Zero Emission Building Summit 2026

Working at the intersection of forestry, construction and climate action, Des O’Toole champions the use of sustainably grown Irish timber in the built environment. With more than 30 years of experience across the forestry and forest products sector, he works to increase the adoption of timber as a low-carbon construction

Jennifer Whitty is a senior sustainability professional with expertise in sustainability strategy, corporate reporting, and project management. She holds an MSc in Sustainable Development from Technological University Dublin (First Class Honours) and a BSc in Applied Physics, and is a PMI Certified Project Manager. Jennifer applies a structured, analytical approach

Minister Browne has previously served as Minister of State at the Department of Justice with responsibility for International Law, Law Reform and Youth Justice, in which capacity he led significant modernisation, including leading the reform and strengthening of Ireland’s gambling legislation, revision of Ireland’s defamation laws, and reform of youth

A researcher specialising in building energy performance and retrofit, her work focuses on understanding and improving Ireland’s housing stock. She is a funded investigator with the MaREI Centre and a founder of the Irish Building Stock Observatory.

Director of Construct Innovate and Established Professor at the University of Galway, working to transform construction through digitalisation, productivity improvements and sustainable building practices. He collaborates widely with industry and research partners to accelerate innovation across the built environment sector.