2021 Climate Tech Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Survey
At Clean Energy Ventures we’re investing in improving Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in climate tech and clean energy. Not only do we believe this is the right thing to do, but the data shows diverse and inclusive companies out-perform their more homogenous competitors. As we work to combat climate change through energy innovation we need the strongest possible teams building solutions.
To support this, we wanted to understand the diversity, equity and inclusion across all the portfolio companies of Clean Energy Ventures and our sister organization, the Clean Energy Venture Group.
This survey was fielded in January and February of 2021. Each one of our portfolio companies was invited to participate (25 total active companies at the time) and field the survey directly to their team members, including board members and close consultants or contractors.
Below is a selection of the available data aggregated across companies. Individual companies were provided with full aggregate results across their own team members, giving them a strong data foundation from which to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion.
Survey Participants
Companies by Funding Stage(%)
Participants by Role(%)
DEI Policies & Procedures
68% of respondents believe their company has made a DEI commitment as part of the company's long-term plan.
Q: Has your company made a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as part of its mission, vision, and/or strategic plan?
61% of respondents are unsure if financial resources have been allocated to address DEI in their company.
Q: Has your company allocated financial resources for diversity, equity, and inclusion work?
71% of respondents are unsure or do not believe there is a formal process for raising DEI concerns.
Q: Does your company have a formal process in place for employees to raise concerns or complaints related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and a structured approach for responding?
82% of respondents are unsure or believe their company does not have an action plan for addressing DEI.
Q: Does your company have an action plan to address diversity, equity, and inclusion with measurable outcomes (e.g. an equity plan or strategy)?
Early-Stage Climate Tech Diversity
All Respondents by Gender
All Respondents by Race/Ethnicity
Executive & Senior-Level Team Members by Gender
Executives & Senior-Level Team Members by Race/Ethnicity
Diversity Beyond Race & Gender
What's Next? What did we learn?
We hope the early-stage climate tech startups we invest in can use this data to understand how to improve DEI within their organization, through clear communication, new programs, and regular attention. As part of our commitment to improving DEI, we’re building a collection of tools these companies can use to aid in that effort, and more are being created regularly.
More broadly, we hope viewers of this data here find it valuable and insightful, and are encouraged to measure DEI within their own communities and use that measurement to identify gaps and drive action.
Learn more about our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives.
