The human side of the energy transition: How we are creating opportunities for all with cleaner energy drive

The future of energy is often described through the language of technology: solar panels, batteries, heat pumps, smart grids and now artificial intelligence. 

Yet one of the most striking conclusions of Powering Fairer Energy: E.ON & The Purpose Coalition Breaking Down Barriers Impact Report 2026 is the success of Britain’s energy transition may ultimately depend less on technology itself and more on whether people are given the opportunity to participate in it. 

The report, produced by us and The Purpose Coalition, argues clean energy can become a powerful engine of social mobility if businesses deliberately create pathways into the jobs, skills and opportunities that will define the future economy. 

For us, this work sits under a simple but ambitious principle: making new energy work for everyone. 

That means ensuring the benefits of the transition are not limited to those who can afford the latest technologies or who already possess specialist skills. 

Instead, the report outlines a broad strategy built around education, apprenticeships, inclusion, community partnerships and workforce development. 

Building the workforce Britain will need

The transition to clean energy is expected to create significant demand for new skills. 

Engineers, data specialists, software developers, project managers, energy advisers, installers and customer service professionals will all play critical roles in the years ahead. 

The Purpose Coalition report argues addressing this challenge is not simply a workforce issue but a social mobility opportunity. 

Since 2018, more than 1,300 of our colleagues have participated in over 90 apprenticeship programmes.

The scale of this programme reflects the company’s belief that apprenticeships remain one of the most effective routes into high-quality employment. 

As the Purpose Coalition report notes, apprenticeships “sit at the intersection of skills, social mobility and sustainability”. 

Crucially, apprentices are exposed to multiple parts of the organisation through rotational placements, enabling them to develop broader commercial and technical understanding rather than becoming confined to a single discipline. 

The approach reflects the reality that future careers are likely to be increasingly dynamic and interdisciplinary. 

Preparing for a changing world of work 

The Purpose Coalition report also highlights our Future Skills Framework, which seeks to prepare colleagues for changes driven by digitalisation, automation and artificial intelligence. 

Rather than focusing solely on today’s requirements, the framework encourages employees and leaders to think about the capabilities they will need in the future. 

Artificial intelligence forms a particularly important part of this strategy. 

New apprenticeship programmes linked to AI and automation have already been launched, while additional learning opportunities are being developed across the organisation. 

The emphasis is not simply on technical expertise but on inclusion. 

The report acknowledges emerging technologies can create new barriers if access to skills and confidence is unevenly distributed. 

By investing early in future capabilities, we hope to ensure that technological change expands opportunity rather than narrowing it. 

As the Purpose Coalition report states about the adoption of AI into business: “This reflects a proactive approach to inclusion: rather than waiting for new technologies to create barriers, E.ON is working to ensure colleagues can build confidence and capability early.” 

Inspiring the next generation

Workforce development begins long before recruitment. 

In recognition of this, we have expanded its engagement with schools through the New Energy Academy, a free education programme designed to help young people explore careers connected to sustainability and the green economy. 

Developed alongside teachers, the programme provides curriculum-linked resources including lesson plans, presentations, films and classroom activities. 

Importantly, it broadens young people's understanding of what careers in energy actually look like.

Engineering remains important, but the programme also highlights opportunities in data science, artificial intelligence, digital technology, project management and marketing. 

The Purpose Coalition report positions this work as part of a wider effort to create clearer pathways from education into employment. 

Hundreds of workshops have been delivered in schools over the past year alone. 

Through our partnership with LASER, one of its largest public-sector customers, pupils have participated in practical STEM activities including building and racing chargeable model cars, helping bring energy concepts to life in a tangible and engaging way. 

Partnerships strengthening communities 

The Purpose Coalition report also repeatedly returns to the importance of partnership. 

Whether tackling affordability, improving sustainability or developing skills, we argue meaningful change requires collaboration between businesses, local authorities, schools, charities and community organisations.

Prime examples can be found throughout the report. 

In Glasgow, partnerships are helping combine energy interventions with broader efforts to tackle child poverty. 

In Newham, community solar initiatives are supporting schools while creating local energy benefits. 

And in Coventry, battery projects are being linked to wider social and economic objectives. 

The report suggests these place-based partnerships are increasingly becoming a model for delivering social value alongside commercial activity. 

As the Rt Hon Justine Greening – Chair of The Purpose Coalition – writes in the foreword to the report: “No single organisation can deliver a fair energy transition alone. 

“It will require businesses, Government, Local Authorities, schools, housing providers, community organisations and customers to work together.  

“E.ON’s strategic partnerships across places such as Glasgow and Coventry, as well as those with private sector customers, show how national ambition can be translated into local impact.” 

Chris Norbury, CEO of E.ON UK, added: ‘Through apprenticeships, future skills programmes, inclusive recruitment, colleague networks, public sector social value partnerships and community investment, we are working to ensure that more people can see a future for themselves in the energy sector.” 

Creating workplaces where people can thrive 

Opportunity does not end once someone enters the workforce. 

The Purpose Coalition 2026 report highlights our continued focus on inclusion and belonging as central components of its wider purpose. 

More than 4,500 of our colleagues now participate across nine employee inclusion networks, covering a broad range of experiences and communities. 

These staff-led groups provide support, mentoring, learning opportunities and a mechanism for shaping organisational culture. 

Our 2025 inclusion report, Powering Belonging, is highlighted as a key milestone in this work. 

That report outlines measures including enhanced parental leave, support for carers, adjustments for colleagues with non-visible disabilities and continued investment in employee development. 

Partnerships are also helping drive change far beyond us. 

We work closely with the Women’s Utility Network and support initiatives designed to improve gender representation and progression across the utilities sector. 

Our Women in Leadership programme continues to support female colleagues seeking advancement and leadership opportunities. 

External recognition has followed. 

We have been named one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work and was Highly Commended in the Best Places to Work for Women category. 

Chris – pictured below launching the Purpose Coalition report with Ms Greening – said about the accolade: “The recognition reflects the culture our colleagues help shape every day, one built around wellbeing, belonging, flexibility and opportunity for all.” 

E.ON has also received continued recognition in the Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List, where it placed sixth in 2025/’26 – provides further external validation of our organisation-wide commitment to inclusion and belonging.  

A broader definition of success 

The Purpose Coalition report ultimately challenges conventional definitions of the energy transition. 

Too often, success is measured solely through environmental outcomes. 

The Purpose Coalition framework argues for something broader. 

A successful transition should lower bills, improve homes, create jobs, develop skills and strengthen communities alongside reducing emissions. 

As Ms Greening says: “The next phase of the UK's energy transition must be judged not only by emissions reduced, but by bills lowered, homes improved, high-quality jobs created, future skills developed and communities strengthened. 

“E.ON’s purpose, to make new energy work for everyone, is therefore not just a corporate statement. It is a practical challenge and a vital contribution to Britain’s future.” 

The report presents a vision in which clean energy becomes more than an environmental project. 

It becomes an opportunity project. 

If that vision is realised, the legacy of Britain's energy transition may be measured not only in megawatts generated or carbon saved, but in the people whose lives it helped transform. 

To read the full 2026 Purpose Coalition report, click here.