The acceleration of a renewable-based global energy transition represents our only option to ensure the world remains on a 1.5°C-compatible trajectory. However, this pathway relies on our collective ability to prioritise actions such as the modernisation and expansion of infrastructure, policy and market adaptation, and institutional and human capacity development.

As the world moves towards a renewables-based energy system, the nature and priorities of energy security will evolve in step with these essential elements of the transition. This report cautions against transposing the thinking from the fossil fuel era to a such a system, and places the well-being of people and the planet at the centre of the evolving energy security narrative.

It identifies multiple issues that should be systematically considered to guide national decision making on resource endowments and comparative advantages, as well as the existing and emergent threats to a highly complex and integrated new energy paradigm, as governments make significant investments in infrastructure for systems that are increasingly electrified, digitalised and decentralised.

This reports aims to highlight the current lack of cognitive diversity within the energy sector, exploring statistics and drawing conclusions on specific impediments faced by women in the sector; reiterate research findings on the power of diversity to produce better business results focusing on the gender parity co-benefits for the energy industry; and examine best practices and strategies to foster rebalancing of the industry’s talent pool. This is accomplished employing both a moralistic approach – gender equality is a matter of social fairness and human rights; but also business pragmatism – highlighting that the magnitude of the challenge calls for cognitive diversity and creativity across the energy value chain to sustain the disruptive pressures and perform in a carbon-constrained policy and economic reality. The author also argues that in a world inflamed by the temptations of populism, maintaining societal or workforce divisions will only compound the transition trajectory. Ignoring the alarming signs around the changing societal paradigms and discounting the proverbial issue of societal cohesion in energy transition scenarios and roadmaps will render the 2030 and 2050 milestones meaningless and discredit the end of century climate neutrality and prosperity vision.

Energy transition |  Diversity in Energy |  Energy-Climate-Gender Nexus | Women Empowerment & Inclusion | Women in Energy

MARCH, 2020