Sustainable building means diversity – diversity of opportunities, perspectives and people. This very diversity takes centre stage at our digital annual congress. The event regularly takes stock of where we stand on sustainable building and explores promising paths towards a sustainable future for the construction and real estate sector. Over the years, the DGNB Annual Congress has become one of the year's highlights when it comes to unpacking the complexity of sustainable building and examining it in detail.
In 2026, the DGNB will host the congress for the fifth time – featuring a first: an international day. This additional day will be dedicated entirely to international perspectives on sustainability, climate action and ESG in construction.
DGNB Annual Congress 2026: schedule
When: 3–5 March 2026
Where: Online
Please note: The programme will take place exclusively online. On-site participation is not possible. The programme on 3 and 4 March will be in German. International participants can follow the diskussions and keynotes via English subtitles. The programme on 5 March will be held entirely in English.
| 10:00 - 10:45 | Moderated talk Opening of the DGNB Annual Congress Our speakers will be:
Moderation: Felix Jansen, DGNB |
|---|---|
| 10:45 - 11:20 | Keynote speech followed by dialogue Speaker: Oliver Rapf, BPIE – Buildings Performance Institute Europe Following the presentation, the speaker will answer questions from the participants. |
| 11:20 - 11:55 | Keynote speech followed by dialogue Speaker: Prof Dr Martin Pehnt, ifeu – Institut für Energie- und Umweltforschung Heidelberg Following the presentation, the speaker will answer questions from the participants. |
| 11:55 - 12:45 | Themed discussion room The (difficult) path from global to national: Why climate action in construction is not already standard with an introductory presentation by Barbara Metz Our speakers will be:
Moderation: Dr. Christine Lemaitre, DGNB |
| 12:45 - 13:30 | Open Stage DGNB members introduce themselves Members who will participate: K2 Architekten, S. Siedle & Söhne Telefon- und Fotografenwerke, mtec3, SustainEstates, Hottenroth Software, Wüstenrot Haus- und Städtebau, WoodenValley, VinylPlus Deutschland, ArcelorMittal Germany, Peutz Consult, ED. Züblin AG – MOLENO, CM Umwelt, Lagus, A|U|F, Purpose Green, MEGAeG, Aris Systeme, Sika Deutschland |
| 13:30 - 14:00 | Break |
| 14:00 - 14:45 | Keynote speech followed by dialogue Speaker: Gabriele Pfründer, Gebäudemanagement Schleswig-Holstein AöR (GMSH) Following the presentation, the speaker will answer questions from the participants. |
| 14:45 - 15:30 | Themed discussion room Local authorities and federal states in a tight spot: how sustainable construction can work even when funds are scarce Our speakers will be:
Moderation: Matthias Schäpers, DGNB |
| 15:30 - 16:15 | Themed discussion room Maximum impact with minimum effort: how much simplification can certification tolerate? Our speakers will be:
Moderation: Felix Jansen, DGNB |
| 16:15 - 16:45 | Wrap-up Take-aways from Day 1 of the DGNB Annual Congress Our speakers will be:
Moderator: Felix Jansen, DGNB |
| 10:00 - 10:45 | Moderated talk 'Bauturbo' Rapid Housing Development: What Next? New Opportunities for Local Authorities Our speakers will be:
Moderation: Dr. Christine Lemaitre, DGNB |
|---|---|
| 10:45 - 11:30 | Keynote speech followed by dialogue Risks and resilience in the face of climate change Speaker: Dr Steffen Hinss, Munich Re Following the presentation, the speaker will answer questions from the participants. |
| 11:30 - 12:15 | Themed discussion room From Ambition to Financing: Sustainable Finance for Real Estate Projects Our speakers will be:
Moderation: Seema Issar, DGNB |
| 12:15 - 13:00 | Themed discussion room Debate on costs revisited: How much truth is behind the myth of additional costs associated with sustainable construction? Our speakers will be:
Moderation: Felix Jansen, Abteilungsleiter PR, Kommunikation und Marketing, DGNB |
| 13:00 - 13:30 | Open Stage DGNB members introduce themselves Members who will participate: One Click LCA, Soriwa, Sustainaccount, Blocher partners sustain, Weiterbildung Wissenschaft Wuppertal, Deutsche Bauchemie, ED. Züblin AG - BESTAND BEYOND, ATP Sustain, Fraunhofer Informationszentrum Raum und Bau, PREFORM, WINGS-FERNSTUDIUM an der Hochschule Wismar, Öko-Zentrum NRW |
| 13:30 - 14:00 | Break |
| 14:00 - 14:45 | Themed discussion room Award-winning architecture: Why the Mehrzweckhalle Ingerkingen (i.e. Ingerkingen multi-purpose hall) is a model of renovation culture with an introductory presentation by Kilian Juraschitz Our speakers will be:
Moderation: Felix Jansen, DGNB |
| 14:45 - 15:30 | Themed discussion room Responsibility 2.0: The impact of sufficiency as a guiding principle in architecture Our speakers will be:
Moderation: Matthias Schäpers, DGNB |
| 15:30 - 16:15 | Themed discussion room Global challenges, local answers: How to shift common architectural practice to become more appropriate Our speakers will be:
Moderation: Dr. Christine Lemaitre, DGNB |
| 16:15 - 16:45 | Wrap-up Take-aways from Day 2 of the DGNB Annual Congress Our speakers will be:
Moderation: Felix Jansen, DGNB |
| 10:00 - 10:15 | Moderated talk Setting the scene at DGNB’s first International Day Our speakers will be:
Moderation: Felix Jansen, DGNB |
|---|---|
| 10:15 - 11:00 | Themed discussion room Expanding the network: Insights into the markets of the newest DGNB System Partners Our speakers will be:
Moderation: Dr Christine Lemaitre, DGNB |
| 11:00- 12:00 | Themed discussion room 3 spotlights in 1 hour: SHIFT, Social Positive Award and ESG Verification for the EU Taxonomy
Moderation: Felix Jansen, DGNB |
| 12:00 - 13:00 | Themed discussion room CPEA & Taxonomy: building a common language for buildings Our speakers will be:
Moderation: Seema Issar, CPEA |
| 13:00 - 14:00 | Break |
| 14:00 - 14:45 | Themed discussion room More than green: How DGNB Certification is making an impact internationally Our speakers will be:
Moderation: Johannes Kreißig, DGNB |
| 14:45 - 15:30 | Themed discussion room Knowledge as a key factor: How sustainable building is becoming mainstream Our speakers will be:
Further speakers will follow shortly. Moderation: Maresa Schmid, DGNB |
| 15:30 - 16:15 | Themed discussion room First Movers Roundtable: Pioneers of DGNB Certification internationally Our speakers will be:
Further speakers will follow shortly. Moderation: Johannes Kreißig, DGNB |
| 16:15 - 16:45 | Wrap-up Final thoughts and take-aways Our speakers will be:
Moderation: Felix Jansen, DGNB |
Continuing professional development points for architects:
The DGNB Annual Congress 2026 has been recognised as a further education and training event by the Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Architects and has been submitted to the Chamber of Architects of North Rhine-Westphalia for recognition. Participants who attend all congress programme sessions (excluding the Open Stage) on 3 and 4 March will receive eight continuing professional development hours after the event. You can request your participation confirmation directly when registering.
Please note that DGNB continuing professional development points will not be awarded. Therefore, participation in the DGNB Annual Congress cannot be used to maintain a licence for DGNB Certification experts. Information on how to maintain your DGNB licence can be found here.
Your contact
Julia Treiber
Project Manager Trade Fairs and Events
- Phone: +49-711-722322-29
- Email: J.TREIBER@DGNB.DE