The annual U.S. Green Building Council conference, called Convergence, is in Jacksonville this week at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront.
People are coming from around the country to discuss innovations in sustainable practices.
Maxine Bedat, oo-founder of Zady, a climate-conscious clothing company, was the keynote speaker Thursday afternoon. She said her clothes are good for people and the planet.
“It’s design that starts with the used and works forward from there, so that every product that is created is made to enjoyed and owned rather than consumed and discarded," Bedat said.
Bedat said her upbringing helped to inspire her to create her green business.
“From the certification process, (my parent's) general human interest in doing good, doing the right thing, became full on composting environmentalism,” Bedat said.
Bedat added that before creating Zady, she did not consider herself an environmentalist. But doing what she too thought was right led her to sustainability.
The conference wraps up Thursday with Community Sustainability Projects in Jacksonville, including beach clean-ups, and an energy-efficiency audit of the city’s veterans’ facility.