28 & 29 March 2023: Participation at the BETD
Last month, the GWNET team participated in the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue BETD.
This year’s discussions focused on the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine which has drawn attention to the very real security risks associated with reliance on fossil fuels. Meanwhile, millions of people all over the world are suffering from the effects of global warming. Security is at risk from climate change as it has already resulted in the displacement of three times more people than wars have caused. In response to Russia’s war, it has been demonstrated how quickly energy supply systems can be transformed if the political will is there.
29 March 2023: Women’s Lunch
During the Women’s Lunch – Women for the Energy Transition, more than 150 women exchanged experiences and strengthened their networking in an informal setting.
The event included two inspiring keynotes and an exchange moderated by German Energy Agency (dena) Managing Director Kristina Haverkamp. Additionally, Birgit Schwenk, Director General for Climate Action at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and Dr. Anna Lührmann, Minister of State for Europe and Climate at the Federal Foreign Office, opened the Women’s Lunch.
29 March 2023: Networking dinner for women in energy network representatives
Women in energy network representatives from more than 15 countries gathered for a networking dinner. They discussed topics such as the importance of diversity in the energy sector, the challenges women face, and strategies to promote gender equality. The representatives also shared their experiences and advice on how they succeeded in their home countries.
30 March 2023: Women Energize Women – Women Empowerment in Global Energy Cooperation
The “Women Energize Women” BETD side-event took place within the scope of the global project Bilateral Energy Partnerships and Dialogues. The event was hosted by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and co-organised by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE), and Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition GWNET.
A global energy transition requires all talents, and people from all areas (politics, business, civil society, and academia) to work collaboratively. Women still face structural and economic barriers to entering the energy sector and occupying decision-making positions. By bringing together representatives from different countries and areas of expertise, the event aimed to shed light on how to empower women and mainstream gender and to identify common solutions, synergies, and next steps.
The opening words were given by: Dr. Franziska Brantner, Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven, Managing Director, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, and Dr. Simone Peter, President, German Renewable Energy Federation BEE e.V.
Furthermore, the discussion panel was composed of:
- Ellen von Zitzewitz – Deputy Head Division North Africa, the Near and Middle East Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) – moderator
- Dr. Franziska Brantner – Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK)
- Shorouq Abdel Ghani – Director, Planning and Institutional Development Directorate, Ministry of Energy Mineral Resources, Jordan
- Christine Lins – Executive Director, Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET)
- Maryna Ilchuk – Co-Founder, Women’s Energy Club of Ukraine (WECU)
- Aneri Pradhan – New Energy Nexus
30 March 2023: Networking workshop of women in energy networks
On the afternoon of 30th March, GWNET organised a physical workshop for women in energy networks after successful iterations in 2019, 2021, and 2022. The workshop allowed for the exchange of experiences, successes, and challenges and facilitated the brainstorming of strategies to empower women as agents of change in the global energy transition.
This workshop was organised as part of the project “Energising women to advance the energy transition” which GWNET carries out in cooperation with GIZ and on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).
Organisations from 18 countries were present in person and online, the countries represented were: Türkiye, Chile, South Africa, Norway, Mexico, Brazil, Nigeria, Rwanda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Germany, Jordan, Vietnam, Tunisia, Israel, United Kingdom and India.
In this workshop, each regional network presented its achievements in the last year. This was followed by a vibrant discussion on topics on which the networks could work together. The next steps of this cooperation include organising periodic webinars to enable more peer-to-peer interaction and learning among the organisations.
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