Petro de Wet discusses how gender diversity in the energy, industrial and agricultural sectors can enhance South Africa’s efforts to mitigate greenhouse-gas emissions

South Africa is the thirty-second-largest economy in the world, but the fourteenth-largest emitter of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. In 2015, the country pledged to peak its emissions between 2020 and 2025. Three main sectors were identified for achieving emissions reduction targets: energy/power generation, industry and the agriculture, forestry and land-use sector.

For both industry and power generation, sustainable energy options are a significant opportunity to address GHG mitigation – and gender diversity in these sectors will only serve to enhance the efforts towards this goal.

The business case for diversity has been confirmed by various independent studies, including findings by McKinsey (2015) and Ernst & Young (2017). Companies with gender equality were reported to outperform those that lacked diversity by about 15%. Gender diversity has also been found to lead to better quality of decision-making, lower risk, improved global image, and greater innovation.

Despite all the evidence, the World Economic Forum’s 2020 ‘Gender Gap’ report concludes that a 58% gender gap remains between men and women in terms of economic participation. Statistics also show that women’s participation in the energy sector, particularly as high-level decision-makers, remains low. For example, women comprise only 16% of board positions among 200 top utility companies.

Positive Developments

Although a lot still needs to be done, there is growing evidence of the impact that women are already having in industry and the South African energy sector. The multiparty Industrial Energy Efficiency (IEE) Project is one of many initiatives contributing to the increase in the number of women participating in this sector. The IEE Project partners are the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido), the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, through the South African National Energy Development Institute, and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, through the National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa (NCPC-SA). It is funded by the Global Environment Facility.

With gender mainstreaming cutting across all its activities, the project strongly supports the United Nations and South Africa’s focus on gender equality. Since April 2011, 48% of the 4 000-plus candidates who successfully completed the end-user training courses in energy management systems (EnMS) and energy systems optimisation (ESO) were women.

Women also play a significant role in the overall impact and achievements of the project. To date, industrial companies have been assisted to save 5.83 TWh of energy, translating into cumulative cost savings of R4.67-billion and GHG mitigation of 5.8-million tons of CO2e (visit www.ncpc.co.za for more information).

One example where women played a key role in the implementation of an EnMS with the support of the IEE Project was King Shaka International Airport, in Durban, where the airport’s female energy manager spearheaded the implementation. Between 2010 and 2013, the EnMS resulted in energy savings of 1.9 million kilowatt-hours, equivalent to R2.8-million and 1 850 tons of CO2e. The energy manager continued her training with the IEE Project and has since achieved certification as a Unido EnMS expert and trainer.

Another example is the successful integration of an EnMS implementation into the existing business management system at Mustek, in Johannesburg. The project was led by a female systems coordinator at the company and supported by a female IEE project manager and one of the IEE Project’s female EnMS experts. Energy savings of 243 MWh were achieved.

When a major steel producer needed urgent interventions to maintain its competitiveness in the export market, comprehensive EnMS and selected ESO interventions were also championed and implemented by a woman. Within a year, the plant achieved savings of R89-million, with a payback period shorter than four production days. At the time, this helped stave off the closure of the plant and safeguarded 1 237 direct jobs.

The Covid-19 Opportunity

Worldwide, the coronavirus has hit the energy sector hard, with overall investment expected to drop by 20%. Many leaders and economists have suggested that a “green recovery” would the best way to revitalise economies. Energy efficiency in general is highlighted by the International Energy Agency as crucial to the success of the recovery plan.

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres summarised the challenge and opportunity: “The postpandemic medium- to long-term economic recovery measures represent a unique opportunity for policymakers to institute bold measures for more resilient, inclusive and sustainable economies. In doing so, it is paramount to harness women’s full potential as leaders, innovators and agents of industrial and environmental change.”

This is echoed by Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel in a recent article on women and Covid-19: “Economic disparity between men and women presents a challenge to South Africa. It limits opportunities and mobility for women and deprives societies of the ideas and innovations greater numbers of women in the workplace can bring.”

The unique set of circumstances created by Covid-19 provides an opportunity for both men and women to collectively tackle the issues at hand and ensure inclusive and sustainable growth. It is not possible to successfully transition to a low-carbon future globally with half the world’s population sitting on the sidelines. Let us not waste this opportunity.

De Wet has extensive experience of marketing, communications and project management in various capacities, including various business units at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa and the National Business Initiative. She has worked for the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation in South Africa since 2016, contributing to the Industrial Energy Efficiency (IEE) Project and the Global Cleantech Innovation Programme.

She currently oversees gender mainstreaming and communication and stakeholder engagement activities for Unido on the IEE Project