New industry data shows energy sector progress on inclusion may be stagnating

New industry-wide data released today ahead of the EDI in Energy Conference shows that while the UK energy sector has continued to strengthen many of the policies and practices that support equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), progress has slowed, and in some cases declined, with significant challenges around accountability, workforce data and representation remaining.

The findings combine results from TIDE's 2026 Health Index and Energy & Utility Skills' Inclusion Measurement Framework (IMF), providing a picture of both the EDI activities organisations are undertaking and diversity across the sector.

The Health Index is kindly supported by Cognician, an employee activation platform designed to drive behaviour change. It found that:

• Employee EDI objectives and workforce diversity data remain among the lowest-scoring indicators, highlighting the need for stronger governance and evidence-based decision-making.
• Whilst notable improvements were found in some areas such as accessible communications, most indicators declined year on year.
• People-related indicators are the strongest area overall, with organisations reporting continued progress in equitable recruitment and promotion processes, flexible working practices and efforts to address inequities in rewards and benefits.
• The weakest-performing area remains external EDI activity, specifically around engaging with suppliers.

The Inclusion Measurement Framework found that:

• Women now make up 29% - a 5% increase from last year, and now slightly ahead of the wider utilities sector.
• LGBTQ+ and minority ethnic representation are now in line with the wider utilities sector.
• The energy sector is less diverse than the UK national workforce.
• Undeclared rates are improving, with more people choosing to share their characteristics, although they remain a significant challenge across several characteristics with more than half of employees still choosing not to disclose disability information or their sexual orientation.

Summaries of the two surveys can be found below and the full results are available now.

Juliette Sanders, Chief Communications Officer at Energy UK, said:

"The results show that the sector continues to make progress in some areas, particularly in creating more inclusive workplaces, and that targeted efforts such as a focus on accessible communication can really drive change.

"However, the findings show a worrying trend and demonstrate that progress cannot be taken for granted. The next stage of the energy sector's EDI journey will require the personal involvement of leaders to drive momentum. Positive results will depend on stronger accountability, improved data declaration and a continued focus on turning commitments into measurable outcomes."

Louise Parry, Director of People and Organisations at Energy & Utility Skills, said:

"Whilst there have been improvements, both in representation and declaration within the results, and the energy sector is now broadly in line with the wider utilities sector, our workforce lags behind the UK national workforce representation. There is more to be done to translate these results into tangible action.

"The energy industry faces significant workforce demand as the UK delivers its clean energy ambitions. Meeting this demand not only requires the sector to grow its workforce, but to also broaden its representation, attracting and retaining diverse talent from a wider range of backgrounds and reflective of the communities we serve."

The Health Index and Inclusion Measurement Framework form part of TIDE's ongoing work on data collection and insight, sharing good practice and acting as a central point of coordination for EDI across energy.

Full results from the 2026 Health Index and Inclusion Measurement Framework covering the 2025 period are available.

Further information and resources are available from the Tackling Inclusion and Diversity in Energy (TIDE) hub.

Anyone seeking to take part in future surveys aiming to deliver a full picture of EDI progress across the energy sector can sign up to the EDI in Energy mailing list.

Tickets are still available to attend the EDI in Energy Conference virtually, offering the opportunity to hear from CEOs and EDI professionals from across the energy sector.

As well as a panel discussing the results of the Health Index and Inclusion Measurement Framework, and the challenges of data collection, attendees will also be able to learn what's worked in the energy sector and beyond, experience interactive EDI learning and hear personal perspectives from those with lived experiences.

Final tickets are available online: https://www.energy-uk.org.uk/event/equity-diversity-and-inclusion-edi-in-energy-conference-2026/

ENDS

2026 Health Index

The Health Index is kindly supported by Cognician. It measures EDI inputs, including policies, processes and organisational activities. It is the third year of running the Index, and the 2026 Health Index received submissions from 33 organisations across the energy sector.

It asks companies to self-assess against 24 statements, across four categories: Strategy; People; Internal; External.

17 of 24 Health Index indicators show net positive EDI maturity, meaning more organisations rate themselves as Progressive or Leading Practice than Reactive or Inactive. The highest-performing areas were reviewing rewards and benefits, having a communicated EDI strategy and vision, accessible communications, and EDI learning opportunities.

Indicators relating to People are the strongest overall, with organisations reporting continued progress in equitable recruitment and promotion processes, flexible working practices and efforts to address inequities in rewards and benefits.

Whilst the results show that some indicators including accessible communications have shown remarkable improvement since 2025, more generally momentum has slowed compared with previous years. 16 of the 24 Health Index indicators declined between 2025 and 2026, with some of the sharpest falls seen in strategic EDI goals, employee diversity data measurement and employee resource groups.

The weakest-performing area remains external EDI activity, with supplier diversity and engagement with diverse suppliers continuing to score poorly across the sector.

Inclusion Measurement Framework

Delivered in partnership between Energy & Utility Skills and The Equal Group, the Inclusion Measurement Framework measures workforce characteristics and representation outcomes across the sector and the employee lifecycle. 26 organisations participated in the 2025 Inclusion Measurement Framework, representing a sample of over 150,000 employees across the sector.

The 2026 Inclusion Measurement Framework (IMF) highlights some progress in workforce representation, particularly for women.

Women now make up 29% of the energy workforce, up from 24% the previous year - a 5% increase. Female representation is now slightly ahead of the wider utilities sector and broadly aligned with the profile of the wider STEM workforce. Women are also making up 37% of promotions to leadership positions but fewer are applying for jobs in the sector (down 3% year on year).

LGBTQ+ representation stands at 1.5%, improved slightly year on year and broadly aligned with the wider utilities sector but below national population estimates.

The minority ethnic workforce representation stands at 10%, broadly comparable with the wider utilities workforce but are leaving at higher levels than represented. There is also a continued decline of ethnic minority candidates across each stage of the recruitment process.

The sector's age profile has remained largely unchanged year on year, with the largest workforce segment aged between 36 and 45. The proportion of employees under 25 remains at 7%, below the wider utilities sector.

With under 35s making up nearly 40% of leavers, the findings suggest that attracting and retaining younger talent into the sector will remain critical as the industry delivers the energy transition.

Whilst there have been small improvements declaration rates remain a significant challenge across several characteristics. More than half of employees still choose not to disclose disability information, and 59% of employees have not declared their sexual orientation.

The proportion of employees with undeclared ethnicity data fell from 28% to 24%, bringing the sector closer to the wider utilities benchmark.

Disability declaration rates also improved, with the proportion of undeclared records falling from 59% to 53%, while the proportion of employees declaring a disability increased from 3% to 5%.

About Energy UK  

Energy UK is the trade association for the energy industry, representing companies investing billions of pounds to secure our country's current and future energy needs.    

From growing start-ups to major electricity generators, grid and infrastructure developers and energy suppliers, our members are driving change across power, heat, transport and flexibility.    

We provide a collective voice for the sector working with governments, regulators, charities and other organisations to provide crucial insight that shapes policy, offers solutions and promotes best practice. Our broad view across the whole system supports evidence-based positions which are not tied to particular technologies, and are focused on delivering strategic benefits for people, businesses and the economy. We champion initiatives such as our Vulnerability Commitment, which pushes suppliers to go beyond regulation to support customers with additional needs, and TIDE, the industry's drive for greater inclusion and diversity. Through our Young Energy Professionals Forum, we support the development of future leaders. We are equally committed to our team and are proud to be recognised as a Platinum Investors in People employer.

About Energy & Utility Skills

The Energy & Utility Skills Group is the UK's leading partnership for ensuring the energy, water and waste industries have the safe, skilled, and sustainable workforce they need for success. We represent more than 70 members, who collectively employ more than 200,000 people, support hundreds of thousands more in their supply chains, and generate more than £120 billion annually for the UK economy.

We drive economic growth, energy security, and the transition to a low-carbon future through partnerships with governments, training providers, colleges, regulators, standards bodies, and industry partners.

We deliver skills and workforce development services including membership, workforce planning and skills consultancy. Our commercial capabilities include Energy & Environment Awards, the specialist awarding organisation for the energy and utilities industries with a portfolio that includes both qualifications and apprenticeships; EUSR provides the register of training and skills for the utilities sector by developing and assuring training programmes and assessments; Energy & Utilities Careers & Jobs offers hundreds of career opportunities and with leading employers.