Women and Renewable Energy
- CGEST Staff
- Mar 2, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 9, 2023
By Ali Roberts
National Renewable Energy Day has been observed annually on March 21 since 2004 in an effort to highlight the importance of making shifts to renewable sources of energy.
Many societies have long depended on coal, oil, and natural gas as energy sources (also known as fossil fuels), but these sources have caused immense damage to the environment through mining, extraction, and the pollution that occurs during the process of turning these sources into energy. Not only is this extraction and processing of fossil fuels detrimental to the environment, but there are limited reserves of these resources. Renewable energy, on the other hand, is created as a byproduct of natural energy processes such as wind, sunlight, and geothermal heat. Renewable energy sources are not dependent on limited reserves – the sources are always being replenished.
The use of fossil fuels as an energy source is the largest contributor to climate change. According to NASA’s Vital Signs of the Planet, global temperatures are steadily rising and ice sheets are melting at an alarming rate. Climate change disproportionately affects women, as women make up a larger proportion of the world’s poor and rely more on natural resources that are threatened by climate change. Recent data findings show that women are underrepresented in the renewable energy workforce. Women of color hold significantly less positions than white women in renewable energy.
It is important to increase women’s involvement in the energy sector to bring different perspectives and investments in addressing climate change. As we continue to shift to more renewable energy sources, there is a huge opportunity for the energy sector to recruit more women. Organizations like Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) offer fellowships, career fairs, and mentoring programs to pursue a “sustainable and equitable future.” Other noteworthy organizations working to decrease the gender gap in renewable energy include the Women in Renewables Alliance (WiRA) and the Women in Renewable Energy Network, which is a professional development group for women who work in the energy sector in island nations.
In the face of a rapidly warming climate, we have to continue investing in sustainable solutions and sharing resources to encourage more folks to get involved. Creating communities around renewable energy and thinking in innovative ways will help to illuminate a path forward without leaving some behind.
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