Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice
Green Building United is committed to improving diversity and inclusion across the organization and strives to center equity and racial justice in our work.
GBU can only realize its mission and goals effectively by achieving greater diversity - whether of race, gender, sexual orientation, or ability - among the stakeholders who inform and engage with our work. GBU crosses different professional disciplines working to design, build, and maintain spaces for all, many of which have a history of being homogenous and exclusionary. As a member based organization, working closely with professionals, organizations, and institutions, we are committed to being a resource within this community and continue our own work towards anti-racism.
Defining our work
It is important to define what we mean by Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice in order to set goals and work towards them. We define these terms using definitions from the JEDI Collaborative.
Diversity - All the differences between us based on which we experience advantages or encounter barriers to opportunities. Diversity isn’t just about racial differences.
Equity - Allocating resources to ensure everyone has access to the same opportunities. Equity recognizes that advantages and barriers
—the ‘isms’—exist.
Inclusion - Fostering a sense of belonging by centering, valuing, and amplifying the voices, perspectives and styles of those who experience more barriers based on their identities.
Justice - Dismantling barriers to resources and opportunities in society so that all individuals and communities can live a full and dignified life.
Commitments
- Providing more racial justice training for our board, staff, and volunteers
- Amplifying the messages of diverse voices and communities of color in the green building and sustainability industries
- Building stronger partnerships with minority owned businesses and building industry organizations
- Addressing the legacy of environmental racism in our policy and advocacy work. Green Building United is a signatory of the the Equitable and Just National Climate Platform.
Get Involved
Meeting Schedule: Monthly | Third Wednesday | 9:00 - 10:00 am ET
Want to volunteer with this Committee? Contact Yogesh Saoji, Committee Chair
Resources
Background Information
- The Greenlining Institute - Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Framework
- Council of Nonprofits - Why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Matter for Nonprofits
- Subtle Acts of Exclusion: How to Understand, Identify, and Stop Microaggressions [book]
- Critical Race Theory [book]
- Race Forward - What is Systemic Racism [videos]
- Housing Segregation in Everything
- National League of Cities - Embedding Racial Equity in Housing
- SURJ - The Characteristics of White Supremecy Culture
- Citylab - America’s Cities Were Designed to Oppress
- Beyond Redlining [videos]
Environmental Racism & Justice
- Black Press USA - Why “green buildings” are a civil rights issue
- Time - Why the Larger Climate Movement Is Finally Embracing the Fight Against Environmental Racism
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health - Air pollution linked with higher COVID-19 death rates
- Harvard Civil Rights - Civil Liberties Law Review - Anti-Resilience: A Roadmap for Transformational Justice within the Energy System
- The Principles of Environmental Justice (EJ)
- People of Color in Environmental & Climate Justice
Tools and Frameworks
- The Greenlining Institute - Racial Equity Toolkit
- National League of Cities - Race, Equity, And Leadership (REAL)
- Local and Regional Government Alliance on Race and Equity - Tools & Resources
- Equitable & Just National Climate Platform
- Anti-Racism Resources
- dRworks - Dismantling Racism Works web workbook
- Black Women in Architecture Network
- Design Justice for Black Lives
- Green 2.0
- Free Environmental Justice Tool (ejtoolkit.com)
- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Recruitment, Hiring and Retention
This is a living list of resources and readings. If you would like to add any additional resources to this list, please email rfreeh@greenbuildingunited.org.