The Flooring Sustainability Summit began today at the Westin Washington, D.C. Downtown. The opening keynote panel, featuring leading experts from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), International Interior Design Association (IIDA), U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and Green Building Initiative (GBI) engaged a keen audience, setting the stage for productive and insightful discussions on sustainability and green building practices.

“We’re thrilled with the turnout we saw on Day 1,” said Bill Griese, deputy executive director of Tile Council of North America (TCNA), a co-host of the summit. “The top minds in flooring and green building have come together for much-anticipated dialogue that will impact future industry sustainability initiatives.”

Three more expert-led panels followed throughout the day, which focused on green building standardization, health and materials reporting, and embodied carbon. Government organizations including the General Services Administration (GSA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) were represented, as well as sustainability leaders from Habitable, International WELL Building Institute, International Living Future Institute, U.S. Green Building Council, and Green Building Initiative. After each panel, attendees broke into interest-based groups to dive deeper into the topics at hand.

 Day 2 of the summit unfolds tomorrow at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, with rapid-fire sustainability briefings and networking opportunities with industry and government leaders. Program details are available at FlooringSummit.com.