“Wavemakers" of the Gender Net-Zero Movement: An Interview with Chen Hui-Ping, Leader of the Sustainable Women’s Supergroup
2月22日，永續女子天團開張的消息在社群平台Instagram上發出。「女子天團」招募的不是演藝人員，而是找回那群受過台灣綠能公益發展協會訓練的女性能源健檢師。
身為永續女子天團團長的陳惠萍，充滿自信、面帶甜笑的告訴記者，「我不會這麼輕易地放過她們（女性能源健檢師）的。」擁有多重身份的陳惠萍，不僅是台灣綠能公益發展協會創會理事長，還是國發會公正轉型委員會委員、總統府國家氣候變遷對策委員會委員。從創業到政府部門，這些頭銜堆砌的不只是經驗，還有她的細膩觀察。
On February 22, the news of the Sustainable Women’s Supergroup’s launch was posted on Instagram. This “Women’s Supergroup" isn’t recruiting performing artists; instead, it’s about bringing back the female energy auditors who have been trained by the Taiwan Green Energy for Charity Association.
Chen Hui-Ping, the leader of the Sustainable Women’s Supergroup, confidently and with a sweet smile told reporters, “I won’t let them (the female energy auditors) off that easily." Chen Hui-Ping wears many hats: she’s not only the founding chairperson of the Taiwan Green Energy for Charity Association but also a member of the National Development Council’s Just Transition Committee and the Presidential Office’s National Climate Change Policy Committee. From entrepreneurship to government roles, these titles represent not just experience, but also her keen observations.
能源健檢師不少見，但為何用女性能源健檢師作為切角？故事要從2021年聯合國氣候大會COP26說起。會場上，3.5公尺高的小女孩「Little Amal」成為陳惠萍眼裡最可見的「氣候難民」，她是敘利亞難民的小女孩化身。
Energy auditors are not uncommon, but why focus on female energy auditors? The story begins in 2021 at COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference. At the venue, the 3.5-meter-tall little girl “Little Amal" became the most visible “climate refugee" in Chen Hui-Ping’s eyes—she was the embodiment of a little Syrian refugee girl.
「能源裡的性別議題一直都在，但台灣從沒主動碰觸」
在COP26的性別日（Gender Day），陳惠萍得知，聯合國開發計劃署（UNDP）統計，因氣候災害流離失所者，女性占八成；諾貝爾獎得主馬拉拉（Malala Yousafzai）創辦的馬拉拉基金會的報告指出，低收入國家有400萬名女孩，因氣候事件無法完成學業。
在大疫之年，多次代表綠能公益發展協會參與國際場合的陳惠萍，希望將為弱勢建置太陽光電的綠色倡議帶到國際上分享，卻意外感受到，身處男多女少的綠能產業，女性社會企業家的孤獨召喚。
“Gender Issues in Energy Have Always Existed, But Taiwan Has Never Actively Addressed Them"
On Gender Day at COP26, Chen Hui-Ping learned that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) statistics showed that women account for 80% of those displaced by climate disasters. A report by the Malala Fund, founded by Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, indicated that 4 million girls in low-income countries were unable to complete their education due to climate events.
During the pandemic, Chen Hui-Ping, who frequently represented the Taiwan Green Energy for Charity Association at international events, hoped to share the green initiative of building solar power for vulnerable groups internationally. Unexpectedly, she felt the lonely call of a female social entrepreneur in the male-dominated green energy industry.
即使國際能源總署《2021年淨零轉型路徑報告》指出，全球再生能源與節能減碳產業將創造3000萬個工作機會。但陳惠萍透過領英（Linkedin）的《2023年綠色性別落差報告》分析，「我們看到綠色工作的性別落差還是存在。」擁有綠色技能的人力大部分仍為男性，女性僅占三分之一。每十位女性只有一位自認為有綠色技能，「其他女生則覺得自己沒有辦法、她沒有能力，這是我們看到的問題。」
能源轉型可能帶來性別平等機會，根據國際再生能源總署《2022年女性視角看太陽光電報告》，傳統能源產業女性勞動參與僅有兩成。在多樣的綠能產業中，太陽光電是裡面的優等生，女性勞動力占比四成。
即便如此，許多女性所在的太陽光電產業卻有58%女性從事基層行政工作，中級主管約有三成，高階主管只剩下17%。陳惠萍幽默道，「所以我是那17%。」在淨零公正轉型國際論壇上，她也認真細數，氣候變遷對策小組中，女性只占兩成。
「我發現，女性進入光電產業面臨的挑戰，不只是太陽光電產業的問題，而是所有產業都在討論的性別天花板。」陳惠萍告訴記者，「能源裡的性別議題一直都在，但台灣從沒主動碰觸。國際上認為台灣是第一個同性婚姻合法化的亞洲國家，有沒有關於綠能的性別題目？」陳惠萍想自告奮勇回應這題。
Even though the International Energy Agency’s “Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector" (2021) indicated that the global renewable energy and energy-saving industries would create 30 million jobs, Chen Hui-Ping’s analysis of LinkedIn’s “2023 Green Skills Gap Report" showed that “we still see a gender gap in green jobs." The majority of individuals with green skills are still men, with women accounting for only one-third. Only one in ten women considers herself to have green skills. “Other women feel they can’t do it, that they lack the ability. This is the problem we’ve observed," she noted.
Energy transition has the potential to bring gender equality opportunities. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency’s “Solar PV: A Gender Perspective" (2022) report, women’s labor participation in the traditional energy industry is only 20%. Among various green energy industries, solar PV is an outstanding performer, with women making up 40% of its workforce.
Nevertheless, 58% of women in the solar PV industry are engaged in entry-level administrative work, about 30% are in middle management, and only 17% are in senior management. Chen Hui-Ping humorously stated, “So, I’m among that 17%." At the International Forum on Net-Zero and Just Transition, she also seriously pointed out that women account for only 20% of the climate change response team.
“I found that the challenges women face in entering the solar PV industry are not just issues within the solar industry; they are the gender ceiling discussed across all industries," Chen Hui-Ping told reporters. “Gender issues in energy have always existed, but Taiwan has never actively addressed them. Internationally, Taiwan is recognized as the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage. Is there a gender topic related to green energy?" Chen Hui-Ping wanted to volunteer to answer this question.
台灣首批女性能源健檢師 媽媽們成為綠能推手
回到台灣的性別不平等議題，陳惠萍說，「從來不是政府、社會拿把令箭，逼妳放棄屬於妳的權利，那種不平等是更幽微的。」陳惠萍舉例，在台灣，房屋產權以男性為主，所以女主人不太可能決定要不要架設綠電。
陳惠萍卻認為，女性才是家中的能源關鍵節點，但過去卻苦無資源與機會進修。因此2024年，綠能公益發展協會與國發會合作，辦理第一批女性能源健檢師工作坊，課程分為初階種子班和進階班，初階班40位學員，進階班12位，優先錄取新住民、原住民、身心障礙女性、二度就業、有家庭照護需求的媽媽們。
Taiwan’s First Batch of Female Energy Auditors: Mothers Become Green Energy Advocates
Returning to the issue of gender inequality in Taiwan, Chen Hui-Ping said, “It’s never the government or society forcing you to give up your rights with a decree; that kind of inequality is more subtle." Chen Hui-Ping gave an example: in Taiwan, property ownership is predominantly male, so it’s unlikely for a female homeowner to decide whether or not to install green electricity.
However, Chen Hui-Ping believes that women are the key energy nexus in households but have historically lacked resources and opportunities for further education. Therefore, in 2024, the Taiwan Green Energy for Charity Association collaborated with the National Development Council to organize the first batch of female energy auditor workshops. The courses were divided into an introductory seed class and an advanced class, with 40 students in the introductory class and 12 in the advanced class. Priority was given to new immigrants, Indigenous women, women with disabilities, those re-entering the workforce, and mothers with family care needs.
女性在步入婚姻後，面臨為生養小孩暫停事業，此後選擇的工作多半是兼職或彈性工時，仍須妥協子女照護。「社會的遊戲規則讓她自動棄權」，陳惠萍說，「但我們有沒有兩全的方法？把孩子照顧好，是媽媽們能勝任，又對環境好的工作？」
綠能公益發展協會以此為出發，提供女性更全面的照護系統，教媽媽學做能源健檢，孩子也在一旁學做太陽能車。
去年11月，綠能公益發展協會帶領12位學員們實際前往台灣肯納自閉症基金會和平坊，結合專業講師學習建築能效評估、以及太陽能電廠規劃繪圖等綠色技能，並在場域中進行能源健檢實作。
After marriage, women often face suspending their careers to raise children, and subsequently choose part-time or flexible-hour jobs, still needing to compromise for childcare. “Society’s rules of the game make them automatically forfeit," Chen Hui-Ping said. “But do we have a win-win solution? A job that mothers can excel at, which also benefits the environment, while still taking good care of their children?"
The Taiwan Green Energy for Charity Association started from this premise, offering women a more comprehensive care system, teaching mothers to perform energy audits while their children learn to build solar-powered cars alongside them.
Last November, the Taiwan Green Energy for Charity Association led 12 students to the Taiwan Kenner Autism Foundation’s Heping Workshop, where they combined professional instruction to learn green skills such as building energy efficiency assessment and solar power plant planning and drawing, and conducted practical energy audits at the site.
在調查過程中，他們發現工坊內的空調竟然全無節能標章，還有兩台服役超過十年以上。此外，只有六成的插座電器符合節能標章規範。課程結束後，有從高雄自費來參加的學員，主動替台灣綠能公益發展協會媒合高雄的社福機構發展綠電。陳惠萍笑說，「她們（這些學員）就是『綠能公益』的代言人。」
這群首批女性能源健檢師從「小白」開始，正在一步步邁向綠能產業。
During the survey, they discovered that none of the air conditioners in the workshop had energy-saving labels, and two had been in service for over ten years. Furthermore, only 60% of the electrical outlets met energy-saving label standards. After the course, one student who traveled from Kaohsiung at her own expense actively helped the Taiwan Green Energy for Charity Association connect with social welfare organizations in Kaohsiung to develop green electricity. Chen Hui-Ping laughed, “They (these students) are the spokespeople for ‘green energy for public welfare’."
These first female energy auditors, starting from scratch, are gradually moving towards the green energy industry.
「OO系也可以」 盼在國際舞台說出屬於台灣的性別淨零故事
台灣綠能公益發展協會的「性別淨零造浪運動」（Gender-Wave NetZero）自去年4月地球日啟動，初始談的並不是淨零議題多麽迫在眉梢，而是身份重建。
性別淨零造浪運動想告訴社會大眾，「OO系也可以」，而最好的例子就是陳惠萍自己——她證明了，未必要電機、電子、機械背景才能踏上淨零這條路。
陳惠萍眼光長遠，「我們培力這麼多媽媽、女性，事實上每一個女性都曾經是少女，所以我們就覺得我們要從小扎根，不能等他長大了才做事。去年年末做了氣候少女的培力營，培力20位少女了解氣候變遷、公正轉型等等讓大家一起討論、認識SDGs、17個永續發展目標。」
今年，綠能公益發展協會與教育部青年發展署合作，其中「青年百億海外圓夢基金計畫」有兩項希望能讓少女前進9月紐約氣候週，以及11月的第20屆聯合國青年氣候大會（Conference of Youth，COY），前進氣候大會主辦國巴西，向國際說出屬於台灣的性別淨零故事。
“Any Major Can Do It": Hoping to Tell Taiwan’s Gender Net-Zero Story on the International Stage
The Taiwan Green Energy for Charity Association’s “Gender-Wave NetZero" movement launched last April on Earth Day. Initially, it wasn’t about the urgency of net-zero, but rather about identity reconstruction.
The Gender Net-Zero Wave movement aims to tell the public, “Any major can do it." The best example is Chen Hui-Ping herself—she proved that you don’t need an electrical, electronics, or mechanical background to embark on the path to net-zero.
Chen Hui-Ping has a long-term vision: “We empower so many mothers and women; in fact, every woman was once a young girl. So, we felt we needed to start at a young age and not wait until they grow up. Last year, we held a climate girl empowerment camp, training 20 girls to understand climate change, just transition, and other topics, encouraging everyone to discuss and learn about the SDGs and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals."
This year, the Taiwan Green Energy for Charity Association is collaborating with the Ministry of Education’s Youth Development Administration. Through the “Youth Billions Overseas Dream Fund Program," they hope to send two groups of young girls to New York Climate Week in September and the 20th United Nations Climate Conference of Youth (COY) in November, in Brazil, the host country of the climate conference, to tell Taiwan’s gender net-zero story to the international community.
性別淨零造浪運動的「造浪者」
說起造浪者，多少會想到台劇《人選之人——造浪者》，以及那句「我們不要就這樣算了，好不好？」和後續台灣#Metoo運動的影響。但陳惠萍卻賦予「造浪者」全新的意涵。
陳惠萍坦承，所謂的造浪者（wavemaker）是因爲「我的改革並不是激進的。更像是一種邀請」，「我們先找到合適的人，告訴她這樣做很不錯哦，問她要不要一起參加？」再找到行動方案，所以會看到人帶著人，讓此地的水波泛起一圈圈的漣漪，傳到我們所期待的理想世界去。
The “Wavemakers" of the Gender Net-Zero Movement
When talking about “wavemakers," one might recall the Taiwanese drama Wavemakers and the line, “Let’s not just let this go, okay?" and the subsequent impact of Taiwan’s #MeToo movement. However, Chen Hui-Ping gives “wavemakers" a whole new meaning.
Chen Hui-Ping admits that the term “wavemaker" is because “my reform is not radical. It’s more like an invitation." She explains, “We first find suitable people, tell them that what they’re doing is great, and ask if they want to join us?" Then, action plans are found. This way, you see people leading others, causing ripples to spread across the water, carrying us to the ideal world we envision.
台灣綠能公益發展協會 