A number of high profile energy companies launched a campaign last week to tackle gender inequality in the energy industry and see more women in leadership roles.
What is the current state of women in the energy industry?
In a word, abysmal. At present, the energy industry is coming under serious fire for its notable lack of gender diversity and it’s not difficult to see why. Recent studies showed that women in the UK’s top 80 energy firms are occupying only 13% of board seats (up only 2% from last year) and only 6% of executive board seats. Half had no women on the boards at all. This may have gone unnoticed a few years ago, but changing attitudes have brought it into the light as an industry-wide problem.
Here at the main GreenAge offices, the ladies finally outnumber the men for the first time in the company’s history. That’s why our office is far more organised, our content is better than ever, and our evenings out are more likely to end in hangover.
What is the Energy Leaders Coalition and how will it help women in the energy industry?
The Energy Leaders Coalition initiative is all about getting more women into management and leadership positions within the energy sector. Signatories of the pledge included the CEOs and senior executives at some of the industries leading firms, such as Scottish Power, Good Energy, National Grid, SSE, EDF Energy, Ørsted UK, innogy Renewables UK, and Shell.
Apart from anything else, it’s just good business. At the moment, talented women are being lost to the energy industry when the stagnated male-centric companies fail to allow them the same opportunities they might find elsewhere. Making a conscious effort to iron out these gender biases will result in more talent at the highest level of industry, more candidates and competition for roles, and a much needed rejuvenation of UK energy. As Business Secretary Greg Clark has said, “if companies fail to have diversity at the top of their business they are missing out on the full talent available to them”.
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Hmm. Almost a year later and very little change. It’s a shame that such an important industry is remaining so stagnant in the face of social change.