Utility Week

22 | MARCH 2022 | UTILITY WEEK Talking Points… Heat Several heavyweight reports on the decarbonisation of heat have been published over the past month, which also saw the launch of a cross-party commission on hydro- gen policy launched. "You need a national recognition that if we're going to decarbonise heat then it is inherently a local issue. So, that means local solutions." Jeff Hardy, member of the EnergyREV consortium of academics "Replacing gas boilers is a huge task and we are not making anywhere near enough progress. As it stands, we will miss our net zero target. The government must act urgently to help speed up delivery and support bill payers and workers who will be affected by the change." Darren Jones, BEIS Committee chair "Hydrogen is a real opportunity for the UK, with a key role to play in the resilient zero carbon energy system we need to meet the challenges of the changing climate and of global politics. The UK missed the boat on battery and wind technology. We can't afford to miss the boat on hydrogen." Baroness Brown of Cambridge, launching the Hydrogen Policy Commission Quote, unquote net-zero project sites that can help school children visualise engi- neering and the scale of work being done can all have a big impact. The education centre at National Grid's North Sea Link interconnector site in Blyth is just one example of how we can help children get interested and excited about the future of energy. The centre arranges local school visits which enable young children to learn about electricity interconnectors, how they work and why they are so important to the UK's net zero ambitions. Working with communities near key project sites can really help enhance how we reach young talent and encour- age a broader interest in engineering and the energy sector. Strong positive role models within the business can help inspire and empower employees and prospective talent. Proactively celebrating these individuals can demonstrate to people that, regardless of background or cir- cumstances, they can succeed. There has been progress. But there is still more to do. Achieving net zero is no small task and building the workforce capable of delivering a greener future won't hap- pen overnight. There has been clear progress in recent years, but we need to take greater action now to encourage more girls and women to consider our incredible industry, highlight inspi- rational role models, and ensure the sector fosters a diverse and inclusive environment. This will be crucial to extending our reach to attract the diverse and passionate generation of young professionals we need to tackle climate change. Cordi O'Hara, president, National Grid Ventures Diversity is crucial to net-zero success N ational Grid research shows the UK energy industry needs to create 400,000 green jobs by 2050 to deliver net zero. Yet the sector is missing out on a full-strength gender balanced workforce, with women representing only 14.5% of the UK's engineering workforce. Our findings also show that 83% of women want to help the UK reach its net-zero target – and we know there's a huge opportunity for them to do so within the energy sector. At a time when we need to move faster towards a clean energy transi- tion, it's crucial the energy industry has the right mix of mindsets and per- spectives to overcome the challenges in the years to come, and also leverage opportunities along the way. Generating an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers among young girls and women is an important part of tackling this gender imbalance. The pipeline issue doesn't start at recruit- ment, but at school through to univer- sity. We are losing young women at every stage beyond GCSEs; they make up just 22% of A level physics students, 8% of STEM apprentices and 15% of engineering and technology graduates. Businesses must look beyond traditional methods of engaging with young people to help build a pipeline of talent. It's not just about giving talks or holding workshops at schools, we also need to think about other ways to inspire young minds and interact with local communities. For example, running competitions to get children thinking about net-zero solutions, facilitating visits to exciting projects that highlight the huge infrastructure being built to tackle climate change, or establishing education centres on Comment: The energy industry is wasting a valuable human resource by not recruiting more women as engineers.

• Cover