If you want to be genuinely informed about energy and climate in 2026, LinkedIn is one of the most overlooked places to look. For this Forbes column, I pulled together a list of women worth following on LinkedIn who are shaping how energy and climate conversations evolve across science, geopolitics, business, policy, startups, and markets. The criteria were straightforward: at least 10,000 followers, regular posting on issues that extend beyond their immediate workplace, and a demonstrated habit of synthesis, analysis, or perspective rather than simple organizational updates. These top voices publish posts that go far beyond the usual "look, we did a thing." The women below offer one of the highest signal ways to track how the energy and climate transition is actually unfolding.
Last year, I shared a holiday lineup of climate and energy books written by women authors, and I invite readers to revisit that collection as a companion to this year's list.
Science and climate communications
Katharine Hayhoe is Chief Scientist at The Nature Conservancy and one of the most recognizable climate communicators in the world. She is best known for translating climate science into human terms that resonate across political and cultural divides. On LinkedIn, she posts explanations of climate risk, adaptation, and why communication itself is one of the most powerful climate tools. She is also the author of the bestselling book Saving Us, and her feed consistently models how rigor and empathy can coexist in climate discourse.
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, policy strategist, and co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab, and is widely known for centering justice and oceans in climate conversations. Her LinkedIn posts range from ocean science and climate justice to political narratives shaping the energy transition. She co-edited the anthology All We Can Save, which has become foundational reading in climate circles.
Business
Kate Brandt is Google's Chief Sustainability Officer and one of the most influential corporate sustainability leaders globally. She is best known for embedding decarbonization and circularity into one of the world's largest technology companies. On LinkedIn, she breaks down how big tech approaches energy use, data centers, supply chains, and net zero strategy. She previously served as the first U.S. Federal Chief Sustainability Officer, and her posts offer an inside view of sustainability at scale.
Emilie Oxel O'Leary leads a solar and wind recycling firm, Green Clean Solar, and is best known for pioneering end-of-life solutions for clean energy hardware. Her LinkedIn posts explain decommissioning, circular supply chains, and why renewables must address waste to retain credibility. She is essential reading for anyone who believes the energy transition must be truly circular.
Vaishali Nigam Sinha is a co-founder of ReNew, one of India's largest renewable energy companies, and a leading voice in emerging-market energy transitions. Her posts blend India's domestic energy challenges with global finance, markets, and policy developments. She also chairs the ReNew Foundation, which focuses on sustainability and social development.
Katja Wünschel is a senior executive who has held major leadership roles across RWE and E.ON and is widely recognized as a leading voice in European clean energy. Her LinkedIn posts touch on renewable deployment, corporate strategy, and the realities of Europe's grid transformation. She offers a grounded, practitioner's view of how the transition actually gets built inside large incumbent utilities.
Grace Stanke Vanderhei is a nuclear engineer at Constellation and a former Miss America who used her national platform to promote climate literacy. She is best known for making nuclear energy accessible to broad audiences. On LinkedIn, she shares posts about nuclear operations, plant tours, workforce development, and the need for young engineers in the sector.
Erika H. Myers is a global expert on electric mobility and charging infrastructure and leads transportation electrification work at the World Resources Institute. She is best known for her practical expertise on EV adoption and charging reliability. Her LinkedIn posts cover fleet electrification, grid implications, and real world deployment challenges.
Trade associations
Julia Hamm spent two decades leading the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) and is best known for her work on utility transformation and renewable integration. Her LinkedIn posts offer perspective on grid modernization, electrification, and institutional change. Having been involved in U.S. solar deployment since the industry's early days, she brings deep historical context to current debates.
Abby Hopper is a former President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). She is best known for shaping U.S. solar policy and market development. Her LinkedIn feed highlights policy fights, tradeoffs, and political dynamics behind solar deployment. She previously led the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management; her posts reflect deep regulatory experience.
Sama Bilbao y Leon is Director General of the World Nuclear Association and globally recognized leader in nuclear policy. She is best known for representing nuclear energy in international climate and energy security discussions. On LinkedIn, she posts global nuclear updates, regulatory insights, and commentary on innovation drawing on prior leadership roles at IAEA & OECD Nuclear Energy Agency.
Startups
Emily Kirsch is the founder of Powerhouse and a central figure in the climate tech startup ecosystem. She is best known for supporting early stage climate companies and shaping climate venture capital conversations. Her LinkedIn posts highlight founder stories, investment trends, and structural barriers to scaling innovation. She also hosts the Watt It Takes podcast which has become a staple in the industry.
Dawn Lippert leads Elemental Impact and co-founded Earthshot Ventures and is best known for pioneering catalytic capital in climate innovation. Her LinkedIn posts feature entrepreneurs tackling difficult decarbonization problems alongside reflections on funding, risk, and systems change. Having supported hundreds of startups, she regularly shares lessons from the frontier of climate finance.
Journalism
Amy Harder is Executive Editor of Cipher at Breakthrough Energy and one of the most respected climate and energy journalists in North America. She is best known for distilling complex policy into sharp readable analysis. On LinkedIn she cuts through noise to focus on what developments actually mean for markets and implementation. She previously covered energy and climate for Axios and The Wall Street Journal.
Julia Pyper is a journalist and strategist best known for her coverage of climate tech and U.S. clean energy politics. Her LinkedIn posts focus on narrative framing, political signals, and the forces shaping public perception of clean energy. She regularly hosts conversations with leaders across the sector making her feed both analytical and connective.
Geopolitics & Natural Gas
Tatiana Mitrova is a leading global expert on Russian energy markets affiliated with Columbia SIPA. She is best known for data driven analysis of LNG sanctions and global gas flows. Her LinkedIn posts break down how geopolitics shapes energy markets. She previously led the Skolkovo Energy Center in Moscow.
Anne-Sophie Corbeau is one of the world's most respected LNG and gas market specialists. She is best known for her clarity and precision in analyzing gas supply storage and price risk. On LinkedIn she provides timely commentary on European gas markets and global supply chains often simplifying complexity without losing nuance. She previously authored major IEA gas outlooks.
Carbon markets and COP
Damilola Ogunbiyi leads Sustainable Energy for All and serves as UN's Special Representative for Sustainable Energy. She is best known for advancing global energy access and inclusive transitions. Her LinkedIn posts focus on development finance equity and international cooperation. She co-chairs UN Energy and is deeply involved in climate negotiations.
Eve Tamme runs Climate Principles and is best known for her expertise on carbon pricing and EU climate policy. Her LinkedIn posts cover EU ETS reform voluntary markets Article 6 and practical realities of carbon markets. She previously helped shape Europe's carbon market architecture inside European Commission.
Youth voices
Sophia Kianni is the founder of Climate Cardinals and the youngest-ever UN Youth Advisor on climate. She is best known for championing multilingual access to climate science. Her LinkedIn posts emphasize youth leadership global negotiations inclusion.
McKenna Dunbar is a climate advocate focused on environmental justice community leadership. She is best known for reframing climate through an equity lens. Her LinkedIn posts emphasize intersectionality representation inclusive movement building.
Eduarda Zoghbi is a sustainability strategist best known for elevating Latin American perspectives in global climate policy. Her LinkedIn posts highlight climate finance emerging economies negotiations. She has participated in multiple UN climate conferences as a youth delegate.
(Former) Government
Jennifer Granholm is the former U.S. Secretary of Energy and a former governor of Michigan. She is best known for advancing clean energy manufacturing and federal industrial policy. Her LinkedIn posts reflect on technology deployment workforce development lessons from government execution.
Anna Sobczak is a senior policy officer at the European Commission working on industrial transformation. She is best known for her work on hydrogen critical materials Net Zero Industry Act. Her LinkedIn posts provide Brussels insight that cuts through institutional noise.
Anna Siefken is the North America Policy & Markets Lead at the Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Council where she guides strategy policy efforts to accelerate adoption long-duration energy storage technologies. She is best known for her work making business case energy efficiency climate tech innovation large-scale clean energy deployment. On LinkedIn she posts about long-duration storage policy energy markets commercialization barriers how emerging technologies can move trial real world deployment often sharp insights regulatory strategy market design.