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The Jacob Javits Convention Center has joined the Net Zero Carbon Events pledge.
Read all about it!At the Javits Center, sustainability has become a critical focus in an effort to improve the quality of life for our employees, visitors, surrounding neighborhood and ecosystem. Ultimately, we are striving to be a model of sustainable practices for the exhibition industry, buildings across New York City and the surrounding community. We are working with several institutions to study the impact of our conservation efforts while introducing new elements that we believe will have a maximum impact on the environment. As a part of our recent expansion, we have installed a one-acre rooftop farm, as well as a rooftop orchard and greenhouse, along with a host of other sustainable upgrades. All of this builds on our efforts to transform the convention center into a wildlife sanctuary and a leader in energy conservation. For us, the journey has only just begun.
While the Javits Center's sustainability journey began over ten years ago, with renovations during a span of 5 years (2009-2014), our journey to net zero carbon emissions has ramped up since the publication of our 2021 Sustainability Report. Furthermore, our commitment to the Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE) Pledge in 2021 and the release of Governor Hochul's 2022 New York State Executive Order 22 have advanced out sustainability and climate positive ambitions.
A Wildlife Habitat
Pavilion + Orchard
The Green Roof
The Farm
Jacob's Harvest
The Javits Center’s state-of-the-art, nearly 7-acre green roof can absorb up to seven million gallons of storm water run-off annually, while reducing heat gain throughout the building. As a result of all of our sustainable initiatives, the facility's annual energy consumption has been reduced by 26%.
The Javits Center is home to nine beehives across our north and south green roofs. Because honey bees will travel two to three miles to forage, it is assumed that they are feeding from the green roof, as well as the nearby High Line and Hudson River Park.
The green roof has become a habitat for 65 bird species and five bat species, serving as a wildlife oasis in an environment dominated by concrete and steel. Even our 6,000+ glass panels are bird-friendly, reducing bird collisions by 90% since installation.
The green roof is comprised of sedum, a low-lying rock plant that was grown in Syracuse, NY. In the warmer seasons, the plants are bright green. But in the fall and winter, the plants gradually change their colors to red and orange tones. Here's a close-up of the wonderful plants that make up our green roof.
Since 2017, we have been harvesting about 200 lbs of honey per year from the beehives we installed on our green roof. Called Jacob’s Honey, the honey has been incorporated into salad dressings, breakfast bars, infused waters, and a variety of other culinary creations.
Spanning one acre on our rooftop, the Farm produces over 50 crops per year that are incorporated into the meals we serve to our guests. It also serves as a living laboratory for environmental researchers and students of all ages across NYC.
Yashi Dadhich is the Director of Energy and Sustainability at the Javits Center, the busiest convention center in the United States. As a result-oriented ambitious sustainability professional, Ms. Dadhich leads the iconic venue’s award-winning sustainability program, which includes the largest green roof in New York State, a unique wildlife habitat, a one-acre working farm and one of the region’s leading energy conservation initiatives. Ms. Dadhich’s goal is to align creative and innovative sustainable business strategies into organizations to reduce their impacts on our planet and our communities. Since 2016, she has been working as an independent consultant with a variety of high-profile clients, including several Fortune 100 companies. Before joining the Javits Center, Ms. Dadhich was working with Hyperloop Transportation Technologies as their Sustainability Lead, where she collaborated with multiple departments to embed ESG initiatives at the corporate level and oversee calculations of impacts from the construction of this futuristic technology to help them identify the low impact materials and methodologies. Ms. Dadhich participated in revising the guidelines for conducting Social Life Cycle Assessment for Products and Organizations at UNEP, Paris. The guidelines were published by UNEP in December 2020, and Ms. Dadhich was a contributing author for the document. Ms. Dadhich holds a graduate degree in Sustainability and a certificate in Corporate Sustainability and Innovation from Harvard University.
Grace Knauss officially joined the Javits Center as the Event Sustainability Lead in 2025 but her journey on our green roof began much earlier. In the summer of 2023, Grace participated in the Drexel co-op program where she worked with the Javits Center sustainability team on multiple projects, including the creation of the pre-event sustainability survey and getting hands-on experience on our one-acre rooftop farm to further understand their processes. She graduated from Drexel University in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering. With her technical background, Grace takes an analytical approach to helping clients meet their event’s sustainability goals. Prior to joining Javits Center, Grace worked on multiple projects that touched on sustainable agriculture in an urban environment and community outreach. She worked on a pick-your-own fruit orchard that provided fresh produce to the community and provided educational experiences for all ages. While working for Conetec Inc. as a field engineer, she performed the geotechnical work for renewable energy projects, including wind and solar farms in the Midwest. As a Technical Research Specialist for Plenty Unlimited Inc., she maintained more than 50 farmpod units and aided in research surrounding vertical hydroponic systems for a variety of crops.
Through our innovative sustainability efforts, the Javits Center is poised to sustain a green environment far into the future. Most importantly, our dedication to sustainability embodies everything that the Javits Center stands for: world-class technological innovation, resourcefulness and an unrivaled commitment to excellence. View our Sustainability Reports below:
2023
2021
2019
2017
Within New York City, public transportation is always a quick and affordable way to go- and the opening of the new 7 Subway line extension across the street makes the trip even more convenient.
Arriving from out of state? We have directions and helpful tips whether you are arriving by car, train, plane, or more.
429 11th Avenue
New York, NY 10001
(212) 216-2000
moreinfo@javitscenter.com
