Four leaders in the energy sector have joined forces to promote greater transparency and accountability in terms of diversity and inclusion.
Jonathan Brearley, Chief Executive Officer of Ofgem, Emma Pinchbeck, CEO of Energy UK, Lawrence Slade, CEO of Energy Networks Association and Nick Wayth, CEO of the Energy Institute, are leading a campaign to encourage companies across the industry to participate in this year’s Inclusion Measurement Framework.
The framework, developed in collaboration with industry stakeholders, serves as a comprehensive tool to collect data on workforce demographics and protected characteristics.
Its goal is to establish a baseline for evaluating the diversity within the energy sector and identify areas for improvement.
The CEOs argue that advancing diversity and inclusion is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic advantage.
A diverse and inclusive workforce, they contend, fosters innovation, enhances decision-making processes, and positions organisations to effectively tackle the evolving challenges of the energy industry.
Despite the presence of initiatives like POWERful Women and Pride in Energy, focused on gender and LGBTQ+ inclusion, and efforts in subsectors like nuclear and offshore wind to measure and set diversity targets, there remains a significant gap in industry-wide data.
This gap prevents a clear understanding of the current state of diversity in the energy sector and hinders meaningful efforts to set and achieve diversity goals.
Jonathan Brearley said: “We’ve faced some turbulent times recently in the energy sector and there are plenty of challenges still ahead as we help build an energy system that must be more affordable, cleaner, and secure for all.
“As with any great challenge, to be successful we need a wide array of people with all kinds of skills, backgrounds, and perspectives to bring their talents to the table.”
Nick Wayth, CEO, Energy Institute said: “Having a diverse workforce will be vital in meeting our future energy needs. Gathering data which can be measured is imperative to ensuring the energy sector develops and innovates.”
