The world now has the largest generation of young people in history and we need them in the driving seat if we are to fulfil the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
To empower these young leaders from around the world to support a just and inclusive energy transition in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) will host its first SEforALL Youth Summit early next year, highlighting universal access to sustainable energy as a key step towards achieving global climate goals.
The summit will:
Educate young people about the scope and importance of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) for global development
Connect young people around the world to networks and academic and career opportunities in the energy sector
Inspire young people to actively participate in the realisation of SDG7 during the Decade of Action
With only a decade left to provide universal electricity and access to clean cooking, dramatically improve global energy efficiency and increase the share of renewables in the energy mix, we need immediate action to be taken by a wide range of energy stakeholders.
"With their futures at risk, young people are the last stakeholder in the energy transition. We need to empower young leaders to take action and influence today's decisions around energy and climate so that they have the opportunity for the prosperous future they deserve. In a critical year for energy and climate action, SEforALL is proud to host our first event dedicated to youth," said Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy.
A summit for youth, by youth
The inaugural three-day virtual summit, organised by representatives of SEforALL, EM-ONE Energy Solutions, Clean Cooking Alliance, ODS 7 Youth Constituency and Student Energy, will be held from 9 to 11 February 2021.
Participants will have the opportunity to network with peers from around the world who are advocates of sustainable energy. Interactive breakout sessions will connect young people with energy experts from the private sector, international organisations and the public sector, as well as other inspiring speakers from the sustainable energy movement.
Big, bold, creative solutions needed
To boost youth-led action to achieve SDG7, young people will be invited to a competitive call for proposals, where they can recommend solutions to tackle some of the challenges in achieving SDG7 by 2030. The finalists will present their ideas to their peers at the Global Summit.
The Summit will take place at the beginning of a crucial year on energy that will be followed by the UN High Level Energy Dialogue in September and cop26 in November. The results of the Summit will feed into the key moments that SEforALL is taking to drive bolder and more ambitious action towards universal energy access.
Young people aged 15 to 30 can register for the Summit from mid-January 2021. For more information on the SEforALL Youth Summit, visit the event page or follow #YouthLeadSDG7.
