Director’s Corner

by Brian Anderson, Ph.D.

Almost 65 years ago, when Martin Luther King Jr., said, “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity,” the world had yet to face the challenges of global climate change. Yet his wisdom then holds a great lesson for us today as we apply all our best thinking and best ideas in striving to reach goals that hold positive impact for “all humanity.”

At NETL, we’re working hard to meet clean energy goals calling for a net-zero carbon emission electricity sector by 2035 and economy-wide net-zero emissions by 2050. Achieving these aggressive targets requires all hands — and ideas — on deck. It’s a matter of rising above narrow confines for the broader concerns of humanity by embracing the insights and conditions of all people. That’s why our team is committed to embracing our diversity and using all assets to achieve great breakthroughs that will enable our nation’s transition to a sustainable energy future. 

NETL has a long history of successful innovation to meet energy and environmental goals. Innovation lies not in a single individual’s talent, but in the ways our talents and perspectives combine to form a comprehensive whole. 

At NETL, we understand this very well and we understand that our accomplishments and our ability to deliver on our important mission depend on including contributions from many different backgrounds. Our success stems from our Lab’s diversity and how we maximize our various ideas and expertise into inclusive innovation. It’s a principle we apply every day because without diversity, we have no team — our differences make us stronger and we’re united in fostering inclusivity in all aspects of our research to drive innovation and deliver solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future.