Flying the flag: supporting National Inclusion Week

As part of National Inclusion Week, we're sharing articles from previous editions of Gi that show our commitment to being an inclusive and supportive organisation.

June celebrates Pride Month across the world which recognises the LGBTQ+ community and its contributions to society.

At IGEM, we want to acknowledge the challenges faced by this community and to stand side by side in the fight for equality, acceptance and human rights. Across the gas industry, organisations large and small are making positive changes to support equity, diversity and inclusion. Here, we take a look at just some of the efforts and initiatives in place from some of the industry’s biggest players.

Cadent

Cadent’s approach to diversity and inclusion is reflected in its mission statement: a culture where everyone is valued and can thrive. The network’s Pride at Work group is just one community the business has formed. Other groups include Women in Cadent, Embrace, Military Community and Thrive.

The Pride at Work ethos is for current and future generations of LGBTQ+ employees to feel comfortable, safe and included at work. Its employee led community, Pride at Work, is a welcoming and safe space where lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) and allied members can thrive and feel included. The group aims to provide informal support to LGBTQ+ colleagues and is run by employees for all employees.

This year, Cadent’s Pride at Work group plans to attend local family-orientated pride events, showcasing the work the group is doing within the organisation. The group plans show the public what Cadent engineers do for the community, providing information on any ongoing work in the area, offering free carbon monoxide alarms and registering any vulnerable customers on the Priority Services Register.

Cadent has also partnered with a variety of groups to show its dedication to driving change, these include the Women’s Engineering Society, Race at Work Charter and Women’s Utilities Network.

According to Cadent’s website, the network is focused on inclusion in its entirety, with targeted action to increase workforce representation and inclusion for a range of backgrounds including those who identify as black,

Asian or minority ethnic, LGBTQ+, service leavers, parents, those with a disability and people not in education, employment or training (NEETs).

SGN

Since its formation in 2023, SGN’s Pride Network, which represents LGBTQ+ colleagues and their allies, has gone from strength to strength.

The network was set up by Communications Officer and EDI Partner Bradley Barlow who also acts as Chair for SGN Pride. As part of the LGBTQ+ community himself, and having been a vocal EDI Partner for many years, Bradley is passionate about a range of LGBTQ+ issues and is excited for what the network can achieve.

The main aims of the network are:

• Peer-to-peer support – providing a space for LGBTQ+ colleagues to express concerns and share experiences, and helping those who may not be ready to disclose their sexuality or gender to feel supported at work.
• Holding the company to account – scrutinising SGN’s policies and processes, feeding back concerns, and making suggestions for improvements including developing policies specifically supportive of LGBTQ+ colleagues.
• Raising awareness of issues facing the LGBTQ+ community, empowering colleagues across SGN to step up as allies.
• Learning from LGBTQ+ networks at other organisations and sharing resources.

The Pride Network is the second to be set up by employees following a Women at SGN Network and supports the company’s diversity and inclusion pledge, launched by CEO Mark Wild OBE in August 2022.

Wales & West Utilities

Earlier this year, Wales & West Utilities was recognised for its dedication to equality, diversity and inclusion with its innovative HR practices. The network was crowned the winner of the Best Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative at the CIPD Wales Awards.

The network is dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, challenging inequalities, overcoming resistance, breaking down barriers and bias and making change happen.

This follows Wales & West’s ‘Inclusion Commitment’, joining dozens of other leading employers to work collaboratively to attract a more diverse range of talent to the workforce.

Graham Edwards, Wales & West Utilities Chief Executive, said: “Being a gas engineer isn’t about your gender, race or sexuality: it’s about your skills, the way you do things and your dedication to your work.”

Northern Gas Networks

The network has recently partnered with the Breaking Down Barriers Commission to foster inclusive opportunities within its workplace.

The commission is dedicated to transforming organisations to back societal change. By collaborating with the commission, NGN has embarked on an innovative journey to enhance its accessibility and create equal opportunities in its communities.

NGN CEO Mark Horsley said: “We are proud to align with the Breaking Down Barriers Commission. This partnership underscores our dedication to making a tangible difference in the lives of the people we serve. Together, we aim to implement innovative strategies that remove obstacles, enabling individuals from all walks of life to achieve their full potential.”

The joining of the two forces marks NGN’s significant commitment to leveraging its industry leadership and resources to break down barriers.

DNV

DNV’s approach to diversity, equity and inclusion is to embed DEI into every aspect of the business’ operations. The organisation brings together a diverse range of identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives to build collaborative relationships, defined by respect and a mutual sense of belonging.

The company says it is committed to working towards and visibly demonstrating leadership engagement on DEI, ensuring DEI is embedded into all its processes, developing strategies and initiatives including awareness and training programs, and much more.

“Diversity and inclusion is a source of strength for DNV. It provides the widest access to global talent and is the best basis for delivering excellence to our customers.

“Managed well, diverse and inclusive teams can also identify and capture more opportunities and manage more risks than homogenous teams. For DNV, not being committed to diversity and inclusion would be both ethically wrong and a grievous business error,” said DNV’s Group President and CEO Remi Eriksen.