Addressing youth delegates in the opening keynote, Amina J. Mohammed, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, said it was unacceptable for governments to continue to build polluting economies of the past by investing in fossil fuels: “Young people understand the links between sustainable development and climate justice. You have risen to the forefront as advocates and innovators in bringing sustainable energy solutions to homes, communities and countries.”

A highlight of the Summit was the Troubleshooting for SDG7 Finals, which called for youth-led technology or policy ideas to support SDG7 progress. Launched by SEforALL ahead of the event, 133 proposals from representatives of 42 countries were received, and three finalists from Cameroon, Nigeria and China were identified by a panel of judges. 

Following a live pitch competition, Adekoyejo Kuye, Uzochukwu Mbamalu, Charles Aliozo and Chigozie Enemoh from Nigeria were announced as the winners and will now receive USD 2,500 funding to support their innovation. Their proposal was for a solar-powered cold storage unit that used one compressor for multiple applications, helping smallholder farmers with food cool chains to reduce food loss. The solution could also be extended to keep vaccines safe. Speaking on their win, the team said: “If youth don’t care and act to bring about SDG7, we will be the ones to bear the negative impacts in the near future. We have what it takes to bring about change—all we have to do is take action.”

Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy called for young people to be even bolder in their actions to secure a clean energy transition that leaves no one behind: “As the largest youth generation in history, these young energy leaders are our future—and what a bright future it is. That is why I strongly believe engaging youth in the energy transition is not just desirable, it is essential. We must maximize their incredible innovation, passion and commitment to help create real change so we can meet our global climate and energy goals.”

A virtual career advisory and academic fair also connected youth delegates with experts and universities from around the world to discuss energy-related opportunities and courses. The Florence School of Regulation (FSR) also announced 10 new scholarships to their 14-week Regulation of the Power Sector training course that delegates could apply for. Over 30 institutions took part, including Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, Indian Institute of Science, Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) Brazil, Enel Group, Camco Clean Energy and the ASEAN Centre for Energy.

“There are 1.2 billion people on this planet between the ages of 15 and 24 who are hungry for a better world – and these young people are equipped with passion, information and platforms that no generation before has had. As industry veterans and experts, it is our role to share our knowledge and amplify the voice of these inspiring youths in the energy transition by making room and giving them a seat at the table,” said Mir Islam, EM-ONE Energy Solutions CEO.

The outcomes of the three-day Summit will now feed directly into key SEforALL-led events in 2021 to drive more ambitious action towards universal energy access, including the UN High-Level Dialogue on Energy in September and the UN climate change conference, COP26, in November. This includes a set of recommendations outlining how to place a clean energy transition at the heart of the youth climate action movement developed during the SDG7 Youth Roundtable session with the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, Jayathma Wickramanayake.
 
In her closing remarks, Damilola Ogunbiyi also announced a new upcoming campaign from SEforALL. The ‘Be Bold’ campaign will launch in March to promote more ambitious progress on SDG7. UN Young Leader for the SDGs, AY Young, who performed his song ‘Save the Planet’ at the Summit, was also announced as the Youth Champion for the campaign.

As Summit co-host, Dymphna van der Lans, Clean Cooking Alliance CEO, said: “I am honoured the Clean Cooking Alliance was able to co-host the first-ever SEforALL Youth Summit. This is a critical year with many high-level conversations around climate and energy taking place. Kicking off 2021 by elevating youth voices is a great start.” 

You can still watch Youth Summit sessions online by registering and accessing the “On Demand” page. You can also follow #YouthLeadSDG7 on social media. 

For any interview requests, please contact Beth Woodthorpe-Evans, Sustainable Energy for All: Beth.Woodthorpe-Evans@SEforALL.org | +1 202 390 1042

“If we’re to achieve a clean energy transition that supports climate action and closes energy access gaps, the innovation, commitment and drive of young leaders is not just desirable, it is essential. Whether you’re a high school student or a young professional, access to energy can allow you to achieve your full potential - from studying, job opportunities, opening your own business or simply enjoying life. Our aim is to create a conversation between youth and world leaders and start talking about sustainable energy that meets the needs of young people without compromising their future,” said Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy.

A three-day masterclass on sustainable energy

Participants will have an opportunity to learn from and interact with global thought leaders in sustainable energy and climate change from the public and private sectors. Youth representatives from SEforALL, EM-ONE Energy Solutions, Clean Cooking Alliance, Student Energy and the SDG7 Youth Constituency have curated the sessions and handpicked the speakers.

“The SEforALL Youth Summit will kickstart an important year for the sustainable energy transition. Meaningful action requires close partnership and collaboration between the private and public sectors, and we are excited to play our part in putting youth at the heart of this vision to mobilize action for SDG7,” said Mir Islam, EM-ONE Energy Solutions CEO.

The Summit opens with introductory remarks by the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, followed by the Energy Dialogue with SEforALL CEO, Damilola Ogunbiyi, and youth climate and energy actors including Vanessa Nakate, UN Young Leaders for the SDGs and Ana Sophia Mifsud, Rocky Mountain Institute Senior Associate. Moderated by TIME Magazine’s Energy and Environment Reporter, Justin Worland, this session will discuss how leaders can ensure that energy is included in vital youth-led conversations happening across the globe.

More world leaders are expected to join the Summit including the United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, Jayatma Wickramanayake, who will chair the SDG7 Youth Roundtable. Bringing together young climate and energy activists to discuss the importance of clean energy transition to the youth Climate Action movement, a set of tangible next steps and recommendations will be agreed upon for better convergence of the clean energy transition on Climate Action.

In a series of lightning chats, other young energy leaders like Anunya Bahanda, Fossil Free Penn, Chelsea Tucker, L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women In Science Awardee Waste to Fuel, Chebet Lesan, BrightGreen Renewable Energy, and Chiagozie Udeh, UN Major Group for Children and Youth SDG7 Focal Point, will also engage in bite-sized conversations with key leaders in the sustainable energy industry, including the President of the 75th UN General Assembly, Volkan Bozkır, and SEforALL’s newly-appointed Administrative Board Chair and Enel Group CEO and General Manager, Francesco Starace.

To encourage participants to connect with their peers and sustainable energy advocates, registered participants can join one of the five breakout sessions, where they will be free to share their insights and goals on the following topics:

• Women Breaking the Glass Ceiling in the Energy Sector
• Young Energy Innovators Disrupting the Energy Access Supply Chain
• Artificial Intelligence, Data and the Future of Electrification
• Powering Industrialization in the Global South through Clean Energy
• Fueling Action on Clean Cooking

SDG7 innovation finale

Finally, the three youth finalists, who submitted the most innovative ideas to the SEforALL Youth Summit Call for Proposals will present their SDG7 proposals live during one of the sessions in the Summit. Pre-judged by sustainable energy experts and members of the Summit taskforce, one winner will be announced after the presentations. A cash prize of USD 2,500 will be awarded to the winning group or individual to help jumpstart their proposal.

Exploring career and academic options in the energy sector

Participants will also have the chance to explore academic and professional career options in the energy sector during the three-day Summit. Two virtual fairs running for two hours each will showcase presentations from leading universities and employers across the globe. Sustainable energy-related organisations from the public and private sectors such as ASEAN Centre for Energy and Clean Cooking Alliance will facilitate interactive discussions around the types of roles they have in their companies, challenges they tackle and how their work fits into the broader sustainable energy and SDG7 challenge.

Meanwhile, universities including Columbia University SIPA (Center on Global Energy Policy), National University of Lesotho, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies and Birmingham Energy Institute will talk about key elements of their current energy-related programmes to get youth motivated about working in the sector. Universities may also share relevant information on scholarships, fellowships and/or other opportunities that increase accessibility to their programmes.

“Young leaders from around the world are pivotal to meet SDG7 by 2030. What they bring to the table is critical to ensure universal access to clean cooking and modern energy. That’s why we must empower and support them with opportunities and knowledge to become the world’s energy professionals and leaders of tomorrow,” said Dymphna van der Lans, Clean Cooking Alliance CEO.

The outcomes of the first-ever SEforALL Youth Summit will feed into key moments this year that SEforALL is leading to drive more ambitious action towards universal energy access, including the UN High-Level Dialogue on Energy in September and the UN Climate Change Conference - COP26 - in December.

Interested participants are requested to register for the SEforALL Youth Summit here.

For more information, visit the event page or send your inquiries to youth@SEforALL.org.