Representation, belonging, and identity in the heat networks industry
In this podcast episode, I take over from your usual host, Morten Jordt Duedahl, to talk about the im- portant topic of gender diversity in the heat networks industry. I am joined by two fantastic women, Rachael Mills of SE2 and founder of the District Heating Divas, and Kamma Eilschou Holm, Director of CTR, a heat network transmission company in Copenhagen.
In September, I stood on a conference stage in front of 130 people in the heat networks industry, and I realised I knew almost all the women stand- ing before me. This was not a particularly hard feat – there can only have been thirty of us. Those I did not know actually came up to me and spoke to me after the event. This isn’t unusual. If I consider why I sometimes seek out other women at events, I think it’s because the social and professional con- text feels more natural and easy to navigate. Like speaking a language, you already know. For me, it is important to look around a busy room and see yourself represented; it helps me feel more included – more like I belong there. Non-binary people and people from other diverse backgrounds and circumstances will also experi- ence inclusion, representation, and belonging in other ways. It’s great to see groups like ‘Diverse Heat Networks’ springing up, with the support of major industry players in the UK, to ensure better representation across all aspects of diversity.
It is so important that people of all genders, eth- nicities, abilities, and ages have a sense of belong- ing in our industry if we want to have a happy workforce and a workforce that can harness the benefits of diversity. In an industry that needs to keep pace with the innovation in other low-carbon heating arenas and continue to grow, our work- force has never been more important. We should be investing in it every day. That sense of belong- ing is what is cultivated by groups like the District Heating Divas. Gender diversity is important for businesses and consumers too. Including women brings different perspectives, helps drive innovation, and brings more money for organisations. When you start to dig into it, gender issues are pervasive, from everything to your safety at work through to your team’s performance. For example, the Trades Un- ion Congress in the UK did a study into PPE and found that more than half (57%) of the women that took part in the survey said their PPE some- times or significantly hampered their work.
The District Heating Divas UK is open to women and anyone whose identity includes womanhood, and rumour has it, it’s expanding to Denmark too… listen to find out more and be sure to sign up! https://www.districtheatingdivas.com/
Charlotte Owen is the Principal Energy Policy Advisor at the Royal Danish Embassy in London, where she looks after heat networks and heat decarbonisation policy. Charlotte works as part of a programme called the Energy Governance Partnership (EGP), which aims to support the global green transition by sharing knowledge from Denmark on heating with other governments around the world. The hope is that by sharing experience from Denmark, other countries can expedite the rollout of low carbon heating to support the green transition. Prior to joining the Embassy, Charlotte was the Policy Manager at Water UK, and Policy Manager at the Association for Decentralised Energy, where she led on heat networks. She also sits on the Heat Trust Stake- holder Committee. In her roles, Charlotte has been providing input into the development of heat networks policy, regulation and legislation in Westminster and Scotland.
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HOTCOOL no.6 2022
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