Watercooler Chat with Amisha Patel, Global Wind Energy Council

We're gearing up for Oceantic Network 's IPF 2024 conference in New Orleans, setting up meetings and preparing to celebrate Groundwire's first birthday. One person I'm especially excited to see is Amisha Patel , Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) 's Director of Global Public Affairs. Amisha and I have shared a lot of laughs, since even before our time together at Mainstream Renewable Power, and I really enjoyed getting to know a bit more about her journey while preparing this edition of our Watercooler Chats. Enjoy!

How did you get into your line of work?

Growing up in the UK with immigrant parents, my journey into the energy sector was far from conventional. With a background in history and a passion for current affairs, I initially found myself in the civil service through a program aimed at underprivileged backgrounds and was posted out to India to work on development aid initiatives there. This exposed me to policy work, including environmental and energy policies, sparking an interest that would shape my career. My upbringing played a significant role, with frequent visits to my ancestral village in Gujarat, India, where I witnessed communities struggling for basic amenities like clean water and electricity.

Despite not initially considering environmentalism as a career path, I found myself drawn to it after joining the civil service. I've been fortunate to work on a global scale since the very beginning of my career.

Further education, namely a master's in environmental policy and regulation at the London School of Economics - and further professional experiences - solidified my passion. I have worked with global trade associations and with the supply chain and developers to develop trade, climate, and energy policies, where I gained insights into business dynamics and became a conduit between businesses and policymakers.

By transitioning to the private sector (with ESB, Statkraft, Principle Power and Mainstream), I delved into renewables, particularly focusing on offshore wind and later floating offshore wind development in emerging markets. I am now actively working with the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and the Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA).

My journey reflects the transformative power of seeking opportunity and the importance of leveraging acquired knowledge and privilege to drive positive change.

What are you working on that you’re really excited about right now?

I’m currently working with the Global Wind Energy Council, who are co-founders of the Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA) to drive wind energy growth and development. It’s a fantastic opportunity. Launched at COP27, GOWA is a global driving force in advancing offshore wind adoption, mobilizing political support to align with the Paris Agreement goals. Founded by IRENA, the Government of Denmark, and GWEC, with the nation of Colombia serving as Co-chair, GOWA aims to accelerate offshore wind deployment to 380GW by 2030 and 2,000GW by 2050.

In a year we’ve seen a doubling of growth, with 20 governments already onboard and more joining.? What really gets me behind this initiative is the emphasis GOWA has placed on a multi-stakeholder approach promoting public-private partnerships, which have been a key contributor to the success of the industry to date.

This approach fosters collaboration to identify opportunities and establish a community of best practices, addressing barriers to ambition and facilitating progress toward shared goals.

In what way does working in the energy transition impact your daily life?

It’s impossible to work in this space without being conscious of how your own actions and those around you impact climate change. In a similar vein, I've become much more aware of the power of individuals and groups to bring about positive change.

For me, my profession and working in this space has given me a real sense of purpose. This is a motivator in continuing to work harder to bring about change through professional platforms and also serve as an example to others.

Having an inclusive, diverse, and equitable workforce is key to delivering the energy transition globally. I’d like to think this concept is accepted as a given now. As a woman from an ethnic group, my career path has been one rather alien to friends, family, and my wider community. I am lucky to have a supportive family, but I still get questioned about my ‘unconventional’ choice. For me, this makes having companies in the sector that truly value diversity and inclusion in all guises more important.

Throughout my career I have felt an acute need to educate those around me about cultural differences. These do matter in a workplace if it is to be truly inclusive.?There are battles a potential candidate may need to fight culturally before even considering a career in renewable energy. This might sound bizarre, but I have lived this reality. Having support from an employer or prospective employer advocating wider groups to join and showing there is a road to progression makes it a battle worth fighting! I continue to advocate in this area.

If I am completely honest, I think on a personal front there is a lot more I can be doing and I am trying to implement changes. For instance, I learnt how to ride a bike not so long ago, and I have reduced the amount I drive by simply walking more. I live in greater London – this means me and my rain jacket have formed an even closer bond!

I am an avid follower of fashion and trends – in fact it’s my weakness - so I have turned to more sustainable fashion brands and more so to repurposing and resale apps and websites which are really taking off. And it’s always a thrilled to grab yourself a bargain.

Is there an issue that you're thinking a lot about but you feel like isn't getting enough attention?

My answer is two-fold: if we are looking at a particular issue in policy and/or initiatives to accelerate Offshore Wind, I will pick out regional collaboration on supply chain development. (A disclaimer: this is a core part of GOWA’s work program and I would like to see this being given more widespread attention.) We are seeing the benefits of this in pockets around the world, the North Sea Energy Cooperation being one example, and also through initiatives like the Esbjerg declaration. But we really need to see other regions in the world taking strides to encourage this level of collaboration if we are going to be able to deliver on our ambitions.

GOWA has so far convened governments from around the world who have shared insights into their respective offshore wind ambitions and challenges in this area. Conversations have emphasized the importance of aligning efforts to support regional collaboration. Some have showcased significant potential for offshore wind energy, but highlighted regulatory complexities that are posing challenges in furthering market development. Others have pointed to the need for cooperation with neighboring countries, and strategies to attract foreign investment, as key to unlocking offshore wind potential.

I’ll say, watch this space for GOWA’s ongoing work in this area. I’ll also take this opportunity to plug the Global Wind Energy Council’s report on the global state of the wind sector's supply chain, which was launched at COP 28 last year, for some very insightful and sobering analysis detailing the urgency to act!

Then, on a more sectoral operational level, going back to workforce development issues, I would say for me personally tackling conscious and unconscious gender bias in the sector is critical. This is imperative to driving change and needs to be a staple in training and inductions within organizations.?I think there is a need to bring more women into the sector and not typecast into certain roles. One of my previous companies had a 2-year rotation scheme for women who were entering mid-career and looking for a change. I thought this was an excellent idea. We need to see women in leadership roles – but we also need women at all stages in their career getting support if they need it.?

What are you reading/listening/watching that others need to know about?

Well, I jumped on the hype and recently read How Big Things Get Done. As the author is delivering a keynote at IPF, I won’t give away any spoilers!? I also used some of the learning and tips from the book in an internal strategy presentation last month, which went down well, so I would say it’s worth a read!

I love a podcast, and I have two that I tend to listen to frequently.

-??????? The Diary of a CEO by Stephen Bartlett

-??????? A Millennial Mind with Shivani Pau

Both podcasts interview professionals and celebrities from a range of areas, but get to the grit of issues that impact our day to day lives. Some of the episodes, particularly on fitness and fads, have been very eye-opening!

Lastly, this is not new, but something that has had a long-term impact on me was a documentary called The Price of Free.? Watch it and tell me what you thought, how it made you feel.

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With a global career in climate and energy policy spanning almost 20 years, Amisha is now on secondment to GWEC to lead the growth and advancement of the Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA), a joint initiative of the Government of Denmark, IRENA, and GWEC that was launched at COP 27.?

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