The Center on Global Energy Policy’s Women in Energy initiative co-hosted an event with the New York City Economic Development Corporation’s Women NYC program on April 24, 2024, to inform people interested in entering the sustainability field in New York City. The event began with a networking roundtable, where attendees met with sustainability professionals in small groups. Following networking, the New York City Economic Development Corporation presented highlights from New York City’s Green Jobs Action Plan. The program concluded with a panel discussion by sustainability professionals, including Monica Medina, former president and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society; Miquela Craytor, vice president at Kearns & West; and Jully Merino Carela, program manager of sustainability and social innovation at IBM. The panel was moderated by Columbia University graduate student Anjaly Ariyanayagam.

Green Jobs Action Plan highlights include the following: 

• Only 2% of venture capital funding goes to women-led firms.
• Despite women comprising 57% of the life sciences workforce, they only receive 2.6% funding. 
• The “green economy” in New York City is already significant, with 133,000 jobs. 
• New York City aims to have 400,000 jobs in the green economy by 2040.
• About 70% of job growth is in occupations that will transition to the green economy. 

Panel highlights include the following: 

• Career changers who want to transition into sustainability are encouraged to emphasize their transferable skills.
  • Transferable skills are skills that can be applied across industry. These skills vary, but examples include communication, problem-solving, and teamwork. 
• Achieving success in sustainability often relies on relationship-building and making connections.
• When people interview for a new job, they are also interviewing the company and should feel confident asking questions to ensure it is a good fit.
• A job can often be a stepping stone to another goal, and certain jobs can serve as strategic career moves. Even if the opportunity is not what is sought right now, it can lead to better things. 
• Candidates should always negotiate salary and benefits. 
• Building relationships with other women in the field and leveraging female-led sectors for resources is essential.

Many free resources, like IBM SkillsBuild, can help career changers build their skills for career growth or pivot to new industries. 

The Center on Global Energy Policy’s Women in Energy initiative hosted an event entitled “Careers and Opportunities in the Energy Transition” on November 29, 2023. The event featured a presentation discussing challenges and opportunities in the energy transition, followed by a women-led discussion on the energy transition and potential careers. The event culminated in a fireside chat with a recruiter discussing the traits and skills employers in the energy sector are looking for.

Here are some takeaways and discussion points from the event:

• Presentation
  • A reduction in emissions that does not address energy poverty fails to meet the Sustainable Development Goals that were set by the United Nations. Energy consumption is unequal across the world and will need to increase in certain areas to reduce poverty and increase energy access.
  • Climate tech will play a critical role in decarbonization. Seventy percent of the necessary technology already exists, but emissions reduction is a matter of implementation and policy.
  • Multiple skill sets are needed and the transition will create opportunities in manufacturing, research and development, finance, and other fields.
• Panel
  • Each of the panelists had a different path into energy. They all emphasized the diversity of skills needed in the energy sector as well as the plethora of opportunities. 
  • If there is a technology or area you are passionate about, there is almost certainly a relevant job in the energy sector.
  • Panelists expressed the increasing importance of data in the energy sector and suggested that data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence skills will all be in high demand in the energy sector, especially in the context of the energy transition.
  • The panelists provided examples of in-demand skills including engineering, problem-solving, and entrepreneurial skills.
  • The energy field is rapidly changing. For example, there are new jobs available in reforestation and data analysis as well as traditional energy jobs (oil and gas) and utilities.
• Fireside chat
  • Traditional energy companies are struggling to attract talent as more people select other sectors. Companies are interested in retaining and reskilling their existing workforce in addition to adding people with diverse skill sets.
  • New York City is a thriving hub for the development of clean tech and energy. 
  • Candidates who are interested in entering the energy industry should focus on demonstrating their potential—their ability to learn, curiosity, engagement, and determination.
  • Job candidates can demonstrate their potential by working to show the how and why of their actions. Interviewers want to understand who a candidate is, and having a strong sense of what you want and what traits you bring to the table will help you find a company that aligns with your interests and values.
  • Candidates should also feel comfortable vetting companies and doing their due diligence to make sure the company is a good fit.

The Center on Global Energy Policy’s Women in Energy initiative hosted an event entitled “Global Careers in Renewable Energy” on September 19, 2023. The event featured a panel discussion on how renewable energy varies by region. Panelists also discussed their career journeys in the clean energy space and the skill sets needed to thrive in the sector. Takeaways from the event include: 

• The energy industry is often looking more for skills than specific experiences. Panelists came from a variety of backgrounds and all ended up in the energy field through different paths. There are opportunities available across engineering, law, finance, and public policy and research.
• The energy industry is very male-dominated, which can lead women to underestimate their abilities. However, the panelists encouraged the audience to be confident and ask questions of those around them.
• Panelists stressed the importance of being bold when applying to roles. For example, they discussed a well-known study that shows women only apply to jobs when they meet all of the criteria, while men apply to jobs when they meet only some. 
• Regional differences and personal preferences guide job-seekers to where and what they want to do:
  • Latin American countries have high renewable adoption, at around 60 percent, and are meeting nationally determined contribution (NDC) targets. Energy storage will be an important aspect of providing more grid stability in the region.
  • North America’s energy is generated and transmitted regionally. As a result, clean energy development varies greatly from region to region and is often private. 
  • Many African countries are experiencing energy shortages, but Africa has untapped potential for some of the world’s best solar and wind power. Renewable energy can bolster sustainable development by creating jobs and supporting economic growth without producing substantial emissions.
  • In India, there are opportunities for green finance to support renewable energy development on a variety of scales. For example, green finance could fund large renewable projects or small-scale projects that support rural workers.

The Center on Global Energy Policy’s Women in Energy initiative co-hosted an event entitled “Women in Hydrogen: Scaling Up Clean Energy” on September 18, 2023. The event featured a women-led discussion and focused on US national strategy and what is needed to ensure that the technology’s potential is fully realized and that meaningful climate, economic, and community benefits are delivered.

Following are some takeaways from the event: 

• Panelists discussed how hydrogen can play an important role in decarbonization. Hydrogen can become carbon-neutral and be used as fuel or for energy storage. However, building green hydrogen projects and commercializing hydrogen should be a top priority. At present, there is a lot of momentum for hydrogen, but less concrete action. 
• Attendees lauded recent US government actions like the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill as helping to expedite hydrogen development.  
• There was a discussion of how policy ambiguity and the implementation of tax credits, such as 45V, can present a challenge for hydrogen. 45V is particularly notable because the tax credit is contingent on the energy produced being renewable, and there are debates over which reporting mechanism should be used for the tax credit.
• One of the long-term goals of developing hydrogen is to be able to deliver it at a viable price point. Currently, hydrogen is expensive, and increasing the supply of hydrogen while connecting subsidized hydrogen with areas of high demand will help to reduce costs.