Last February, Student Energy was delighted to talk about our Theory of Change at GLOBEForum 24 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Between the 13th and 15th of February, hundreds of climate-conscious change makers converged to forge new connections, strengthen existing bonds, and provide a space for keen intergenerational engagement on key climate issues.

This year’s forum theme was “The Future is Regenerative,” exemplifying the event’s commitment to youth empowerment and sustainability. GLOBE Series operates as part of Profoundry, a collective of like-minded sustainability and climate experts dedicated to helping organizations create positive sustainable change. The group, including Delphi, CBSR, and Leading Change, is collectively focused on achieving its vision: a more sustainable, prosperous, and just future for the next generation of changemakers.

Last time, we shared the GlobeForum experience of Piper, our Chapters Coordinator. Today, we are thrilled to feature Julie Boyce, our Career Training Manager, and share her experience taking part in the event. For Julie, GLOBEForum 24 served as a source of climate optimism, thanks to the voices of youth being centered.

Julie Boyce: Healthy, Respectful, Collaborative Spaces for Youth

This past February 13-15 I had the privilege to attend both the Leading Change and GLOBEForum 2024 as a youth delegate representing Student Energy. For those who don’t know me let me introduce myself; I am a thirty year old caucasian female settler on the stolen lands of Turtle Island, I have a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Victoria, and work as a Program Manager for the global Student Energy Career Training program. 

“My mission is to use my social work education to support global youth through enhancing their skills, raising critical awareness, and advocating for meaningful opportunities while uplifting youth as resourceful, resilient experts on addressing the energy transition and related climate crises in their communities.”

I myself come from a rural Alberta where my community was predominantly influenced by the mining industry, and experienced social and economic devastation after Alberta transitioned away from coal, and just this past summer was gravely impacted by the wildfires due to global warming. 

Left to right: Piper, Julie and the Leading Change delegation, Julie and Pattie Gonia, The Canadian Cleantech panel.

When I first learned the conference theme “The Future is Regenerative,” admittedly I scoffed. As a young professional fully immersed in the energy and climate change space, my personal future has often felt bleak because of my ongoing dance with climate distress. To my surprise after the three day conference I felt hope for the future. I applaud Leading Change for creating safe and brave spaces for young professionals (19-35) from diverse lived experiences, education, work backgrounds to share our perspectives and opinions about our net-zero future that is just, equitable and fair. They created space for us to have healthy, respectful and collaborative conversations about truly difficult topics. 

The organizers did a phenomenal job of creating safety for their youth delegates by creating the Leading Change delegate badges in a vibrant red color that instantly provided a sense of relief when I was navigating the GLOBE event space because I could always locate another delegate to talk to if I was feeling intimidated. Industry leaders, innovators, workers and activists actively engaged Leading Change delegates through numerous intergenerational networking opportunities.

“Throughout the event I felt privileged to connect with thoughtful professionals who were willing to listen to the perspectives of youth delegates, engaging in meaningful conversations that drive progress forward.”

I was drawn to the panels, workshops, and dialogues about critical minerals, Canada’s net-zero electricity grid, Indigenous leadership, climate resilient infrastructure, the just transition, and public private partnerships towards net-zero emissions. The knowledge sharing was invaluable, and I was most inspired by the Canadian Cleantech Leadership Panel that highlighted leading Canadian cleantech companies by sharing their perspectives on advancing innovative solutions to achieving net-zero while also speaking to their limitations. I was delighted to see Apoorv Sinha, co-founder and CEO of Carbon Upcycling, a previous Career Training partner, who spoke to the importance of mobilizing government support towards cleantech to have a more inclusive and just transition to Canada’s net-zero future. 

Annabelle Liao of G7 Research Group with Julie Boyce, and waterside Vancouver

My biggest takeaway from my experience as a Leading Change delegate at GLOBE Forum is the immense potential for conferences to learn from each other about creating meaningful youth engagement. This ensures young people feel safe and confident to contribute actively to dialogues, networking, and collaborative actions aimed at transforming the world toward a sustainable, equitable, and just net-zero future for everyone.

More Blog Content to Come…

Thanks for sharing your unique perspective on GLOBEForum 24 and Leading Change’s inclusion of youth this past February, Julie! Over the next year we are going to make it a priority to amplify the diverse voices of the Student Energy team through our blog. You can expect to see more retrospectives on events, key takeaways and points to consider on emerging renewable solutions, and a continued commitment to highlighting the accomplishments of our vast network of program participants.

Do you have any idea for a future blog post and you’re a participant in one of our programs? Contact your Student Energy Coordinator and let them know! We would sincerely love to hear from you.

This February, Student Energy was delighted to represent our Theory of Change at GLOBEForum 24 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Between the 13th and 15th of the month, hundreds of climate-conscious change makers converged to forge new connections, strengthen existing bonds, and provide a space for keen intergenerational engagement on key climate issues.

This year’s forum theme was “The Future is Regenerative,” exemplifying the event’s commitment to youth empowerment and sustainability. GLOBE Series operates as part of Profoundry, a collective of like-minded sustainability and climate experts dedicated to helping organizations create positive sustainable change. The group, including Delphi, CBSR, and Leading Change, is collectively focused on achieving its vision: a more sustainable, prosperous, socially just future within a generation.

In GLOBE’s own words:

The world is rising to meet the immense social, economic, and environmental challenges of our time, and there are more opportunities to create value in the clean economy than ever before. It is no longer enough to simply reduce our environmental impact or repair the damage that has already been done.

We need to rethink what’s possible, reimagine our economy, and reach beyond sustainability to regeneration.

Student Energy was fortunate to have several members of our team in attendance: Danii Kehler representing SevenGen, Julie Boyce representing Student Energy Career Training, and Piper Stump representing our global Chapters program! Piper was eager to share her reflections and takeaways from her participation in GLOBEForum24 with the Student Energy community.

Left to right: Piper Stump, Danii Kehler, Julie Boyce.

Piper’s Key Takeaways

This past week I attended LCForum24 and GLOBEForum as one of over 120 young sustainability leaders in Leading Change’s 2024 delegation! 

This conference was an incredible opportunity to connect intergenerationally with sustainability leaders across Canada on key issues that we as a nation face such as achieving net-zero targets, building a regenerative future, and the importance of intersectional, equitable, and diverse inclusion. A few of my favorite takeaways from my time at the GLOBEForum include:

• Pattie Gonia’s not only inspiring message to use nature as a mentor in business and in leading us to a regenerative future (“nature’s leadership is circular”), but also by kicking the conference off with a brilliantly rain-themed drag performance (perhaps the most epic start to any conference I will ever attend?).

• Both Maya Colombani and Jane McDonald’s insight into corporate sustainability and the importance of transparent and humble communication of sustainability impact and goals within the private sector. Following the discussion of “greenhushing,” Maya spoke on the “right to fail”, and how publicly acknowledging missed targets is a crucial step in achieving sustainability targets. 

• Lastly, Kat Cadungog’s closing message, urging organizations to take imminent action was especially empowering. She called for groups to be willing to learn from mistakes and contribute meaningfully to our economy and communities by putting plans in action tomorrow. Taking incremental steps everyday is imperative to achieving our 2030 and 2050 climate and net zero goals. 

Piper and Pattie, The Canada Cleantech Leadership Pitch Panel, and Annabelle Liao of G7 Research Group with Julie Boyce.

There were so many takeaways from this event and I am having a hard time expressing only a few but I truly appreciate the authentic intergenerational collaboration facilitated by GLOBE and Leading Change and am delighted to have had this opportunity to meet so many wonderful changemakers from across the country. 

I will leave you with these absolutely fundamental quotes from Pattie Gonia:

 “That commitment to bridging differences leads to innovation and momentum that enables the climate and #sustainability movement to go forward, and really speaks to the importance of embedding that diversity as a core value of this movement.”

“Everyone has heard the phrase, this team is operating like a well-oiled machine – but how different does it feel to say, this team is thriving like a well-nurtured meadow?”

More to come…

Stay tuned, because we have more to share! Coming later this month, Julie Boyce, the Program Manager for Student Energy Career Training will share her insights on the GLOBEForum’s unique position as an intergenerational space for discussion and youth empowerment, as well as her noted areas of growth and opportunity for similar events in the future!

Meet Brenna Rempel, the current President of the Student Energy University of Manitoba (SEUM) Chapter! She was a 2021 Student Energy Fellow and is one of the members of the first cohort of the SE Guided Projects University of Manitoba team.

In 2019, Brenna became an integral part of the Student Energy network, leading the SEUM Chapter at her University. She was appointed as the President of the Chapter, where she consistently engaged her peers in energy-related projects, attended sustainability events, and cultivated insights from professionals within the Student Energy network. A particular focus for Brenna is sustainable design for buildings and cities, reflecting a great interest and concern for environmental practices and sustainability.

SEUM, under Brenna’s leadership, has accomplished several noteworthy projects, including a comprehensive review of their University’s climate action plan, an energy efficiency study targeting hot water pipes in a remote cabin, and the production of an educational video highlighting their university’s district heating system. Beyond their project initiatives, SEUM hosts various educational and social events, ranging from brewery tours and nature hikes to escape rooms, energy Jeopardy, and computer-aided design software tutorials. They also commit to efforts such as an annual community clean-up, reflecting a holistic approach to community involvement.

To learn more about SEUM and their initiatives, follow their Instagram account, @studentenergyuofm. The platform serves as a hub for sharing insightful content related to sustainable practices.

Finding interest in starting a Student Energy Chapter at your university? Go to Starting a Chapter on our website and fill out an Expression of Interest form!

Khan Sonia Tewah is the Vice President of the Student Energy Chapter at the University of Buea in Cameroon and is a 2023 Student Energy Fellow.

At her University, she strives to empower and mobilize students to address pressing energy challenges and foster a sustainable future. With a background in Environmental Science and Occupational Health and Safety and currently pursuing a master’s degree in Natural Resource and Environmental Management, Sonia brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her endeavors. Her academic pursuits, combined with her involvement in various fieldwork activities, have instilled in her a deep appreciation for the importance of energy and its impact on the environment. Khan Sonia’s passion for environmental education is evident through her involvement in organizing workshops and campaigns that highlight the significance of energy conservation and clean technologies. She actively engages with communities, raising awareness about the importance of sustainable energy practices and advocating for environmental protection.

Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, Khan Sonia is an active participant in the Mock EMS Delegate, representing her country, Cameroon. This experience amplifies her understanding of international climate negotiations and the need for inclusive and just solutions to combat climate change.

Interested to start a Student Energy Chapter at your university? Head over to Starting a Chapter!

Meet the former president of the Student Energy Chapter at Monterrey Institute of Technology (Tec de Monterrey) – Benjamin Betancourt Tovar! He was president of the Chapter from August 2022 to July 2023. Currently, he is studying Nanotechnology Engineering at his University in Monterrey, Mexico.

“In January of 2023, I had the opportunity to be selected and attend the 13th IRENA Assembly as an IRENA Youth Delegate in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In the same event, I was able to participate in the IRENA Youth Forum: The Next Generation of Decision Makers, where I was part of a panel discussion, expressing how we, the youth, face challenges in the development of science, innovation and technology for energetic affairs. Apart from the assembly, the Youth Delegation had the opportunity to attend the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and visit Noor Abu Dhabi, the world’s largest stand-alone operational solar plant. During my trip, I was thrilled to meet new people from all over the world with different perspectives, meet high level representatives from different organizations and also to learn about the energetic sector developments and challenges from IRENA representatives from all over the world. After this exciting experience, I came back to Mexico with fresh ideas and motivation to design and implement solutions in my community towards the youth-led energetic transition, working within my chapter and also in the development of “ANSE: México Joven por la Energía” [Mexican Youth for Energy], a youth-led energy network within Mexico!” – Benjamin Betancourt Tovar

Interested to start a Student Energy Chapter at your university? Head over to Starting a Chapter on our website and fill out an Expression of Interest form!

Get to know the recently graduated president of the Student Energy McGill Chapter, Chloe Guo, based in Montreal, Quebec. Chloe just finished her last year of undergraduate studies in Biochemistry at McGill University and will be staying at McGill for two more years as a Master’s student. She will remain in the SE McGill Chapter as a Graduate Student Advisor.

“I first joined the McGill chapter as the Vice President of Events two years ago during my first in-person semester at McGill. Going into university without having much interaction with others during the COVID pandemic, I wanted to get to know more peers with similar interests. I have always been interested in sustainability and sustainable energy in general.

…As VP Events, I organized several campus-wide in-person and virtual events. When I joined the McGill chapter, it was still a very young student group that many didn’t know about. Hoping to attract more like-minded students, the first event I organized was a virtual info session featuring some of the members on the Student Energy Management Team! After this event, we went on to host many more engaging workshops, webinars, and in-person networking events in collaboration with professionals from outside of the McGill community on topics such as climate migration and climate justice. During my time as VP Events and later on as the president, I learned so much from my teammates and energy leaders that I had the chance to talk with at our events. I’m glad that we have come thus far in the past two years and matured so much together as a team!” – Chloe Guo

If you want to connect with the Student Energy McGill Chapter, check them out on Instagram at @studentenergyatmcgill

Interested to start a Student Energy Chapter at your university? Head over to Starting a Chapter on our website and fill out an Expression of Interest form!