At Bord Gáis Energy, we are energised by the power of diversity and committed to making a positive impact in a rapidly evolving global landscape of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). DE&I has been a core part of our values for several years, and we remain fully dedicated to our Every Colleague Counts strategy, creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, supported, and able to thrive.
Our commitment to DE&I is not just the right thing to do; it is critical for the success of our business. We serve a diverse community across Ireland, and we want a workforce that reflects the society we live in. DE&I is central to building a fairer and stronger organisation for both our colleagues and our customers, now and in the future.
Our DE&I strategy is built on three pillars: diversity of representation (attracting, promoting, and retaining a broad range of talent); equity of opportunity (ensuring fairness for everyone in everything we do); and inclusion (creating a culture that values difference and fosters a sense of belonging).
These principles have guided our efforts to increase diversity in many aspects, including achieving significant gender diversity progress at executive and senior management levels and working towards our target of 30 per cent female apprentices by 2030.
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Over the years, we have consistently embedded diversity into our DNA. A key part of this has been the creation of colleague-led networks that support inclusion, connection, and belonging across the business. Today, we have 377 members across our seven networks: the Bord Gáis Energy Women’s Network, Bród (our LGBTQ+ network), Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage multicultural network (REACH), the Neurodiversity Network, the Working Parents Network, the Carers Network, and our Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA). Each network is sponsored by a senior leadership team member to champion their work and drive meaningful action.
These networks do more than build community; they help shape our policies and influence how we work. For instance, the Bród network helped introduce transitioning guidelines to support transgender colleagues. A further standout example is the Visa Sponsorship initiative, introduced in 2024, and led by our multicultural network, REACH. This programme removes geographical and legal barriers, making it fairer for individuals seeking to build their careers at Bord Gáis Energy. So far, 30 colleagues have benefited from the initiative, bringing new perspectives, skills, and experience into our business.
In a competitive employment market, we know that both our colleagues and those we want to attract value more than just good intentions on DE&I. They want to see a clear, ongoing commitment to inclusion, transparency, and a culture where everyone can thrive. This means being proactive, open, and intentional about how we support every voice across the organisation.
We recently launched a refreshed Employee Value Proposition, highlighting our offerings that make us an inclusive place to work, including our Flex First flexible working policy, carers’ policy, wellbeing resources, and colleague networks. I believe this is one of the reasons our colleagues regularly highlight and praise our efforts and commitments through our colleague engagement survey, placing us in the top 5 per cent benchmark for the energy and utilities industry, for DE&I.
We are proud to be an Elevate pledge signatory with Business in the Community in Ireland and, following our Bronze Accreditation with the Investors in Diversity, we are actively pursuing our Silver Accreditation in 2025.
On behalf of myself and the wider leadership team in Bord Gáis Energy, we are passionate about accelerating our efforts around DE&I, taking action, driving positive impact and energising a fairer future for all.
