Blog:“Mum, should I get a job in sustainability like you?”
By Georgie Cutbill, COO, Cutbill Jacoby
On researching this a little, I’ve discovered some “challenging” facts:
Women make up only 31% of the workforce in green energy
Women hold less than a third of jobs overall, with only 22% occupying technical roles.
Three-quarters of company boards in the space are male-dominated.
Women earn 20% less than their male counterparts (even when accounting for skill level differences).
Barriers to entry and advancement
Cultural and Societal Norms: Traditional gender roles and cultural beliefs often discourage women from pursuing careers in technical fields like renewable energy. Women are underrepresented in STEM fields, which are critical for green jobs.
Lack of Awareness and Opportunities: Many women are unaware of the diverse career opportunities within the renewable energy sector. Additionally, gender bias and a lack of interest in sustainability can hinder women's influence in corporate decision-making.
But my experience shows real space for optimism. I joined a recent sustainability conference - ResetConnect - in London and felt a very palpable sense of excitement, as there was a noticeable presence of women in key roles, talking about key issues in sustainability.
Whether it was a sustainability lead for a large corporation, or a grassroots community action lead, these women spoke with such brilliance, such clarity of message and purpose, and such desire to meaningfully drive change. I just wanted to jump in and be a part of it. The energy was catching. The genuine passion was obvious. The cut-through was clear.
Giving women a voice to drive change
I am passionate about giving young women a voice in this TikTok obsessed, phone idolisation time. I’ve worked in agencies and seen what happens when you give a bright young women the space to have a voice and give them some of your ‘old time’ wise thoughts. I’ve seen what happens when you have female clients that give you the opportunity to give them the best creative execution of an idea. I’ve presented to two very senior female clients whilst simultaneously in different airports in India - we pushed beyond all the constraints around us, all the norms and delivered something fantastic. The energy was palpable. Small examples in the scheme of things, but many acorns make a forest.
So, for me, it is a combination of the drive women have to leave their next generation a better world, and giving those on the ladder a voice when they need it most without ego getting in the way and the drive to cut through perceived norms. It goes to show that the world of sustainability communications is a brilliant one to be in.
Whether it is at grassroots, or the key global women leaders in sustainability, such as Kate Brandt ESO at Google, and Rose Mutiso at Energy for Growth Hub - there are impressive mentors out there.
I noted the recent gathering of Women in climate funders innovation lab organised by the Nature Conservancy, spoke of the power of their gathering and the opportunities for women to get involved.
Fulfilling women’s full potential in sustainability
The European Investment Fund found that women-led firms have higher ESG scores than other companies, invest more in renewable energy and less in polluting companies.
The UK’s green economy is four times larger than the manufacturing sector.
Increasingly, people are thinking about the environment when it comes to jobs. Encouragingly, new exclusive research from LinkedIn shared with Marie Claire UK showed that one in four Brits consider a company’s environmental practices a top priority when applying for jobs. Similarly, sustainable practice is increasingly at the forefront of people's minds, with many reconsidering their careers. The data also showed that "green jobs" - that is, jobs that focus solely on sustainability - make up 22% of searches on LinkedIn and a third of UK job postings between 2022 and 2023.
So, how can we improve gender representation and equality in sustainability? Education, involvement in the conversation, enablement and collaboration.
I joined a talk recently where there was deep discussion about sharing wins and losses along the journey to sustainability and net zero. I found it so refreshing around the honesty around the failures and the acknowledgement that the road to success often comes with bumps and failures. And this is also how we learn, how we communicate better and how we improve - all key ingredients to the future health and prosperity of this world.
To be successful, climate solutions need to be more inclusive, innovative and collaborative…simply put, they require Women in Climate.
And my part in all of this - is my passion for communications that have a clear jargon-free purpose, cut through the noise of the language used in the world of sustainability communications and have human centred, open and driven storytelling.
I hope my daughter will find a space in this world. And I will always be looking out for young women in our work to help businesses communicate their story in this journey to net zero for all of us.
Are you a company in decarbonisation and sustainability, and have communications needs? Drop me a line at georgie@cutbilljacoby.com.
Article originally featured on LinkedIn.