[1] IRENA, 2023: World Energy Transitions Outlook.
Renewable energy will transform industries at a scale and pace we haven’t seen since the digital revolution. We want to grasp this opportunity to deliver a positive impact for people, thus ensuring the renewable energy industry secures the social license it needs to build momentum – fast.
What do we mean by people-positive?
A people-positive build-out means building green energy in a way that creates lasting positive social impacts for those affected by the build-out. In short, it gives back more to society than it takes.
To meet global decarbonisation goals, we’ll need to accelerate the build-out of green energy 3.3x per year by 20301. Delivering long-term value to people is key for the renewable energy industry to build at this pace and scale.
A transformation of this magnitude presents an opportunity to provide stable jobs, offer equitable training and education opportunities to the local workforce, and find ways to share the benefits of renewable energy with local communities.
Developing a universal social impact framework
Together with community stakeholders, industry experts and policymakers, we’re initiating a global dialogue on the social impact of renewable energy assets, with the aim of bringing lasting benefits to the communities in which we operate and beyond.
Most recently, we entered a new partnership with the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Through this collaboration, we’ll work with the Center for Responsible Business at Berkeley Haas as well as public and private sector experts to define the first building blocks for measuring the people-positivity of renewable energy projects.
Equitable job opportunities for communities
As we scale up the deployment of renewable energy, we’re committed to working in partnership with the communities that will become our long-term neighbours. This means ensuring that they are consulted and that benefits from our projects are shared.
One example of our shared benefits approach is our Wind Power Ready programme. This programme actively recruits candidates from communities where Ørsted is developing projects, providing paid training and support services that connect them to wind farm technician careers. The initiative was developed in partnership with the Rowan College of South Jersey and other state and community organisations with the goal of hiring wind farm technicians from the Atlantic City, New Jersey area. By investing in people from communities near Ørsted’s operations and maintenance facilities, Wind Power Ready strives to address historical inequities and provide individuals with access to secure, well-paid, and long-term career opportunities.
