WASHINGTON, D.C.—USGBC and Informa Exhibitions announced that respected human rights lawyer and humanitarian Amal Clooney will deliver the opening keynote remarks at this year’s Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, taking place November 14 to 16. Clooney will speak at the Opening Plenary on Wednesday, November 14 from 9 to 10 a.m. at the LEED-certified McCormick Place Convention Center. Registration for Greenbuild is now open.
“Green building is about providing equal access to safe, healthy and sustainable environments for everyone,” said Kate Hurst, SVP of Conferences and Events, USGBC. “It’s about understanding that every life matters and furthermore, that quality of life must be preserved. Amal has a deep understanding of this. She has spent her life fighting for the underserved and underrepresented, and her tireless and extraordinary efforts on behalf of others underscore the greater humanitarian mission of our movement.”
Clooney is a British lawyer practicing at Doughty Street Chambers in London, where she specializes in international law and human rights. She is also a Visiting Professor at Columbia Law School, where she teaches human rights. Her clients have ranged from political prisoners to ousted heads of state. She is currently counsel to Nadia Murad and other Yazidi women who have been sexually enslaved by ISIS in Iraq and Syria, working to secure accountability for the genocide committed by ISIS in national and international courts.
The Oxford-educated lawyer is a frequent adviser to governments on international law and has held several posts within the United Nations, including senior adviser to Kofi Annan when he served as the UN Envoy on Syria. Clooney is on the U.K. government’s list of experts on international law and on the government’s panel to prevent sexual violence in conflict. She was named a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum, and she serves on the Forum’s Global Council on Human Rights. In 2016, she co-founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice with her husband. One of their first projects—aiming to educate thousands of refugee children in Lebanon—was showcased at the 2016 United Nations summit on the refugee crisis.
Theme of ‘Human X Nature’
“We are thrilled to align Clooney’s powerful message and mission with this year’s Greenbuild theme of Human X Nature,” said Lindsay Roberts, Group Director, Informa Exhibitions. “Amal’s passion for equality and human rights will resonate with the equally passionate Greenbuild audience, and we are excited to have this important conversation delivered by a strong female on the main stage as we kick off the 2018 event.”
The Opening Plenary is included in the three-day and four-day conference passes and is sponsored by Mohawk. Greenbuild registration options include Expo Hall passes and educational one-day, three-day or four-day passes. Additional offerings include summits, workshops, tours and special events.
This year’s Greenbuild theme of “Human X Nature” describes the intersection of humanity and the built environment. The green building movement embraces all of humanity by making sustainable buildings and environments accessible to everyone, and in doing so, benefits the natural environment around us. For more information on Greenbuild 2018 and to register, visit greenbuildexpo.com. Follow @Greenbuild on Twitter and tweet hashtag #Greenbuild18 to join the conversation.
Greenbuild, owned and operated by Informa and presented by USGBC, is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. Each year, the three-day conference brings together 20,000+ attendees and 500 exhibitors from across the green building sector, spanning commercial and residential professionals, architects, building owners and operators, students, advocates and educators. Greenbuild 2018 will take place November 14 to 16 at McCormick Place in Chicago.
