With input in the spring of 2022 from almost 1,200 survey respondents across the country, the StepUp Energy Sector EDI Study identified five (5) opportunity areas for Canada's energy sector, including specifics for the energy management, generation/renewables and transmission and distribution sub-sectors. The key opportunity areas include:

• Career development was consistently the sector's greatest Inclusion KPI pain point.
• Women were underrepresented at the C-Suite level.
• Minority races and ethnicities experienced significant barriers to career progression at the manager level, Black people experience significantly less inclusivity.
• LGBTQ2+ groups felt less safe in the workplace than cis-heteronormative counterparts.
• The pandemic had significantly affected mental health concerns in the workplace and disproportionately affected those with intersecting identities.

Recommendations on a path forward were presented in the study and were discussed during the in-person engagement session and fireside chat on Thursday, October 20 from 5-7pm at the office of Gowling WLG, in Toronto, Ontario.

This study was funded by Alectra Utilities, Hydro One, Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), Natural Resources Canada and Peak Power.