The Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA is hosting a series of energy and climate-focused events during Climate Week NYC from September 22-29, 2024. These events will bring together policymakers, industry leaders, scholars, and students to discuss innovative solutions, share research, and promote policies for a sustainable and equitable energy future. Topics include global renewable energy, geopolitical dynamics, critical minerals supply chains, financing, trade, and energy access. Be sure to see all our activities during the week.
Climate Week NYC is one of the largest annual climate events of its kind. It brings together leaders and stakeholders from throughout the international community to discuss the most pressing issues related to climate change and accelerating the energy transition. On the heels of the first-ever Global Renewables Summit, please join the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA’s Women in Energy (WIE) initiative and the Global Renewables Alliance for a Careers in Renewable Energy Networking Reception to facilitate connections between organizations working at the nexus of these issues who are looking to connect with talented individuals that are passionate about pursuing or advancing their careers in renewable energy.
The event program includes both informal and structured networking sessions, as well as a fireside chat with a renewable energy-industry human resources expert discussing the renewable energy hiring landscape globally and best practices for early and mid career professionals interested in pursuing opportunities or building a career in the sector.
The fireside chat will feature a conversation between Michelle Sim, Director of Corporate Sustainability at Sempra and Patrick McAlpine, Chief Administrative Officer of MN8 Energy. The conversation will be moderated by Columbia University MBA candidate, Chhavi Maggu. Their bios are included below.
Michelle Sim is the Director of Corporate Sustainability at Sempra. Prior to joining Sempra, Michelle worked at a global A&E firm, primarily on global department of defense contracts related to facility and energy management, renewable technologies, and net-zero energy strategies. She has served as an expert in various industry/government agency partnerships such as the California Fuel Cell Partnership and the Department of Energy’s Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee, appointed by the then-U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz. She is actively engaged with various industry leading committees and dialogues to advance sustainable business practices. Based in San Diego, California, she is at the forefront of leading Sempra’s commitment to the global energy transition with the organization’s mission to be North America’s premier energy infrastructure company, Sempra serves more than 40 million consumers daily across California, Texas, and Mexico.
Patrick McAlpine joined Goldman Sachs in 2006 as an analyst in the legal department. After serving as a product implementation specialist focused on Alternative Investments at Goldman for several years, he joined the Goldman Sachs Renewable Power Group in 2018, where he served as the team’s Business Unit Manager. In this role, Patrick was responsible for ensuring that Goldman Sachs Renewable Power’s (GSRP) business operations were integrated into the broader Goldman Sachs organization (policies, procedures, etc.). In 2022, Patrick led the effort to spin out GSRP from Goldman and form MN8, ensuring continuity in the functional areas that Goldman Sachs corporate had previously supported, namely HR, IT, Real Estate and Communications. As MN8’s Chief Administrative Officer, Patrick continues to have oversight responsibility for these areas, as well as management of MN8’s board of directors.
Chhavi Maggu is an MBA candidate at Columbia Business School specializing in climate and sustainability, and a Women in Energy Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia. She is currently serving as President of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals, a leading global sustainability non-profit. Chhavi holds 8+ years of sustainability strategy experience, having worked with private sector and international organizations across various industries globally during her recent tenure as Sustainability Strategy Manager at consultancy firm Accenture. In 2023 she was seconded to the Climate Champions team supporting the UN Climate Change High Level Champions for COP28, where she led engagement on critical minerals for the energy transition. Chhavi is a Sustainability Excellence Professional (SEP) credential-holder and an MEng Chemical Engineering graduate of University College London including a masters year at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
The WIE initiative envisions a world with equal gender representation at every level within the energy sector. Our mission is to elevate women and enhance inclusion within the energy workforce by developing and sharing research, expanding entry into the sector, and supporting professionals.
To expand entry into the sector, WIE hosts events to provide opportunities to connect energy organizations recruiting new talent with those interested in pursuing a career. Our events also feature women who have thrived in specific energy sub-sectors sharing their experiences and career journeys. Join us to learn more about our work or contact us at womeninenergy@columbia.edu.
Climate change is a growing area of concern for many foundations and philanthropies, which can play an important role because of their ability to deploy capital quickly to areas of need. For many interested in working in climate finance and policy, climate philanthropy could be an exciting career option. The Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA’s Women in Energy initiative invites you to a student roundtable that will spotlight foundations working to advance climate and energy solutions. The roundtable will discuss how each foundation sees the sector evolving and how students can build careers in this space.
Moderator:
Martina Chow, Graduate Student, School of International and Public Affairs
Speakers:
Farah Benahmed, Manager, Breakthrough Energy
Isabela Cigarroa, Program Assistant, Environment, Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust
Isabella Gee, Program Associate for the Energy and Environment Program, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Charlotte Tweedley, Manager, Program Strategy, The Rockefeller Foundation
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Registration is required. This roundtable is open only to currently enrolled Columbia University students. To register, you must use the email address that contains your UNI.
This event will be hosted in person and capacity is limited. We ask that you register only if you can attend this event in its entirety.
This event is open only to currently-enrolled Columbia University students.
The Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA’s Women in Energy initiative, in collaboration with the Columbia Political Union, iGNiTE, Women in Law & Politics, and the Columbia Policy Institute invites you to an Energy Debate centered around the question: “Can developing countries have high growth without using coal?”
Registration is required. This event is open only to currently-enrolled Columbia University students. To register, you must sign in with your UNI.
This event will be hosted in person and capacity is limited. We ask that you register only if you can attend this event in its entirety.
This commentary represents the research and views of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of the Center on Global Energy Policy. The piece may be subject to further revision. Contributions to SIPA for the benefit of CGEP are general use gifts, which gives the Center discretion in how it allocates these funds. More information is available at Our Partners. Rare cases of sponsored projects are clearly indicated.
Several emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs)[i] have taken policy steps in recent years to increase the share of women on companies’ boards of directors, which has the potential to impact the energy sector—historically a sector ranked low by this measure globally, and particularly in EMDEs.[ii] This momentum is noteworthy not only because of the diverse set of countries moving in this direction but also because of the different policy approaches underway. Since 2020, for example, EMDEs as diverse as Chile, Egypt, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Morocco, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates have adopted varying policies to increase the share of women on boards (see Appendix A, Table A1, for a full list of countries and types of policies).
What is driving this policy momentum in EMDEs to incentivize and mandate more women on boards (WOB) of companies? The most common rationale cited by regulators from EMDEs is improvements in corporate governance, as studied in academic[iii] and industry[iv] research on the topic. Some regulators have referred to specific aspects of governance, such as overall better decision-making,[v] greater compliance, and lower corruption risks[vi]—the latter a challenging area for EMDEs, in particular those with extractive industries such as oil and gas. Better management of sustainability factors within companies[vii] and alignment with sustainable development goals have also been part of the rationale for mandating WOB.[viii] Another reason cited is pressure from local institutional investor associations,[ix] which coincides with some of the stated engagement positions of global investors about the effect of WOB on governance and long-term performance.[x] In some European EMDEs, mandates for women on boards are coming as a result of EU membership.[xi]
Has this apparent policy momentum in EMDEs made any difference? According to MSCI, a global financial data provider, women occupied 17% of board seats of publicly listed companies in EMDEs in 2023, slightly up from 16% in 2022 but significantly below advanced economies, in which women occupied on average about 33% of board seats in 2023, up from 31% in 2022.[xii] This gap between EMDEs and advanced economies has been increasing, not declining, over time, despite policy action in several EMDEs.[xiii] For energy companies, according to Bloomberg data, the share of women on boards of directors in advanced economies in 2023 was 25%, compared to 14% in EMDEs, lower-than-average levels across all industries as seen in surveys such as MSCI’s (see Appendix B, Table B1, for WOB averages reported in five different surveys).
Given the cited benefits that EMDE policymakers associate with a higher share of WOB, this commentary will look at women’s representation on boards in these countries’ energy companies, a sector associated with governance and sustainability risks. A closer look at companies in this sector reveals overall gaps between EMDEs and advanced economies that have also been increasing over time.
Share of Women on Boards in Energy and Utility Companies: EMDEs versus Advanced Economies
The energy sector, as Bloomberg categorizes it, comprises companies that operate in upstream oil and gas, refining and transportation, storage of fuel products, and natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG), as well as integrated oil companies and oil service providers. This sector also includes coal, nuclear, and biofuel companies. For a more complete picture of companies operating in the energy space, the author also analyzed the board makeup of utility companies, which comprise independent power producers, renewable electricity providers, transmission services, and electric and gas utilities. The author examined Bloomberg data on the share of WOB for 1,160 energy companies and 927 utility companies globally.
Before sharing results of this survey, it is worth noting that data on WOB is not comprehensive and therefore the findings in this commentary are estimates. As noted in the figures to come, only about 40% of the companies listed by Bloomberg as energy or utility companies above the market capitalization of $100 million used in this study have any data on board gender diversity. This could mean an overestimation of the representation of WOB. Further, only 33% of EMDE energy and utility companies had data. For advanced economies, about 42% of energy companies and almost 60% of utility companies did. The number of companies included in this commentary, however, is larger than in most general surveys that track WOB for all industries (see Appendix B, Table 1).[xiv]
Despite the data shortcomings, three takeaways are noteworthy:
The share of women on the boards of directors of energy and utility companies has been increasing globally, but that growth masks an important gap between advanced economies and EMDEs.
Women occupied about 22% and 24% of the board seats of energy companies and utility companies, respectively, globally in 2023 (see Figure 1). Given that the average board size for energy and utility companies is about nine and ten directors, respectively, this means an average of about two women directors per board.[xv] However, those averages conceal important differences between advanced economies and EMDEs. Women’s share of board seats for energy and utility companies in advanced economies in 2023 was 25% and 32%, respectively, whereas in EDMEs they were about 14% and 16%. This translates to an 11- and 16-point gap, respectively. And while energy and utility companies from advanced economies have seen a 7- and 8-point increase, respectively, in the share of WOB during the latest five-year period, 2019–23 (inclusive), the share of WOB in EMDEs rose much less. As a result, the gap between advanced economies and EMDEs has been increasing.
2. National oil companies from EMDEs and coal companies globally exhibit the lowest levels of WOB among energy companies.
A closer look at the specific subset of companies that Bloomberg categorizes as belonging to the energy sector reveals that it is in integrated oil companies (present at all stages of the oil and gas production chain) where the largest gap between advanced economies and EMDE companies existed in 2023. At 34%, WOB share in such companies from advanced economies exhibits a 22-point gap with their peers in EMDEs. Most of the integrated oil companies surveyed from EMDEs are national oil companies, and they report 12% WOB, one of the lowest shares in the energy sector. This is all the more relevant in the context of an increasing focus on national oil companies given their growing share of oil, gas, and refining products and thus on their greenhouse gas emissions, part of the sustainability factors policymakers cite as reasons for raising the share of WOB.[xvi]
Coal companies appear to have the lowest share of WOB in the energy sector globally. Notably, this sector also has the lowest gap between EMDEs and advanced economies. Though the representation of WOB in advanced economies has increased since 2019, to 16%, it stands only five points above EMDEs’ 11% (see Figure 2).
3. Utility companies have increased their share of WOB in both EMDEs and advanced economies, to 16% and 32% (Figure 1), respectively, with a notable rise in renewable companies in the past five years.
While women’s share of board seats in most EMDE utilities’ sub-industries has increased since 2019, the marked rise in WOB in advanced economies across utility companies, particularly gas and electric utilities, was not matched, widening the gap (see Figure 3). The gap in WOB share of renewable electricity companies between EMDEs and advanced economies also widened, despite the material rise in the share of WOB of EMDE renewable companies since 2019. The fact that it rose considerably in both, though, could suggest that new energy industries globally might be integrating sustainability criteria faster than legacy ones.
Policies to increase the share of WOB of companies in EMDEs have followed different paths. While mandating WOB quotas for publicly listed companies is a known policy approach, EMDEs have also pursued other policies, such as voluntary quotas, guidance by stock markets (or similar regulatory bodies), recommendations in corporate governance codes, and/or mandates for women on boards for state-owned companies.
Mandates for WOB in private-sector companies started in Norway in 2003,[xix] with several other EU countries following suit with quotas focused on publicly listed companies.[xx] India was the first EMDE to pursue such a policy in 2013 (see Appendix A, Table A1).[xxi] Since then, mandates on the share of WOB of publicly listed companies have been adopted by other EMDEs such as Argentina, Egypt, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Panama, and the United Arab Emirates with different levels of quotas for WOB. In some countries, such as Hong Kong, the goal is to rule out all-male boards by mandating at least one woman board member.[xxii] In others, like Chile and Morocco, the ambition has been as high as having women represent 40% of board seats, albeit with a long transition period of six to eight years.
Several EMDEs have taken a voluntary approach in relation to WOB in companies from the private sector. In some cases, this comes with a nominal quota that issuers in the stock market either need to comply with or explain against doing so, such as in Brazil, Kenya, Poland, Romania, South Africa, and Turkey. This voluntary approach should not be underestimated.[xxiii] Voluntary targets generally also come with required reporting of WOB, which as the previous section underscored remains an issue in many EMDEs.[xxiv] Voluntary mandates might also come with the establishment of diversity criteria in nominating policies for boards, which is the case in Brazil (enacted in July 2023).[xxv] Also, some advanced economies, such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States,[xxvi] have followed a voluntary approach, which, along with investor pressure, has been effective at raising the share of WOB.[xxvii]
European EMDEs such as Poland and Romania currently have voluntary approaches, but as part of their EU membership will have to comply with the EU directive issued in 2022 requiring that by 2026 publicly listed companies of member states “have 40% of the underrepresented sex among non-executive directors or 33% among all directors.”[xxviii] This policy will be a much greater challenge for countries such as Hungary that do not have WOB policies. Hungary’s WOB share of 10%, for example, is one of the lowest in Europe; Poland’s is 24%.[xxix]
Mandates for state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have been an interesting policy approach given the large presence of SOEs in EMDEs, particularly in the energy and utility sectors. Kenya enshrined in its constitution a mandate of 33% WOB in its SOEs. Chile, Colombia, Panama, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates have such mandates for SOEs at varying levels, with Indonesia the most recent country to move in this direction. Brazil is also considering legislation in this regard (see Appendix A).
Chile introduced a novel approach to raising the portion of women on boards last year by issuing a sustainability-linked bond committing to increase the share of WOB in private-sector companies as one of its key performance indicators.[xxx] By 2031, it commits to having at least 40% WOB representation for companies that report to the Financial Regulatory Commission, which includes all companies that issue stocks and bonds—a bold target, as women currently represent about 14% of Chilean corporate board members.[xxxi]
Conclusion
The energy sector exemplifies the large gap in the representation of women on boards of directors between companies from EMDEs and advanced economies. Whether policy efforts in EMDEs to increase WOB will significantly bridge the gap with advanced economies is not clear. At the very least, such policies could help accelerate a rise in WOB in EMDE countries, which continue to fall behind the average of their peers in advanced economies, particularly given the recent directive by the EU mandating 40% WOB by 2026. The regulatory momentum for WOB action by several EMDEs is happening alongside pressures from investors both globally and locally.[xxxii] The inclusion of board diversity as a corporate governance best practice is also raising reputational costs to companies with zero women on their boards.
High-emitting companies globally are under pressure from a multitude of stakeholders on their energy transition risks and opportunities, greenhouse gas emissions footprint, and other risks related to their sustainability performance. EMDE companies, particularly SOEs, might be more shielded from such investor pressure, but they are not immune to it—especially given that the spotlight is likely to increase on these companies in coming years, as most future global emissions growth is expected to come from EMDEs. Greater WOB share in energy companies could be a low-hanging fruit as far as improving corporate governance around exactly the kinds of risks these companies need to navigate in the years ahead.
[iii] Board gender diversity has attracted considerable academic attention, with studies exploring the impact of women on boards on both financial and non-financial performance. For an example of a study reviewing the existing academic literature on the topic, see Thi Hong Hanh Nguyen, Collins G. Ntim, and John K. Malagila, “Women on Corporate Boards and Corporate Financial and Non-Financial Performance: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda,” International Review of Financial Analysis 71 (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.irfa.2020.101554.
[v] As rationale for their policy, the government of Chile cited a number of studies that showed a higher representation of women in leadership positions bringing benefits such as a “higher return on capital, higher margins, improved financial performance, less corruption, and less fraud … improved risk management, heightened innovation, more diverse opinions, enhanced ability to respond to complex topics, and more involvement in corporate social responsibility.” See Ministry of Finance, Chile, “Chile Sustainability-Linked Bond Framework,” June 2023, 19, https://www.hacienda.cl/english/work-areas/international-finance/public-debt-office/esg-bonds/sustainability-linked-bonds/chile-s-slb-framework-june-2023-version.
[vi] The Pakistan Stock Exchange explains as the rationale for its decision that “better decision making and lower corruption without any compromise on, if not improvement in, the financial performance.” See Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, “SECP Regulation: Women Directors to More than Double in Three Years,” press release, July 8, 2017, https://www.secp.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Press-Release-July-8-Women-directors-in-Pakistan.pdf.
[vii] Isabel-María García-Sánchez, Sónia Monteiro, Juan-Ramón Piñeiro-Chousa, and Beatriz Aibar-Guzmán, “Climate Change Innovation: Does Board Gender Diversity Matter?” Journal of Innovation & Knowledge 8, no. 3 (2023), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2023.100372.
[viii] An example of how such measures align with a country’s sustainable development goals agenda is the UAE, which cites “increasing female representation on boards of directors has a positive impact on those boards and their organisations in general, as supported by specialised studies and practical experiences internationally … contributes to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, strengthens national governance values and principals, and enhances the country’s global competitiveness.” UAE Gender Balance Council, “Reference Guide for Nomination and Inclusion of Women Board of Directors,” April 2020, https://www.sca.gov.ae/assets/2b9f4422/reference-guide-for-the-nomination-and-inclusion-of-women-on-boards-of-directors.aspx.
[ix] In its press release, Bursa Malaysia cites that the Institutional Investors Council Malaysia (IIC), which comprises large institutional investors, “clearly laid expectations for investee companies to comprise at least 30% women representation on their boards within three (3) years… in line with the large global institutional investors, such as BlackRock, who have started voting against companies with all-male boards.” See Bursa Malaysia, “Bursa Malaysia Applauds Progressive PLCs for Embracing Board Gender Diversity and Censures PLCs with All-Male Boards,” press release, June 2, 2023, https://www.bursamalaysia.com/bm/about_bursa/media_centre/bursa-malaysia-applauds-progressive-plcs-for-embracing-board-gender-diversity-and-censures-plcs-with-all-male-boards.
[xii] See MSCI, Women on Boards and Beyond: Progress Report 2023.
[xiii] WOB data by MSCI shows that the gap between companies from emerging markets included in their MSCI EM index and those from advanced companies included in the MSCI world index was about 13 points in 2019 and almost 16 points in 2023. See MSCI, Women on Boards and Beyond: Progress Report 2023, 7, Exhibit 1.
[xiv] The averages contained in this report resulted from 456 energy companies and 396 utility companies for which data on WOB was available, representing 321 energy companies and 191 utility companies from advanced economies and 139 energy companies and 205 utility companies from EMDEs.
[xv] The average global size of boards was 9 directors for energy companies according to a sample of 470 companies in the energy industry and 10 board seats for utility companies out of a sample of 258 companies for which data was reported by Refinitiv, accessed March 20, 2024.
[xvii] Bloomberg Equity data, screening all energy, percent women on board, calendar years 2019–23 subindustry names and country and territory, accessed February 28, 2024.
[xviii] Bloomberg Equity data, screening all utility, percent women on board, calendar years 2019–23, subindustry names and country and territory, accessed March 4, 2024. Water utility companies were excluded.
[xix] Marianne Bertrand, Sandra E. Black, Sissel Jensen, and Adriana Lleras-Muney, “Breaking the Glass Ceiling? The Effect of Board Quotas on Female Labor Market Outcomes in Norway,” NBER working paper no. 20256, June 2014 (revised July 2017), https://www.nber.org/papers/w20256.
[xx] Spain introduced gender quotas for corporate boards in 2007; Belgium, France, Italy, and the Netherlands in 2011; Germany in 2015; Austria and Portugal in 2017; and Greece in 2020. All of the quotas are expressed in terms of share of total board seats, with France, Italy, and Spain requiring women to hold 40% of corporate board seats, followed by 33% for Belgium and Portugal; 30% for the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria; and 25% for Greece. See Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs, Directorate-General for Internal Policies, European Parliament, “Women on Boards Policies in Member States and Their Effects on Corporate Governance,” December 2021, http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2021/700556/IPOL_STU(2021)700556_EN.pdf.
[xxii] The Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) first ruled no new issuers with all-male boards as of 2023, with all listed companies required to comply by 2024. See Hong Kong Stock Exchange, “Exchange Publishes Conclusion on Review of Corporate Governance Code,” press release, December 10, 2021, www.hkex.com.hk/News/Regulatory-Announcements/2021/211210news?sc_lang=en.
[xxiii] Heike Mensi-Klarbach, Stephan Leixnering, and Michael Schiffinger, “The Carrot or the Stick: Self-Regulation for Gender-Diverse Boards via Codes of Good Governance,” Journal of Business Ethics 170 (2021), https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-019-04336-z.
[xxiv] While lacking voluntary quotas for WOB, some EMDE countries have begun to require disclosures of board gender diversity as a measure to incentivize and promote board diversity. One example is South Africa: the Johannesburg Stock Exchange recently adopted a specific requirement for listed companies to disclose targets for gender and race representation at the board level. See Deloitte, Women in the Boardroom: A Global Perspective, seventh edition, February 2022, https://www2.deloitte.com/sg/en/pages/risk/articles/women-in-the-boardroom-global-perspective-seventh-edition.html.
[xxvi] There are no federally mandated rules for publicly listed companies in the US. However, the Nasdaq issued a regulation in 2021 that at least one woman or another minority serve on the board of directors of listing companies by the end of 2023 (for new listings, this applies for the end of 2024). See Andrew Ramonas, “Contested Nasdaq Board Diversity Rules Take Effect: Explained,” Bloomberg, December 21, 2023,
Category: CommentaryTags: EDME, emerging markets | Comments Off on Women on Energy Company Boards: Variances between Emerging Markets and Advanced Economies, and Policies to Close the Gap
Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy’s Women in Energy initiative invites you to a Student Roundtable to learn more about careers in the utilities. All Columbia University students interested in exploring a career opportunity in the utilities are encouraged to attend.
Speakers:
Matilda Olsen, Lead Engineer, National Grid
Veronica Zuluaga, Assistant Program Manager, E-Mobility, Con-Edison
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Registration is required. This roundtable is open only to currently enrolled Columbia University students. To register, you must use the email address that contains your UNI.
This event will be hosted in person, and capacity is limited. We ask that you register only if you can attend this event in its entirety. For more information about the event, please contact energypolicyevents@columbia.edu.
Category: Comments Off on Student Roundtable: Careers in Utilities
This roundtable is open only to currently enrolled Columbia University students.
The Women in Energy initiative at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA and Columbia University’s Society of Women Engineers invites you to join a student roundtable featuring Áine Greene, research associate at the Center on Global Energy Policy. The discussion will focus on Áine’s career, research, and how she transitioned from the private sector to academia as an engineer. Lunch will be provided.
Biography
Áine Greene is a research associate and program manager for the Energy Systems Modeling and Data Analytics (ESMA) Program at the Center on Global Energy Policy. In this role, she focuses on managing strategically important research projects related to decarbonization, the power sector, and other related topics. Her responsibilities include directly supporting Senior Research Scholar, Dr. James Glynn in his areas of expertise.
Before joining Columbia University, Áine was a senior project manager for Atlantic Projects Company, working in the power generation industry across Ireland, the UK, and Europe. She was primarily involved in managing engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) projects of newly built power plants and delivering major refurbishment projects for aging thermal power plants. Prior to this private industry experience, she worked for the Electricity Supply Board (ESB), the largest Utility state-owned company in Ireland. During this time, she held a variety of roles in power generation across plant engineering, maintenance, operations, and production. She joined the Center with eighteen years of experience in the power sector.
Áine has a further association with the Centre for Project Management (CPM) at the University of Limerick, Ireland. She was selected as an industry-leading project manager to work in a moderator role at the CPM, supervising master’s students on a part-time basis.
Áine holds a Master’s Degree in Project and Programme Management from the University of Limerick, Ireland. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National University of Ireland Galway and has achieved Chartered Engineer (Professional Engineer) accreditation.
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Registration is required. This roundtable is open only to currently-enrolled Columbia University students. To register, you must sign in with your UNI.
This event will be hosted in person and capacity is limited. We ask that you register only if you can attend this event in its entirety.
Interested in pursuing a career in energy? Or want to hear from women who have achieved successful careers as policymakers, industry leaders, and academics? Join us for an insightful event featuring accomplished women who will share their career paths, offer advice, and provide information on navigating a successful career in energy policy.
The Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA Women in Energy Initiative (WIE), Georgetown University’s McCourt Energy & Environment Club, and Women in Public Policy Initiative welcomes those interested in pursuing or thriving in an energy career. Following the discussion we will host a networking reception, to facilitate connections between organizations seeking new talent and individuals passionate about pursuing a career in the energy sector.
The WIE initiative envisions a world with equal gender representation at every level within the energy sector. Our mission is to elevate women and enhance inclusion within the energy workforce by developing and sharing research, expanding entry into the sector, and supporting professionals.
To expand entry into the sector, WIE hosts events to provide opportunities to connect energy organizations recruiting new talent with those interested in pursuing a career. Our events also feature women who have thrived in a specific energy subsector. Join us to learn more about our work or contact us at womeninenergy@columbia.edu.
Constance Thompson, SVP, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice, American Council on Renewable Energy
Biographies:
Patricia Beneke most recently served as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) regional director for North America, with responsibility for interfacing with the U.S. and Canadian governments on behalf of UNEP. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and served as an assistant secretary of the Interior during the Clinton Administration. Ms. Beneke worked for over twenty years as a democratic senior counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, where she specialized in a broad range of issues, including energy development on public lands, water resources, mining, oil, and gas development, and national energy policy. She has taught natural resources law and policy as a visiting lecturer of law at Harvard Law School and adjunct faculty at Columbia University Law School and the University of Virginia School of Law, and currently teaches energy and natural resources law and policy at Georgetown University. Early in her career, Ms. Beneke worked at the Departments of Justice and Agriculture. She holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a BA from Iowa State University.
Honorable Vicky Baileybegan her career as a commissioner, at the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission appointed by Governor Robert Orr, and at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission appointed by President Bill Clinton, and as President/CEO, and member of the Board of Directors, of PSI Energy, Inc., Indiana’s largest electric utility, now Duke Indiana. She was appointed by President George W. Bush to be the leading international official at the United States Department of Energy (2001-2004) as the first assistant secretary for both International Affairs and Domestic Policy. During her appointment, Ms. Bailey served as vice chair of the International Energy Agency (IEA) headquartered in Paris, France, and post-Sept. 11th, she was chair of several bilateral international working groups among energy-producing nations.
Ms. Bailey is a graduate of the Krannert School of Management, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management. She received the Distinguished Alumni Award and was a Krannert School Dean’s Advisory Council member. In July 2013, she completed the Advanced Management Program at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. In 2023, Ms. Bailey was a recipient of the Rosa Parks Trailblazer Award. Presently, she is the founder of Anderson Stratton International LLC management advisory services.
Ana Unruh Cohen is the senior director for NEPA, Infrastructure and Clean Energy at the White House Council on Environmental Quality where she works to make federal permitting more effective and efficient to help meet President Biden’s climate and clean energy goals. In 2023, she was chosen by Time for their inaugural list of the 100 most influential climate leaders in business.
Dr. Unruh Cohen has spent more than two decades working on U.S. federal climate and energy policy in Washington, D.C. From 2019 through 2022, she served as the majority staff director of the House Select Committee on the Climates Crisis, supporting the passage of the historic set of energy and climate laws in the 117th Congress that has since unleashed a wave of investment in clean energy. In addition to other staff positions in the House and the Senate, Dr. Unruh Cohen was a distinguished visiting fellow at the Center for Global Energy Policy at Columbia University and has worked at the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Center for American Progress. Dr. Unruh Cohen has a B.S. in Chemistry from Trinity University and received her D.Phil. in Earth Sciences from the University of Oxford.
Paula R. Glover is the president of the Alliance to Save Energy, a bipartisan, nonprofit coalition of business, government, environmental, and academic leaders advocating to advance federal energy efficiency policy. As the seventh president in the organization’s 45-year history and a long-time member of the Board of Directors, Ms. Glover provides over 25 years of industry expertise and leadership.
Ms. Glover has 15 years of experience in the energy industry, working on both electric and natural gas distribution. During that time, she built a stellar reputation working with state legislators and regulators — commanding a clear understanding of the consumer and community sides of the business enterprise.
Ms. Glover serves on the Board of Directors for Talos Energy where she serves as chair of the Safety, Sustainability, and Corporate Responsibility Committee. She also serves on the board of the Keystone Policy Center, Clean Energy Works, and Resources for the Future. Ms Glover is the recipient of numerous awards and received her B.S. in Marketing Management from the University of Delaware.
Constance Thompson is responsible for collaboratively driving and implementing the American Council of Renewable Energy’s (ACORE) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice strategy focused on leveraging ACORE’s public and private networks to build opportunities for smaller renewable energy companies owned and operated by women, Black, Indigenous, and people of color leaders while advocating for national policies and industry best practices that accelerate social and economic justice as a part of our nation’s transition to a renewable energy economy.
She brings to ACORE over 20 years of experience collaboratively launching, sustaining, and measuring the impact of transformational DEI-focused initiatives, coalitions, membership programs, and strategic partnerships on behalf of leading Fortune 500, Ivy League, scientific, and engineering-focused institutions.
A Cornell University Certified Advanced Diversity Practioner (CCDP/AP), Thompson holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and French from Virginia State University and serves on the boards of Renewables Forward and Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE).
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This event is open to press, and registration is required to attend. For media inquiries or requests for interviews, please contact CGEP Communications (cgepmedia@columbia.edu).
Within days of taking office, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to create the Justice40 Initiative. The policy aims to allocate 40% of the benefits of federal clean energy and climate investments to frontline communities.
For the energy sector, it’s helping to shine a growing light on “energy justice.” Historically, the current energy system has negatively impacted disadvantaged communities the most – communities that often lack access to affordable energy, are excluded from potential benefits of a clean energy economy, and suffer the greatest harms from climate change. The Energy Opportunity Lab at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs is working to address these challenges, among many others.
So, what progress has been made in ensuring energy justice for frontline communities? And with the energy transition continuing to accelerate in size and scale, how do we make sure disadvantaged communities aren’t left behind?
This week host Jason Bordoff talks with Shalanda Baker about the historical inequities of energy systems, and the Biden administration’s agenda on energy equity and climate justice.
Shalanda is the director of the Office of Energy Justice and Equity in the U.S. Department of Energy, and the secretarial advisor on equity. She also serves as chief diversity officer for the agency. Prior to her Senate confirmation in 2022, Shalanda served as the nation’s first-ever deputy director for energy justice. Before joining the Biden administration, she co-founded and co-directed the Initiative for Energy Justice, which provides technical law and policy support to communities on the front lines of climate change.
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Every energy company in the world is in the process of adapting to the energy transition. Please join the Women in Energy Initiative program at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, for a student breakfast roundtable discussion with Amy Myers Jaffe and Gretchen Watkins, about her experience as president of Shell USA, Inc. and her insights on a changing energy system.
Biographies
Gretchen Watkins
As President of Shell USA, Inc., Gretchen Watkins oversees the strategic integration of all Shell businesses in the United States and leads the US country coordination team. Since being named to this post in 2018, she has become the company’s leading voice, with public and private leaders, across a wide range of energy-related policy and societal challenges. In addition to these responsibilities from May 2018-June 2021, Gretchen also served as executive vice president of Shell’s global shales business, overseeing the exploration, development, and production of Shell’s upstream shale oil and gas portfolio, which included assets in the United States, Canada, and Argentina. Before joining Shell in 2018, Gretchen served as the chief executive officer of Maersk Oil, following two years as chief operating officer. Gretchen’s tenure at Maersk coincided with a low-price environment for oil, but under her leadership, the company delivered above-target operational and financial results, enabling a safe and successful enterprise sale of Maersk Oil to Total in 2017.
Gretchen began her career nearly thirty years ago as a facilities engineer for Amoco in the Gulf of Mexico. She then worked as a trading manager for Amoco and BP before commencing an international career that has included a variety of senior executive roles at BP, Marathon Oil, and Maersk Oil in North America, Europe, and Asia. She has led joint ventures and negotiated contracts with countries and companies across the upstream, midstream, and downstream businesses.
Gretchen currently serves as a non-executive director of the Mosaic Company, one of the world’s leading producers and marketers of concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients, and previously served as a non-executive director for W. S. Atkins, a global engineering consultancy and FTSE 200 company from 2014 until its merger with SNC Lavalin in 2017. Gretchen graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and has had executive education at Cambridge and Stanford Universities.
Amy Myers Jaffe
Amy Myers Jaffe serves as Director of the Energy, Climate Justice, and Sustainability Lab at New York University’s School of Professional Studies and is a research professor who teaches graduate-level courses examining global climate finance, energy and climate justice, and clean technology innovation and business. A leading expert on global energy policy, sustainability, and geopolitical risk, Jaffe is the author of several books, including her most recent book, “Energy’s Digital Future” published in 2021 by Columbia University Press. Ms. Jaffe is co-chair of the Women in Energy Initiative at Columbia University and a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Climate Policy Lab at Tufts University. From 2014 to 2017, Ms. Jaffe served as senior advisor on sustainability to the Office of the Chief Investment Officer of the University of California, Regents, where she helped design the sustainable investing framework for the UC’s $140 billion in pension and endowment funds.
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Registration is required. This roundtable is open only to currently enrolled Columbia University students. To register, you must use the email address that contains your UNI.
This event will be hosted in person and capacity is limited. We ask that you register only if you can attend this event in its entirety.
For more information about the event, please contact energypolicyevents@columbia.edu.
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