The Equality in Energy Transitions Initiative (Equality Initiative) participated in the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) Senior Officials Meeting in Brussels, from 3 to 5 June, contributing to discussions on advancing gender equality, inclusivity, and diversity across global energy transitions.
A key moment of engagement was the Spotlight Session: Empowering Society, which brought together CEM member countries alongside
initiatives including the Equality Initiative, the Empowering People Initiative, and the Sustainable Lifestyles Campaign. The session explored the strategic value of strengthening coordination across these efforts under a shared “Empowering Society” narrative. Participants highlighted the potential of this approach to enhance collaboration, increase visibility, and support the development of more practical, action-oriented tools for governments and partners. Work will continue toward shaping a possible deliverable for launch at CEM17.
Afterward, the Equality Initiative convened a technical session focused on accelerating gender equality, inclusivity, and diversity (GEDI) in energy transitions. The session was moderated by Elisa Brivio (European Youth Energy Network – EYEN), who guided the discussion on moving from commitments to implementation through stronger collaboration and concrete action.
The session opened with remarks by Alejandro Ulzurrun, Head of Unit ENER.B1 (Consumers, Local Initiatives, Just Transition) at the European Commission, who underlined the importance of advancing inclusive approaches within the energy transition.
Substantive contributions followed from Equality Initiative workstream leads, including Sabine Mitter (Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility, and Infrastructure, Austria), who presented engagement opportunities through the Ambassadors’ Programme, and Annette Hollas (Natural Resources Canada), who highlighted the Equality Initiative’s Awards and Recognition activities and the Equal by 30 campaign.
CEM member perspectives were also shared, including a contribution from Spain on national priorities for advancing inclusive energy transitions, as well as a short intervention from Finland, reflecting on ongoing efforts to strengthen gender equality in energy policy and implementation.
The session concluded with remarks by Jean-François Gagné, Head of the CEM Secretariat, who reflected on the importance of embedding inclusivity across international energy cooperation and sustaining momentum toward a more equitable energy transition ahead of CEM17 and MI-11.
