Back in 2017 when we set Pride in Energy up, diversity, equity and inclusion – DEI – was in its infancy for the energy industry. That’s why for the past six years, the Pride in Energy Committee and I have been working to champion LGBTQ+ inclusion, advocating for positive change in businesses, and providing a forum for LGBTQ+ people and their allies.

Spread right across the country, often in isolated locations, our staff face very specific challenges. As one of the few industries which serves every single household, business and individual in the country, we have to ensure that we reflect the diversity of our customer base. Despite this impetus, we as an industry were falling far behind others in DEI across the spectrum, particularly for LGBTQ+ people.

We had a handful of progressive businesses driving change and a couple of great initiatives like POWERful Women and the Energy Institute’s Young Energy Professionals, but for the majority of organisations it was simply something to pay lip service to. Furthermore, this was often done in a very two-dimensional way, largely focusing on gender alone rather than the full spectrum of characteristics like race, disability, sexual orientation and many others.

The role of Pride in Energy 
Pride in Energy seeks to provide solutions to the challenges LGBTQ+ people face in the industry, whilst also providing the community – and its allies – the opportunity to network and support one another. We do this through a programme of events, supporting Pride marches and our annual survey, whilst also signposting to initiatives and organisations which can provide more tangible support.

Pride in Energy supports LGBTQ+ people in the energy industry in a number of ways, including marches
Photo: J Atkins

Our survey has equipped us, and the organisations we work with, with the data needed to identify challenges faced by LGBTQ+ people across the energy industry and create the solutions to those challenges. Our second annual survey, conducted in late 2022, found that 14% of respondents have witnessed or experienced discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation in the past year, compared to 10% in 2021. Much of this discrimination was particularly aimed at those with gender diversity. This reflects a ‘spill-over’ from a wider societal growth in LGBTQ+ discrimination – which is currently seeing a significant spike – into the workplace, making it vitally important for all of us as organisations and individuals to make the working environment as inclusive as possible.  

There was, however, also an observable disparity between individuals’ perceptions of their own companies and the wider industry, with 90% of respondents considering their employers to provide an inclusive environment (rating it 6/10 or above) compared to just 57% thinking the same of the wider sector. Such a negative perception of the wider industry – which appears to be in part misplaced – can create career mobility considerations for those impacted, exacerbating the skills shortage we face as an industry.

Role models, a key area for driving inclusivity, was another area we surveyed. Some 39% of respondents see visible allies in their companies’ executive and senior leadership, with 40% seeing visible LGBTQ+ managers. However, 23% noted ‘none of the above’, with neither allies nor LGBTQ+ people visible in senior roles at all. As Milbrey McLaughlin says: ‘You can’t be what you can’t see’, and this lack of visible leadership potentially denies opportunities to LGBTQ+ people and creates a motive for them to leave the industry.

Positive trends 
Companies have, however, seen the value and the business imperative in creating an inclusive and equitable workplace, and generations of staff are voting with their feet and avoiding places that don’t fulfil their criteria. This strategic shift and clear focus from businesses has created a lot of positive feedback to our survey. We have had respondents setting out plenty of examples of good practice around HR policies, inclusive web content and software, and senior leaders who are open to constructive criticism.

Anecdotal feedback from respondents also suggested that the overall trend of LGBTQ+ inclusion is a positive one, with some comparing the current status to the discussions around gender balance a decade ago.

To me, that paints an overall more positive picture than first thought. Our sector is facing unprecedented challenges in ensuring security of supply whilst delivering on net zero and recognises that it needs all its employees to be bringing their best to the workplace to deliver for consumer and climate alike.

You can find out more about Pride in Energy by following it on Twitter at @PrideInEnergy, through its LinkedIn group, or by joining the distribution list available here.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are strictly those of the author only and are not necessarily given or endorsed by or on behalf of the Energy Institute.

*The Energy Institute’s International Energy Week 2023 hybrid conference will be held at the Intercontinental London Park Lane hotel and broadcast online, on 28 February to 2 March 2023.