The 2025 Flooring Sustainability Summit officially kicked off Wednesday, July 16 at the historic Mayflower Hotel, featuring a dynamic lineup of speakers, panels, and workshops. The event brought together leaders from the flooring and green building sectors to address evolving sustainability challenges and opportunities. 

An opening keynote address by leaders from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) set the tone for the day by allowing an open conversation between two major organizations at the forefront of sustainable design and construction. The keynote was followed by a high-level panel discussion featuring top voices from the Green Building Initiative (GBI), ASTM International, USGBC, and AIA. Together, they discussed the evolving sustainability landscape, including the policy, regulatory, and market drivers shaping the industry. Attendees gained insight on how prioritizing sustainability can create long-term business value through early adoption and strategic planning.

Chuck Chaitovitz, Vice President of Environmental Affairs and Sustainability for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, delivered a briefing on how the Chamber can support the flooring industry in advancing its sustainability initiatives, and how that can drive business growth—aligning environmental progress with business priorities.

A panel moderated by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) focused on circularity as a key strategy for reducing waste, conserving resources, and promoting environmental responsibility. Panelists shared where they see the greatest opportunities to advance circularity within the value chain and highlighted the strategies that have proven most effective in achieving their circularity goals.

To close the day, focus shifted to the importance of sustainability education across the entire flooring value chain. Speakers emphasized the importance for transparency and collaboration at every stakeholder level to align sustainability strategies with real-world implementation.

The Summit continues at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center with an architectural panel, a series of high-level sustainability briefings, and networking opportunities with industry and government leaders.