Last month, the Los Alamos National Laboratory became the first national lab to join Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy, seeking to break down gender barriers in nuclear policy.
Through this initiative, Los Alamos commits to foster a culture of inclusivity and respect, increase focus on bias awareness, and “champion gender balance in nuclear policy expert forums.” The lab is one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s 17 national laboratories, which conduct innovative research on a broad variety of topics, including nuclear energy and protecting the climate.
Gender equality—and diversity in general—is more than just a good idea; it has a documented, positive impact on businesses. According to a report from consulting group McKinsey & Co., companies that boast more racial and gender diversity do better.
[C]ompanies in the top quartile for gender or racial and ethnic diversity are more likely to have financial returns above their national industry medians. Companies in the bottom quartile in these dimensions are statistically less likely to achieve above-average returns.
NEI President and Chief Executive Officer Maria Korsnick knows that a strong, diverse workforce strengthens the nuclear industry.
Whether it's your board room or your direct leadership team, diversity should be apparent, and if it's not, you should be thoughtful about ways to include it.
Here’s the problem, though: An April 2019 Brookings Institution report found that “the clean energy economy is older, dominated by male workers and lacks racial diversity when compared to all occupations nationally.”
[The report’s] results confirm the transition to a clean energy economy could help address economic inclusion challenges from the national to the local level. However, the current roster of workers in related occupations is far from inclusive— suggesting the existence of distinct barriers to access that require additional attention and action.
This is why initiatives like the one at Los Alamos, and indeed the greater work of Gender Champions in Nuclear Policy, are so important. This year, NEI joined with fellow clean energy advocacy group, the Solar Energy Industries Association, in their #DiversityChallenge. With more steps like these, the energy sector can become more equitable and inclusive.
