Informa Exhibitions and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced today 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 Nov. 14-16. Clooney will speak at the Opening Plenary on Wednesday, Nov. 14 from 9-10 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. 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,” said Kate Hurst, SVP of Conferences and Events, USGBC. 

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 a number of posts within the United Nations, including senior adviser to Kofi Annan when he served as the UN Envoy on Syria. Clooney is on the UK 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.

“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 3-day and 4-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  www.greenbuildexpo.com and follow @Greenbuild on Twitter and tweet hashtag #Greenbuild18 to join the conversation.