California Green Building Conference + Green Job Fair (2026)

Submitted by the Event Organizer

USGBC California to Host 25th Annual California Green Building Conference on May 28th; Career Fair on May 27th

Largest and longest-running gathering of leading green building advocates across California’s public and private sectors welcomes both professionals

and the green-curious 

WHAT:  The U.S. Green Building California (USGBC California or USGBC-CA) is hosting its 25th annual California Green Building Conference on Thursday, May 28th at UC Berkeley. The impact-focused event is the largest and longest-running gathering of leading green building advocates across California’s public and private sectors. Registration is open until May 26th.

The Conference features 22 panel sessions, 8 Table Talks, 3 groups of Collective Impact™ case studies + moderated Q&A, Net Zero Accelerator companies’ innovation fast-pitches, and over 65 exhibitors and community organizations all convening to form what has become the West Coast’s premier green building experience. Session tracks include (alpha order) Circular Economy & Waste, Climate Action, Decarbonization, Equity & Environmental Justice, Nature-based Solutions & Regenerative Design, Resilience & Recovery, Water Innovation and Workforce Development.

Civic Leadership and Green Product Awards recipients will be presented at the Conference (already announced here). The awards honor the work and solutions impacting the drivers of climate change.

Winners of USGBC California’s first global design competition, “Shaping the Future of Water Use at Home” will be announced at the Conference. This worldwide ideas competition empowers architects, engineers, designers, and students to create water-efficient homes that inspire change. Prizes totaling $50,000 will be awarded across both Professional and Student categories, with the winners being announced live at the Conference.

Weds. May 27th will be a day of shoulder events, including a Career Fair, free to job-seeking students and general public from surrounding communities, as well as programs focused on Contractors, Building Performance Standards, and tools for local governments.

WHO:  Keynote Speakers: CPUC Commissioner Christine Harada and Rising Sun Center of Opportunity’s President & CEO Julia Hatton. Morning Welcome Remarks: City of Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii, and Nathan Jandl, Director of Sustainability and Carbon Solutions, UC

Berkeley. USGBC-CA CEO Ben Stapleton; USGBC Senior Director, Materials and Resources Wes Sullens.

WHY:  USGBC-CA is an ecosystem that uses buildings as a central place to create positive impacts on things like energy, water, health, air quality, waste, nature, etc., and the Conference is the ultimate convening of the community focused on all these things. Everything comes home in a building somewhere. So, if we can come together to create tangible impacts on the places that we spend over 90% of our time in–where we live, work, worship, learn–we can create really positive ripple impacts across all of society.

“We are at an important moment to bring people together in positivity and demonstrate to the world that sustainability is affordability, sustainability is economic development, and sustainability is resilience,” says Ben Stapleton, CEO, USGBC California.

WHEN:  Thursday, May 28, 2025 (with only Career Fair on May 27th)

TIME: 

May 27:  3:00-5:00pm  Career Fair

May 28:  8:00am – 5:30pm  Conference Day

WHERE:  UC Berkeley, various campus buildings, centered at UC Berkeley Student Union, MLK Building:  2495 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94720

DIRECTIONS & PARKING:

• Parking on site at campus lots
• Key Public Transit Options:
• BART: Take the Red or Orange line to Downtown Berkeley Station. Exit onto Shattuck Ave and walk 2-3 blocks east toward the campus, then head south to Sproul Plaza.
• AC Transit:
  • Line 51B: Stops on Bancroft Way at Telegraph Ave (near the building).
  • Lines 6, 7, 79, 88: Serve the area near the campus on University Ave and Shattuck Ave.
• Bear Transit (Campus Shuttle): The Perimeter (P) line stops nearby (operates Monday-Friday).
• From SF: AC Transit F Line provides direct service to the campus from San Francisco.
• Pro-tip: Use the Transit app or Google Maps for real-time arrivals.
• For more information please visit Conference website

COST:

May 28th Conference:  $399 GA, $299 Nonprofit / Government / Students.

May 27th Career Fair:  No Cost.

Pre-Registration is required: https://usgbc-ca.swoogo.com/cgbc2026/begin

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.