Empowering Women in the Energy Transition: Harnessing Opportunities in the Age of AI and Digitalisation
On 23 October, at the 2025 International Forum on Energy Transition (IFET) in Suzhou, China — a platform comparable in importance to Germany’s Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD) — the discussion on Women Empowerment in the Energy Transition once again underscored the vital role of diversity and inclusion in shaping a secure and sustainable global energy future.
Co-organised by China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute (CREEI) and GIZ, this year’s IFET Special Event “Women Empowerment in the Energy Transition” coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a cornerstone for advancing gender equality worldwide.
The event brought together government representatives, enterprise leaders, academics, and think-tank experts from China and abroad to explore new opportunities for women in the era of AI and digitalisation. Participants highlighted both the opportunities and challenges, for example, how technologies such as intelligent monitoring are making energy operations more accessible but how algorithms are also reproducing gender biases.
According to IRENA’s recent study “Renewable energy: A gender perspective” presented at the event, women still make up 32% of the global renewable energy workforce, the same percentage they held in 2019, and continue to remain underrepresented in technical and leadership positions. To help bridge this gap, the Sino-German Energy Partnership announced the vision of launching the “SHE Expertise Energize Future” network, an expert pool designed to connect female professionals, increase their visibility in international forums and beyond, as well as strengthen women’s influence in policymaking, technological innovation, and project implementation.
This is the second time that the Sino-German Energy Partnership implemented a gender-focused subforum at IFET, reaffirming that the topic remains politically important. Through collaboration, shared expertise, and targeted initiatives, we can build a more equitable, sustainable, and successful energy transition – one where women play an equal role in shaping the future of the sector.
Learn more about the commitment to empowering women in energy transition and the ongoing initiatives under the Sino-German Energy Partnership here: Women in Green Energy | Energy Partnership China-Germany
More about IFET: IFET - International Forum on Energy Transition