Addressing Inequities in the Workplace

written by Diane Ernst

Meeting our energy needs sustainably is an all-hands-on-deck, technical challenge, yet only 26 percent of ‘green’ jobs in the U.S. are held by women, and less than 20 percent are held by people of color [1]. While Colorado is making progress, the clean energy industry still has a lot of work to do to truly be diverse.  Women and people of color represent a largely underutilized talent pool that could bolster innovation in clean energy.

According to the Clean Energy Ministerial, [2] a high-level global forum to promote policies and programs that advance clean energy technology, the energy industry remains one of the most gender imbalanced sectors, with women making up just 20 percent of the workforce. Green 2.0 reports that people of color represent 36 percent of the U.S. population and comprise 29 percent of the science and engineering workforce, but they do not exceed 16 percent of staff in any of the surveyed organizations. Green 2.0 calls this the ‘The Green Ceiling’.

A study completed by the Solar Industry in 2019 [3] tracked gender, race, and ethnicity in the solar workforce (see Figure 1 for breakdown by race). Their reports show that 80 percent of senior executives in the solar industry are men and only 20 percent are women.

Good News

Green 2.0 also does a ‘Transparency Report Card’ annually. This study presents diversity data from the most influential non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and foundations on the number of women and people of color on their full-time staffs, senior staffs, and boards. The full report shows the individual data for the top 40 NGOs and funders as reported over the four years. Figure 2 shows that the number of women and people of color have gone up slightly in the past 4 years.

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Why Does This Matter?

International research consistently shows that a diverse workforce and gender-balanced boardrooms result in greater organizational performance and stronger bottom lines, both in the private and public sectors. A study done by McKinsey & Company showed that more diverse companies are better able to win top talent and improve their customer orientation, employee satisfaction, and decision making [4]. This can all lead to a cycle of increasing returns. 

Workplace diversity also brings new perspectives, a wider talent pool, more innovation, happier staff and increased profits [5]. Improving workplace diversity benefits all involved. As individuals and organizations, we must acknowledge the inequities that exist for women and people of color. The critical work to care for our planet requires an intersectional mindset and it is up to us to be allies and advocate for more inclusive and equitable workplaces.

“Evidence from many sectors suggests that integrating women into all levels of the energy value chain will lead to more effective clean energy initiatives.””
— Lorena Aguilar, International Union for Conservation of Nature

What Can We Do About It?

Environmental justice should be at the forefront of all organizations. Coming together to acknowledge and make changes for a more inclusive workplace requires all of us. We applaud the many organizations that are already making space for this work in their organizations. We also see many communities and municipalities prioritizing inclusion and community engagement. However, there is always room for growth. Here are some ideas to get started:

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What this looks like:  

  • Assess your organization:

  •  Change hiring and recruitment practices to be more equitable:

  • Support women and people of color in your work:

  • Empower the next generation:

    • Support or volunteer with She’s in Power.

      • She’s in Power is a workforce development and networking program that I am involved in that is aimed at addressing the clean energy workforce gender and race gap through project-based learning.  She’s in Power teams are made up of volunteer mentees (Sparks), mentors (Energizers), and community partners (Power Partners) that develop and deploy hands-on Power Projects, each working to measurably reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Colorado. 

      • Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or if you would like to be involved. We are currently recruiting committee volunteers, mentors, and mentees. Diane@lotussustainability.com. 

    • Support or volunteer with the GRID Alternatives Program.

    • Support or volunteer with Groundwork Denver.

    • Develop an inclusive career pipeline within your organization.

  • Engage in policy and advocacy work:

Efforts at Lotus

Here at Lotus, we play a part in this as well. We acknowledge the history of systemic issues that have caused these inequalities and we understand that we have work to do. We are five white women. While we are proud of our woman-founded, women-owned, and women-led company, we realize that we are missing representation from BIPOC communities, the LGBTQ community, and those in possession of a Y-chromosome. We have consciously chosen to be a small company and, therefore, we grow slowly. When we decide it is time to expand our team, we will investigate why our previous job announcements did not reach or seem inviting to BIPOC communities. We will strive to ensure that our job announcements reach a broader audience. We will also:

  • Educate ourselves on our country’s history, identify our own internal biases, and focus on becoming better listeners.

  • Create a program that matches employee donations to organizations that align with our employees’ personal commitments.

  • Advocate for inclusivity and equity considerations in all of our work.  

As we continue to grow, we are committed to learning how to increase our team’s diversity, and we will continue to welcome and invite those with different perspectives to join our industry. Read more about our commitments in our July 2020 Blog.

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