The Energy Transition and Gender Considerations of the Workforce Transformation: A Critical Review of the Dutch Case

The energy transition does not only present a technological challenge. The emerging technological innovations occur within a social context that requires the future energy system to be affordable, reliable, and sustainable. The complexity of the challenge lies in how the energy transition can develop along with the societal needs, creating the necessary support for the change to happen and enabling cooperative frameworks between the government and the citizens. The sufficient availability of a well-qualified workforce is an essential precondition for solving the current and future climate and energy issues. Therefore, the labour market will significantly transform due to the energy and climate imperatives. Those newly formed conditions will impact society on a different scale and pace. This chapter, focusing on the energy sector in the Netherlands, seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the role of women within the energy transition from three perspectives, technical, economic, and social. Then, by identifying the status of women working within the Dutch energy transition, the chapter will attempt a critical assessment of the set ambitions, priorities, strategies, and policies, developed by the Dutch public and private sectors at the intersection of gender, energy transition, and the climate change combat.