Nordic Energy Equality Conference 2022

Welcome to the Nordic Energy Equality Conference 2022! Take part in discussions on gender aspects and diversity in the Nordic energy sector.

Nordic Energy Equality Network (NEEN) and Nordic Energy Research invite you to join us in an event dedicated to sustainability, inclusion, and equality in the Nordic energy sector. The Nordic Energy Equality Conference 2022 will address the results of the Gender equality in the Nordic energy sector report, and take the discussion to the next step: What do we do now?

The event will take place from lunch to lunch 14–15 June at SALT Langhuset, Oslo. At the end of the Conference Day 1, we invite all participants to dinner and networking in the SALT Bazaar.

Please note that the Conference has a capacity of up to 50 people. Tickets are available based on the ‘first come, first served’ principle. Sign up in time to secure your spot at the event, and remember to cancel your registration in order to make room for people on the waiting list. The event will also be streamed online.

Who may join?

The Nordic Energy Equality Conference 2022 targets people active in the energy sector interested in contributing to an equal and inclusive energy transition. This includes academia, business, industry, and authorities, to integrate different aspects and perspectives into the discussion addressing the future energy system. Students are also welcome to join.

Programme

Day 1

12.00

Welcome by moderator Sunniva Rose

Presentation of NEEN and Gender equality in the Nordic energy sector by Karina Barnholt Klepper, Chair of NEEN and Senior Researcher at Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI)

Panel discussion with Karina Barnholt Klepper, Sonja Berlijn, Professor, Head of School at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Anders Granum, Special Adviser R&D at Statnett SF, and Ivana Suboticki, Researcher at NTNU, Department of interdisciplinary studies of culture

13.00 Break

13.15

Presentations followed by Q&As

Increasing the gender balance – from goal to action
Sonja Berlijn, Professor, Head of School at KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Already for a long time we know that there is a gender imbalance in the Nordic energy sector and unfortunately it is not improving rapidly. A lot of research has been done to identify factors that have caused this and are still causing this imbalance. There are structural factors, systematic factors, random factors, social factors, just to name a few. Many of current actions initiated or proposed have effect on a long term horizon, but do we know if they will really work? Are we targeting the right audience? Can we learn from other countries in Europe? The most relevant question is: Are there measures that we can identify that will have effect on the short term? What are these measures and what effect might they have? Do dare to take these measures, or are they to radical?

The GENDIM approach for improving gender balance locally
Ivana Suboticki, Researcher at NTNU, Department of interdisciplinary studies of culture.
The session presents a practical approach for assessing, learning about, and improving gender balance in institutions. The presentation builds on research of efforts to improve gender balance on the department level in higher education, and focuses on the importance of good inclusion measures.

Anne Flagstad, Executive Vice President, People and Sustainability at Statnett SF

Increasing equality and diversity in the Nordic innovation ecosystem
Trine Moa, Senior Adviser Innovation Strategy and Governance at Nordic Innovation

Influencing Culture, Behaviour, and Mindset – actions speak louder than words
Nina Hellum, Senior Scientist at Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI)
Influencing Culture, Behaviour, and Mindset – actions speak louder than words. Identifying organizational properties and biases using the Norwegian Military Forces as a case. Organizational change is challenging and leaders and decision makers meet, or engage in myths, pipe dreams, or tokenism – being a minority representative for the wrong reasons. Increasing the percentage of women employees is one thing, recruiting and retaining them is another.

16.00 Break

16.15

Presentations of women’s networks within the energy sector

Kraftkvinnorna (Sweden)
Natalie Sial Berkman, Director Media Relations at Vattenfall

Kraftkvinnene (Norway)
Khanya Bouma, Civil Engineer at Equinor and Adviser Hydropower at Multiconsult

16.45

End and dinner

Day 2

09.00

Welcome back

Presentations and Q&As

Gender in policy and implementation for achieving transitions to sustainable energy. A glimpse of a global research program
Martin Hultman, Associate professor in Science-, technology and environmental studies at Chalmers and Kavya Michael, Post Doc, Environmental Systems Analysis; Technology Management and Economics.
The research program Empowering all. Gender in policy and implementation for achieving transitions to sustainable energy is an international collaboration gathering experts on gender and energy use. While the past years have seen a focus on gender issues in energy research, there continues to be a gap between findings of current research and the practices of energy policy making, implementation and technological design. This gap leads to inefficient and excluding policies as well as technical solutions being formulated and implemented. It further hinders upscaling of energy transition solutions due to a narrow scope of users and solutions being envisioned and implemented, leading to the exclusion of a large group of users. We gather the state-of-the-art research of gender and energy and find best practices while also developing ways to counter organizational and institutional inertias and to design inclusive, just and efficient technologies.

Who’s doing the office housework?
Charlotte Søndergaard, Strength, Business & Leadership Coach, Strategic DEI Leadership Advisor at FemaleLeadership.dk.
Research shows that women perform more office housework, and that these administrative tasks are appreciated but do not pay off. On the contrary, office housework is often invisible or taken for granted and is one of the hidden barriers for women. Being Ms. Fixer can become harmful for women’s career progression and is not sustainable for themselves, the team or company. Always volunteering to help others comes with a cost of missed opportunities. Ending gender bias at work begins with a fair share of the office housework. How can we foster a workplace culture that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion?

10.10 Break

10.30

Presentations and Q&As

Taking the fool’s leap towards sustainability – socio-cultural perspectives to navigate future social-cyber-physical energy systems – case REDISET
Petra Berg, Assistant Professor at University of Vaasa, School of Marketing and Communication and VEBIC platform
It is argued that sustainable behavior is a question of self-control, as it usually means changing a habit. Research suggests that people with a fresh start mindset (the fool archetype) are more inclined to change their behavioral patterns. The downside to this finding is, that most people don’t seem to naturally exhibit this mindset. Still, today’s wicked challenges require fresh perspectives and innovative solutions, we need many different minds to work together. REDISET is a new Nordic project which focuses on cyber security and resilience of social-cyber-physical energy systems, it is also an interdisciplinary research group, where both gender equality and cultural diversity have been taken into account. Will this group manage to follow the style of the fool – what are the tools?

Everyone is needed to reach a fossil-free future
Saira Alladin, Director Asset Operation & Maintenance at Vattenfall
Electrification – how do we take the next step in practice to achieve the climate goals?
Clear goals with gender equality work – as important as financial goals to achieve
The competence challenge – why we can not avoid using all competence to develop towards a fossil-free future

11.45

Closing of Conference