With Earth Day around the corner, convention centers and event spaces look for ways to integrate sustainability into their organization. Located in one of America’s most bustling metropolitan areas, New York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center proves you don’t have to sacrifice your sustainability goals for the convenience of a walkable location. Through investment in eco-friendly infrastructure and operations, Javits Center demonstrates that sustainability can benefit both the environment and the bottom line.
Farm to Table
The North Javits rooftop is home to a one-acre rooftop farm. Named after former CEO Alan Steel, the Steel Farm produces more than 50 different type of crops per year with over 80% of the annual harvest being used by their in-house catering team, CULTIVATED – creating a true farm-to-table experience for customers, exhibitors and guests. The farm is accompanied by the food forest, which includes 34 apple trees and 6 pear trees, located on The Terrace where guests can get an interactive experience to enhance the atmosphere of any event.
Going Green
Javits Center’s 6.75-acre green roof provides a multitude of environmental benefits – for both the facility and the community. The rooftop sedum absorbs around 7 million gallons of rainwater runoff, preventing it from overwhelming the city sewers or nearby Hudson River. It also reduces the urban heat island effect in the area by about 1.9 degrees Fahrenheit. Inside the building, the green roof acts as natural insulation – holding in the cool air in the summer months and warm air in the winter months. As a result of all their sustainable initiatives, Javits Center’s annual energy consumption has been reduced by 26%. Energy-reducing practices include only heating or cooling spaces when they are in use and slowing down the speed of escalators when no one is on them.
They’ve Got the Power
Javits Center’s green roof is home to 2,000+ solar panels that power 10% of our entire 3.3 million square foot campus. In addition to investing in renewable energy, the facility participates in Demand Response, an energy reduction program designed to reduce the risk of blackouts during periods of high demand on the power grid, such as heat waves. Last summer, Javits Center received more than $1 million for their participation in the program. This marked their largest check to date and is another example of how sustainability pays off.
Friend to Animals
Javits Center is more than just a convention center; it is a haven for wildlife. The New York icon has been at the forefront of bird-friendly design since the installation of 6,000 bird-safe glass panels during the renovation ten years ago. The new glass reduced bird collisions by 90% and their success story was used to advocate for new legislation requiring new constructions to use similar glass. The green roof also provides essential habitat for migrating birds with 72 species of birds and five species of bats being spotted on the roof so far. They join a productive herring gull colony where more than 150 nests can be spotted each season.
Waste Not
Waste diversion is a major challenge all convention centers face across the industry. Javits Center faced that challenge head on and was able to achieve a 45% diversion rate in 2024 – nearly doubling their diversion rate from 2022. Through streamlining waste streams and ongoing training and communication, Javits Center has recycled 458 cardboard bales, which could cover the entire length of Manhattan if laid flat. Through the JavitsCares donation program, items left behind by exhibitors are donated to local community organizations. In 2024, more than 145 tons of items were donated through the JavitsCares program – including a spectacular 15-foot, 1,100-pound crystal chandelier donated by Bluebird Lighting.
Trucking Through
The 2021 expansion introduced a new four-story truck marshaling building with space to park 200 semitrucks. This immediately reduced traffic in the neighborhood, reduced emissions, and created an easier load in and load out process with trucks being able to stay parked at their assigned loading dock. Javits Center’s focus on creating an excellent experience for everyone that enters their building extends to the truck marshaling building, with a special lounge for truck drivers who are making deliveries.
Javits Center serves as an example for the built community in how organizations can incorporate sustainability into their operations without sacrificing quality of work. Their sustainable operations make an impact beyond their front doors, including attracting events with their own sustainability goals, which serves their mission to create jobs and generate impact for a more prosperous and sustainable New York.
