On 11 November 2026, POWERful Women launched its 2026 Leaders' Coalition Report at its Annual Conference, which was developed with North Highland. POWERful Women is an industry initiative focused on improving gender balance across the UK energy sector. The report brings together research, evidence and practical experience from the POWERful Women Leaders' Coalition. This includes case studies from bp, ENGIE, Great British Energy, National Grid, RWE, SSE and Subsea7. It follows women's experience across the full career journey: entering the energy sector, staying and thriving, and progressing into leadership. It also recognises where collective action is required to tackle systemic barriers that no single organisation can solve alone.
What the report found
According to 2026 findings, women currently hold 36% of leadership roles in the UK energy sector, falling to 21% at Executive Director level. POWERful Women's ambition is for women to hold at least 40% of leadership and middle management roles by 2030. Everyday choices shape the journey to this ambition. If you take one action from the report, change one everyday decision that is limiting who gets in, gets on or gets the opportunity to lead.
North Highland’s support
North Highland led the development of the report as part of its wider partnership with POWERful Women. Working with POWERful Women, Coalition members and senior industry stakeholders, North Highland brought together external research, Coalition evidence and new case studies, turned them into practical insights and toolkits, and shaped the recommendations for organisational and collective action.
“The sector already knows a lot about what holds women back. What it needs now is action. Women hold 36% of leadership roles but only 21% at Executive Director level, and with 2030 approaching, that gap will not close on its own. The Leaders' Coalition report shows what Coalition members are already doing about it, and gives other organisations practical toolkits to follow. We are grateful to North Highland for developing the report with us and turning what the Coalition has learned into something the whole sector can use.”
- Monica Collings, Chair of POWERful Women
Some key takeaways:
Leader’s Coalition Report highlights what’s working in practice across the sector:
- National Grid's Big Respect programme moves leadership accountability from policy into everyday behaviour. More than 900 leaders have taken part in full-day, scenario-based workshops, and 96% of leaders in the latest group said they felt inspired to make a difference in their day jobs. Inclusive cultures depend on leaders practising how they respond when policy meets a real situation.
- SSE's Women in Power campaign made careers visible to a broader talent pool. Between January 2023 and June 2024, authentic career stories drew 1.27 million impressions and 41,000 unique visits, and influenced 343 hires. The wider point is visibility creates interest, while accessible requirements and multiple routes in turn that interest into opportunity.
- ENGIE UK links 5% of its leadership team bonus to a female representation KPI. Coalition members are also examining succession pools, high-potential pipelines and stretch opportunities to see where women are being lost. Headline figures matter, but the everyday talent decisions underneath them determine who gets there.
“The UK energy and utilities sector needs an estimated 312,300 new workers by 2030, and I believe passionately that an energy transition of this scale needs a workforce plan to match. Writing this report reinforced for me that we already know a lot about what works, so now we need to take what we have learned and collectively make it happen. There are practical tools, tips and behavioural insights throughout the report, so if you see yourself in these pages, start by making one small change.”
-Gina Palmisano, Senior Director, North Highland
What energy leaders can do
The report offers toolkits on widening routes into the sector, making flexible working translate into real career opportunity, and building accountability for representation and progression into decisions leaders already make. It also names three issues that need collective action: expanding the future talent pool, making sure AI creates opportunity, and strengthening the link between industry, government and workforce planning.
Read the 2026 Leaders' Coalition Report
About POWERful Women
POWERful Women is an industry initiative focused on improving gender balance across the UK energy sector, particularly at senior and leadership levels. Its ambition is for women to hold at least 40% of leadership and middle management roles by 2030. It works with women, energy organisations and senior leaders to support careers, remove barriers and improve representation across the sector.
