Making Workforce Diversity a Cornerstone of the Clean Energy Economy

Published by Passive House Accelerator: Understanding the intersection of environmental, social, and economic inequalities people face can help organizations strategically take climate action. But, the reality is that, in the green building and clean energy sectors, there is a lack of diversity at all levels of leadership that has slowed the implementation of policies that most strategically meet climate and equity objectives. However, there are some programs, at a variety of levels, that are working to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in high-performance building and climate-related workplaces.

The NextGen program, launched by New Buildings Institute earlier this year, is a cohort-model professional development program. While RAY is a career placement program, NextGen is tailored for undergraduate students who are interested in careers in energy efficiency and carbon-neutral buildings. The six-month engagement, which is completely free to the participants, provides opportunities for advanced learning, resume building, mentorship, networking and more.