Episode 36

Diversity in energy: How inclusivity and innovation drive energy justice

Episode 36
·
30 mins
·
October 14, 2025

Diversity in energy: How inclusivity and innovation drive energy justice

75inQ’s Marielle Feenstra shares why diversity in energy and energy justice are essential for innovation, retention and equitable policy in the clean energy transition – offering actionable strategies for leaders to build inclusive, future-ready organizations.
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‍What you’ll learn in this episode

The link between diversity in energy and innovation

Marielle Feenstra, Scientific Director and co-founder of 75inQ, explains how diverse teams – spanning gender, discipline and background – consistently design better, more widely adopted technologies. She highlights why inclusive design principles are critical for technologies that “go behind the front door” like smart meters, heat pumps and solar panels.

Energy justice as a core policy goal

Energy justice is about who benefits and who bears the burdens of the transition. Learn why affordability, access and human rights must be central to energy policy, and how breaking silos between social policy and technical infrastructure is key to systemic change.

Recruitment is rising – retention is the challenge

The renewable energy sector is attracting more diverse talent, but retention remains an obstacle. Marielle shares evidence-based strategies for keeping diverse hires engaged, from cross-sector networking to mentoring programs and inclusive workplace design – beyond token gestures.

What leaders can do now

From C-suite to SME owners, leaders can act today by embedding inclusivity into all project phases, supporting lifelong learning and simplifying diversity-related hiring for smaller companies. The payoff: stronger innovation pipelines, higher retention and better alignment with ESG goals.

Key quotes: Diversity isn’t just an HR checkbox

“Energy justice is about ensuring the benefits and burdens of the transition are shared fairly - access to clean energy is a human right.”

“Diversity in energy isn’t just an HR checkbox – it’s a driver of innovation, better uptake and business success.”

“Recruitment is improving, but without retention strategies, we risk losing the diverse talent we’ve worked so hard to attract.”

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