GBI Meetings Code of Conduct

Updated and Approved December 14, 2023

General

The Green Building Initiative, Inc. (“GBI” or the “Organization”) is committed to providing a welcoming, safe, and productive environment for all participants at GBI hosted meetings whether in person or online. GBI has several policies that define expectations that meet the values and objectives of GBI leadership, including its Code of Ethics; Conflict of Interest Policy; Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging; and this specific policy on conduct during GBI hosted meetings.

This Meetings Code of Conduct must be followed for all GBI meetings, including those hosted by others on GBI’s behalf. It does not replace or modify any policies set forth in GBI’s Employee Handbook or Antitrust Statement.

Expected Behavior

• Treat all participants, attendees, GBI staff, and consultants with respect and consideration while valuing diversity of views, backgrounds, and opinions.
• Be collaborative and work together to reach the best available outcome. Focus on the purpose and expected outcomes of the meeting.
• Communicate openly with honesty, fairness, integrity, and respect for others, critiquing ideas rather than individuals.
• When expressing disagreement on a subject matter, do so in a manner that is respectful of the perspective of others and the right of others to have and express opinions contrary to your own.
• Respect the rules and policies of the meeting venue.
• Respect other’s rights to contribute by speaking only for the appropriate or allotted time.
• Interrupt the Chair or another speaker only for a Point of Order (see Robert’s Rules of Order).
• Seek recognition from the Chair or meeting leader before speaking.
• Use motions to progress meetings and gain consensus. Motions must relate to the business at hand, must not be obstructive or frivolous, and must be seconded.
• Ensure equal participation and guard against dominance by one or a small group of the committee or guests.
• Beware of scope creep—discussions or suggestions that would expand the scope of the purpose for the meeting or for documents under review.
• When any discussion topic does not quickly converge into consensus, assign 2 or more members who were actively participating in the discussion to work together to provide proposed content in time for the next meeting and record that as an action item.
• Adhere to the GBI Antitrust Policy.

Unacceptable Behavior

• Personal attacks directed toward other attendees, participants, committees, GBI staff, or consultants are never acceptable.
• Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form will not be tolerated. This includes belittling or threatening behavior and undermining an individual or group through attempts to influence using demands or risk of harm or embarrassment. It also includes behavior prior to, during, or after a meeting expressed via email or phone, or other contact that is overly demanding, domineering, reprimanding, or insulting in nature.
• Overt criticism of another participant’s input or vote in a way that diminishes their contribution or expertise is prohibited.
• Physical, verbal, or cyber abuse of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, GBI staff member, consultant or other meeting guest will not be tolerated. Abuse can include an uninvited email, phone call, or contact expressing opinions in a manner that would constitute unacceptable behavior at a meeting. This can include opinions expressed about another participant’s contribution, opinion, or vote.
• Additional examples of unacceptable behavior include but are not limited to the following: verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, national origin; inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces or in presentations; and threatening or stalking any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, GBI staff member, service provider or other meeting guest.
• Recording or taking photography of another individual’s presentation without the explicit permission of the speaker or GBI is prohibited.
• Persistent disruption of GBI-sponsored meetings or events at the meeting venue, whether online or in person, will not be tolerated.

Consequences

• Anyone may request that unacceptable behavior be stopped.
• Anyone requested to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately.
• GBI staff or their designee may take any action deemed necessary and appropriate, including muting an attendee during a web meeting or call and/or immediate removal from the meeting without warning or refund.
• GBI reserves the right to prohibit attendance of anyone who has engaged in unacceptable behavior at any future meeting.

Reporting Unacceptable Behavior

The following options are available for reporting unacceptable behavior.

• If you believe you have witnessed or been subjected to unacceptable behavior during a meeting related to GBI’s consensus standards development or non-standards public input processes, promptly notify GBI’s Secretariat in writing at secretariat@thegbi.org.  If the Secretariat is unavailable or you are uncomfortable reporting the incident to the Secretariat, you may follow GBI’s Whistleblower Policy and email concerns@thegbi.org.
• If you believe you have witnessed or been subjected to unacceptable behavior during any other meeting hosted by GBI, promptly notify the President & CEO of GBI in writing at president-ceo@thegbi.org. If the President is unavailable or you are uncomfortable reporting the incident to the President, you may follow GBI’s Whistleblower Policy and email concerns@thegbi.org.

Enforcement

Governing Body

The following enforcement guidelines provide mechanisms for fair resolution of matters involving this Meetings Code of Conduct. Unless otherwise determined by GBI’s Executive Committee, the organization’s Standards & Rules Committee (the “SR Committee”) is the sole arbiter regarding any enforcement action, and the decision of the SR Committee for a matter involving the Meeting Code of Conduct is final and binding with respect to each participant involved in such matter.

Violations

Many violations of the Meetings Code of Conduct are unintentional, such as a passionate plea during a call that may be considered “out of order” by Robert’s Rules of Order or an interruption of another speaker. Occasionally, violations are more pronounced, such as denouncing an individual rather than objecting to the technical information provided. These conduct and enforcement measures are in place to guard against the potential for passion to cross the line into intimidation, where examples may include shouting, yelling, stonewalling, aggressive and forceful pressuring so as to diminish another individual’s interest in future participation, and emailing or calling individuals causing the potential for embarrassment or peer pressure regarding positions or votes taken. The latter examples are those considered egregious violations.

Enforcement Process

Although not required, GBI will generally use the progressive disciplinary process outlined below.  GBI takes all violations and complaints of a potential violation seriously.

Hearings

A hearing of the SR Committee will be conducted for all Level 3 violations. In addition, a participant who has violated the Meetings Code of Conduct has the right to submit a written request for a hearing with the SR Committee at any time. A hearing date will be set within 10 to 60 calendar days of the Level 3 violation or receipt of request. The hearing will follow the format used for GBI Standards appeals hearings (see Section 7 of GBI’s ANSI-approved consensus procedures), where the participant may state their case.  The decision of the SR Committee is final and binding.