{"id":64497,"date":"2024-07-31T09:38:15","date_gmt":"2024-07-31T16:38:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/energi.media\/?p=64497"},"modified":"2024-07-31T09:38:15","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T16:38:15","slug":"bridging-the-gender-gap-to-net-zero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/energi.media\/news\/bridging-the-gender-gap-to-net-zero\/","title":{"rendered":"Bridging the gender gap to net-zero"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article was published by the Pembina Institute<\/a> on July 31, 2024.<\/em><\/p>\n

By <\/strong><\/em>Margret Nellissery<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The challenge: women represent about half of the population and nearly half of the Canadian workforce, but only represent about 25 per cent of the energy workforce. In a nation with a demonstrated interest in diversity and equity, representation in key sectors like energy should be proportionate to Canada\u2019s diverse population. This mirrors other sectors such as healthcare, arts and cultural services, all of which have achieved more equitable representation of women.<\/p>\n

These issues were the focus of a presentation I provided at the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) conference in Edmonton last week. I shared information about the big challenges as well as the inspiring potential for equity seeking groups involved in the energy transition. The information is from research conducted by the Pembina Institute’s Equitable Transition team.<\/p>\n

Percentage of women in the energy industry in Canada<\/h3>\n

The following chart from our report,\u00a0Canada’s Energy-Fuelled Gender Gap<\/a>, breaks down representation of genders by subsector.<\/p>\n

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\"Per<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Not only are women under-represented in the energy sector, but when it comes to representation at the leadership level, that number declines even further. \u00a0In mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, only 13 per cent of leadership positions are held by women. We also see more women than men represented in administrative positions, which are lower paying on average. This is consistent with broader trends where more women occupy lower-paying roles within a company or industry which perpetuates a gendered wage gap, but also reinstates the bias that women are not able to achieve in the same ways as men in their careers.<\/p>\n

The underrepresentation of women in leadership and overrepresentation of women in administrative roles in the energy sector is a major driver of Canada\u2019s national wage gap.<\/p>\n

We have seen positive steps taken by employers to promote gender equality, such as\u00a0Equal by 30<\/a>, the joint Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) and International Energy Agency (IEA) initiative to which\u00a0Canada is a signatory<\/a>, but there is more work to be done. Investments and cultural shifts to normalize equality, such as diversity equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, have not resulted in significant growth in women\u2019s leadership over time.<\/p>\n

New energy economy should deliver diversity benefits<\/h3>\n

We need to see radical improvements and a reversal of these trends in the traditional energy industry. Similarly, there is an opportunity to set new equity standards in a clean energy and the net zero-aligned economy to realize greater social benefits for all equity-deserving groups. With\u00a0projected investments<\/a>\u00a0of $3 trillion in the energy sector worldwide, we must ensure every dollar is spent in a way that maximizes positive impacts for workers and communities.<\/p>\n

Modelling by the Pembina Institute and the Canadian Labour Congress shows what could be the potential workforce impact of the energy transformation in this country.<\/p>\n

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\"Growth<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Canada will need to equip the current and future workforce with skills and knowledge to meet the upcoming labour demand \u2013 and we must make a concerted effort to recruit, retain, and extend job opportunities to newcomers, Indigenous people, women, and others who have historically been left behind.<\/p>\n

Advancing an equitable and sustainable energy workforce requires everyone to do their part. We need employers to develop inclusive workplace policies, buy-in from leadership and executives to honour these policies, educational institutions to reinforce the importance equity principles across all fields of work, and government investment to support broader access well-paying, safe and equitable jobs in a decarbonized economy. In our report,\u00a0Equitable Net-Zero<\/a>, we put forward more than 50 recommendations to develop a sustainable energy workforce across four categories:<\/p>\n