization planning process has been put into practice in real buildings.

Innovating to Zero: Developer Arriving at Net Positive, Operator Electrifying a Community Including Shared EVs and Designer Outthinking AI in "Human Versus AI"

This seminar features three leading projects in climate action: a fully net-zero campus building at the University of Illinois, an all-electric Canadian development with shared EV mobility, and a bold “human versus AI” competition exploring low-carbon design at scale. Together, they reveal how developers, operators, and designers are rethinking what’s possible in the built environment.

Turning Up the Heat: Unlocking the Value of Data Center Waste Heat

This session explores how growing data centers can transform waste heat into a valuable resource for heating buildings and supporting sustainable urban development. Case studies from leading institutions demonstrate integrated design strategies and emerging metrics that are reshaping the future of data center efficiency.

 Designing for Resilience: Energy, Water, Ecology and Agriculture in Rural Decarbonization

This session highlights Linkhaw Farms, a sustainable neighborhood development in Lumberton, NC, that brings housing, economic opportunity, and climate resilience to a rural, agriculture-based community. Integrating regenerative agriculture, clean energy and resilient water and thermal systems, the project delivers decarbonization at scale. Experts from multiple disciplines will show how this holistic, community-driven model advances health, sustainability, and economic growth while creating a scalable blueprint for rural development.

 The Art of Decarbonization

This session highlights the Museum of Modern Art’s multi-phase strategy to meet New York City’s Local Law 97 targets while safeguarding artwork and improving operations. Speakers will share how energy upgrades, carbon reduction measures, and real-time analytics are helping a world-class museum meet sustainability goals and enhance resilience.

Decarbonizing at Scale: Using AI to Move Fast (and Accurately) for Large Real Estate Portfolios

This session presents how one organization is leveraging AI-driven analytics to accelerate the decarbonization of a large real estate portfolio. Presenters will explore legislative and financial drivers, tradeoffs between traditional engineering and AI approaches, and lessons learned on using technology to achieve emissions goals at scale.

ASHRAE’s New Flexible International Building Code Framework: An Interactive Discussion with Audience Participation

This interactive session introduces ASHRAE’s global code framework designed to help countries implement building energy codes by 2030. Participants will preview assessment tools and technical guidance, then take part in a mini stakeholder workshop to experience how this framework can advance decarbonization worldwide.
 In-person registration to attend the 2025 ASHRAE Building Decarbonization Conference is $750 for ASHRAE members ($800 for non-members). Additional registration options are available.

For the full technical program, registration and additional for the 2025 Building Decarbonization Conference, visit ashrae.org/2025decarb.