It should come as no surprise that the renewable energy industry lacks diversity.

You need not look beyond the attendance at any conference or trade show to see this. But if you’re not convinced, look to The Solar Foundation’s Solar Jobs Census to see that just 27 percent of the solar industry is female.

We at Greentech Media are working to tackle these issues head on as part of our Women Advancing Grid Edge (WAGE) initiative.

That’s why we’re so excited that GTM’s next forum, New England Solar & Storage coming up in Boston on October 23, has 50 percent female speakership on panels for the day. WAGE is also hosting a breakfast at the event to promote diversity in the industry.

In an industry where women make up just 27 percent of the workforce, 50 percent female speakership does not happen by accident. It happens by a concerted effort both on the part of GTM and participating companies to identify and uplift female speakers at these events.

But we still have a long way to go — not only in championing women, but also people of color, who are also greatly underrepresented in the renewable energy space.

Why does this matter? Because diversity and representation matter. Studies have shown that diverse companies with gender and racially diverse leadership teams perform better. People of different genders and races bring different perspectives to business, and these differing viewpoints bring new insights, new skills and new networks. Plainly put, more diversity means better business.

We hope that you’ll join us at this next event to hear from our diverse group of panelists about the biggest challenges facing solar and storage in New England today. Register today here.