The Youth Council’s recommendations are intended to help climate philanthropists better understand youth perspectives and consequently shape their priorities to become more responsive to the needs of youth, as youth are among the most climate-vulnerable groups globally.

Between September 2023 and March 2024, the Youth Council will focus on:

• Conducting research, synthesizing their own knowledge, and engaging in Student Energy-led workshops to prepare actionable recommendations for climate philanthropists to effectively engage with young people.
• Developing their initial findings and recommendations into a creative story to be shared on the ground at the Student Energy Summit 2023 (SES 2023) in Abu Dhabi; using SES as an opportunity to liaise with other young people and climate and energy leaders on the ground to receive feedback and further improve on and enhance their pieces.
• Presenting their recommendations to Student Energy’s partner organizations, with support from Student Energy in February 2024, incorporating learnings from SES 2023 in the Council’s final set of recommendations.

Meet the 5 Youth Energy Narratives Council

Abul Bashar Rahman

Bashar is an Economics student at the University of British Columbia (UBC) carrying a quiet passion for climate solutions. Hailing from Bangladesh, a nation deeply affected by climate change, he has sought to understand the resilience of his people better.

As a youth delegate at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, he noted the disproportionate representation of Bangladesh as compared to the impact of climate change on its people. Passionate about equitable climate solutions, he is utilizing storytelling to advocate for climate-vulnerable communities in the Global South. One of the ways is through a heartfelt project where he cycled across Bangladesh, absorbing tales of hope and hardship. He’s also working on an atlas, weaving in stories of change from climate-impacted communities with an emphasis on the Global South.

His dedication has led him to humbly represent Bangladesh, Stories of Change, and UBC through multiple platforms. Bashar hopes to share the stories of those often unheard in the larger discourse on climate change.

Cathleen Jeanty

Cathleen is currently an Innovation Fellow at The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; the Director of Communications at the Progressive Democrats of New Jersey; a Chapter Co-coordinator at Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation’s (WCAPS) New York chapter, a National Climate Fellow at Change the Chamber; and a globally emerging leader for climate action. She is also a United States LCOY delegate, where she will be drafting the 2023 U.S. National Youth Statement on Climate.

In the past, she was a Public Information Editor at the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei, an Obama Organizing Fellow, and the Assistant Media Coordinator at the Campaign for a National Presidential Youth Council. She has been a youth delegate at various summits at The World Bank, The United Nations, NATO, and The International Monetary Fund.

Adebambo Micheal

Micheal is a dynamic renewable energy professional driven to expand energy access and sustainability in marginalized communities. Hailing from Nigeria, he earned his B.Sc in Physics from the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta. His undergraduate studies and thesis project focused on solar energy applications.

Micheal is passionate about driving innovation in clean energy technologies to uplift lives in underserved areas. He has hands-on experience as a solar technician and installation engineer designing and deploying solar PV systems to electrify homes, businesses, and villages. He also participated in STEM education outreach initiatives and drug abuse prevention programs.

He aspires to pioneer affordable clean energy solutions, advance renewable energy adoption on a national scale, and train youth to lead sustainability efforts across Africa.

Anushka Nagle

Anushka is a final-year Architecture student on a transformative journey driven by a passion for sustainability and a curiosity about innovative ecological technologies and materials. Her dedication extends beyond the classroom as she actively seeks opportunities to collaborate with a diverse global community of like-minded individuals.

Her mission is crystal clear: she is driven to bridge the gap between theory and practice, leveraging the collective wisdom of professionals worldwide to tackle common global challenges. 

She aims to unite people together towards a greener, more sustainable future—a journey where architecture and ecological consciousness converge to reshape the world for the better. She believes that together, we can embark on a voyage of exploration, innovation, and the practical application of sustainable solutions in our daily lives. 

Amanda Nogueira Moreira de Souza

Amanda is a Black Brazilian woman raised in a favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At the age of 17, she received a full scholarship to study for two years at United World College (UWC) ISAK in Japan, where she concluded her high school education. A first-generation student and the first person in her family to live and study outside of Brazil, she is now a junior at Macalester College in Minnesota, where she is pursuing a double major in Political Science and Environmental Studies.

In all three countries Amanda has lived in — Brazil, Japan, and the US, she dedicates herself to working for equity, racial justice, and Indigenous rights. She participated in Black Movements, founded a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) committee in Japan, and currently works to empower Afro-Latinos in the United States.

She has a range of experiences – from sailing for a month from Hawaii to California where she researched plastics and how they disproportionately affect Indigenous communities, to becoming an intern at the Great Plains Institute in Minnesota during the 2023 legislative session where she advocated for clean transportation, to becoming an intern at The Nature Conservancy in Minnesota where she crafted an inventory of tribal engagement and created a best practices guide on how the organization can conduct work with tribal nations.

During the summer of 2023, Amanda received a full scholarship to participate in the Youth Assembly through the Climate Entrepreneurship Package held by the New York University (NYU). She had the opportunity to celebrate International Youth Day at the UN headquarters in New York and participate in a series of workshops on climate change. Recently, she interviewed Hindou Oumarou, Chadian Environmental Activist and Geographer, for the ActNow film which will be showcased in the upcoming COP28.

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!

The ASES Solar conference held space for presentations, discussions, and speakers for both working professionals and youth to co-learn about social justice aspects of the energy sector– such as women in solar, intergenerational discussions on mentorship, and youth entering the labour market to name a few. The event ran from August 8-11th but I arrived in Boulder on the 10th, leaving me with little time to enjoy the rest of the conference. I was, however, lucky enough to listen in on a “Young Professionals” panel discussion on youth sharing their strategic ways on networking, and navigating their early career challenges in the renewable energy sector. The latter half of the session allotted for a rotating speed networking session with the youth panelists, where I participated and learned some common, yet relevant challenges that young people face in entering the green jobs market. Youth with backgrounds in engineering, public policy, and STEM research find it challenging to find meaningful work, and shared various ways such as pitching project ideas or research topics as a way to show their initiative and proactiveness in their work-learn opportunities and internships. Connecting with these young professionals informed me the same stories of all other young people globally who are passionate change makers, and have grit to make meaningful difference in the energy transition movement, but are struggling to enter the industry. Feeling even more inspired by this experience, I channeled the same level of positivity into delivering Student Energy’s workshop that speaks to the very nature of this conversation– how young people can enter the energy transition labour market. 

The workshop drew key insights from Student Energy’s recently published report “Energy Transitions Skills Project” and its own 14 years of youth engagement to provide some actionable recommendations on how youth can take hold of their own energy careers. I walk through the importance of reflecting values, desires, and skills before job searching as a way to remind young people what is important to them when selecting a career; and relating their values to the labour market demand will make it easier for them to target their job search. Later, I facilitated a storytelling session where participants pitch their stories amongst themselves as a practice run for future networking opportunities with industry professionals. While there was low attendance in the workshop, the youth who participated were very engaged and happy to share their stories and connect with one another. 

Sharing recommendations to young people to be part of the energy movement gives me joy as I was in the same position a couple of years ago–I did not know how to apply my own unique skills and lived experiences in the energy transition industry, and felt severe imposter syndrome as a result. I still am continuously navigating through this rhythm of learning collectively as I engage with other youth on how we can intercept high-level decision-making spaces, and make our voices heard through our work. From learning about energy education through the Leaders Fellowship Program, to now working as Research and Youth Engagement Special Projects Coordinator, Student Energy has expanded my potential in the way I see myself, and how to creatively apply my own unique skills in the energy space. This experience has given me the opportunity to connect with other brilliant minds that give me the optimistic feeling of a positive transformation of the energy industry, and preparing for the next generation of leaders to confidently reclaim and re-write their futures. 

Student Energy’s Shakti Ramkumar, Senior Director of Policy and Communications, had a conversation with Chris Palliser, host of The SolarPVcast podcast by Shift Energy Group in a podcast episode “Empowering Future Leaders: Student Energy’s Impact on Sustainable Energy Transition” published August 4 on Spotify and YouTube. The conversation delves into how Student Energy, a global, youth-led non-profit organization, is empowering young people to become leaders accelerating the transition to a just and equitable energy future.

The conversation begins with the humble beginnings of Student Energy – how a team of three students (Janice Tran, Kali Taylor, and Sean Collins) in Calgary back in 2009 managed to build the world’s largest organization working on energy with a network of 50,000+ global youth 14 years later. Starting with the first International Student Energy Summit, the founders successfully brought together 350 young people from over 30 countries to gather in Calgary and provide a space for collaboration alongside world leaders and energy experts. And so, Student Energy was born as a non-profit with a mission to empower aspiring young leaders to take an active part in a just energy transition.

Shakti shares the organization’s many initiatives, including the impact of Student Energy’s programs ecosystem engaging thousands of global young people in building the skills, education, training, and project development experience to empower them in tackling various energy, climate, and equity issues both at a local and global level. In particular, Shakti talked about Student Energy’s Guided Projects program, with the first cohort installing solar PV projects within their local communities in varying contexts. A pre-pilot solar PV project was successfully installed by students at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton, Alberta before the official cohort launch. Led by students Jack Harding and Ethan Buchanan, power generated from the solar array is now being sold to the University, and the students are using the proceeds to fund their Chapter’s work. Since then, the Guided Projects program brought on six teams from all over the world as part of the first cohort. Two of these solar projects are now successfully installed – the Shames Mountain team providing power for a community-owned ski hill in Northwestern BC, and the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) team’s project aiming to electrify Gachororo Primary School in their community in Juja, Kenya.

At the core of Student Energy’s work is education. The aim is to demystify the energy system by leveling the playing field on who gets to understand the energy system by simplifying technical jargon, making energy education accessible to anyone, and empowering people to feel comfortable explaining the energy system. The Energy System Map, the Energy 101 series on Student Energy’s social media platforms, and energy education videos on Student Energy’s YouTube channels are the many ways the organization shares educational resources so anyone can be empowered to learn about the energy system.

Listen to the full podcast on Spotify and watch the full episode on YouTube!

Spotify

YouTube

The Student Energy Chapter at the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (UADY) is making waves in their student community.

On August 14, Monday, and August 15, Tuesday, the UADY Chapter organized events gathering together new students who are part of the Tizimin Multidisciplinary Unit and the Faculty of Engineering to participate in energizers, fun activities, and games.

“We had our Twister, snakes and ladders, and other dynamics on environmental education. Soon we will be in other faculties to promote our activities.”

– Sofía Morán, President of the SE Chapter at UADY

Connect with Sofía and the Student Energy Chapter at UADY to learn more about their work:

Instagram – @studentenergyuady

[Washington, D.C., June 22, 2023] – Student Energy, a global youth-led organization, and the Clean Cooking Alliance, a leading international clean cooking organization, are thrilled to announce their partnership to develop the “Ignite” Youth Clean Cooking Incubator Program. This innovative initiative aims to empower and support young entrepreneurs in developing clean cooking solutions to address the pressing challenges of household air pollution and energy poverty. As part of the program launch, Student Energy and Clean Cooking Alliance are issuing a call for donors and technical partners to accelerate the impact of this youth-led movement. 

Household air pollution resulting from traditional cooking practices is a critical issue affecting 2.3 billion people worldwide, particularly women and children in low- and middle-income countries. As a cross-cutting issue, clean cooking is essential to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), as well as reducing global carbon emissions, forest degradation, and improving the climate resilience and well-being of communities globally.  

The “Ignite” Youth Clean Cooking Incubator Program will equip young entrepreneurs to address these issues head-on. Through a 10-month incubator program, the “Ignite” will provide young people with the tools and resources needed to develop, scale, and commercialize innovative clean cooking solutions and launch their own sustainable businesses.  

About the Program Leads: Student Energy brings 13+ years of experience in supporting and accelerating youth-led energy enterprises around the world through project management training, peer support, mentorship, and funding, through programs like Guided Projects and Greenpreneurs. CCA is the leading organization bringing together stakeholders in the clean cooking space, and brings together experience catalyzing entrepreneurship and finance through its Venture Catalyst and Innovative Finance programs, as well as access to an extensive network of international and local experts who will provide participants technical expertise, advice on commercialization and regulatory frameworks, and scaling. 

 To successfully launch and sustain the “Ignite” Youth Clean Cooking Incubator Program, Student Energy and CCA are calling on donors and technical partners to help ensure the availability of financial support, mentorship opportunities, and capacity-building programs for young entrepreneurs participating in the incubator program.  

 Supporting the “Ignite” Youth Clean Cooking Incubator Program is an investment in the future, enabling young entrepreneurs to unlock their potential, create jobs, and improve the lives of millions of people by providing access to clean and efficient cooking solutions. Donors and technical partners will have the opportunity to witness the tangible impact of their contributions and be part of a global movement working towards a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable world. 

How can I connect with the program?

To learn more about the “Ignite” Youth Clean Cooking Incubator Program and how to contribute as a donor or technical partner, please check the Ignite Sponsorship Brochure,  contact letschat@studentenergy.org, or partnerships@cleancooking.org. 

About Student Energy: Student Energy is the world’s largest youth-led organization focused on energy, empowering 50,000 young people in 120+ countries to accelerate the transition to a sustainable and equitable energy future. Student Energy’s Programs Ecosystem offers 9 unique programs which deliver energy education, skills training, and project financing for young people globally, and also works with governments, the UN, and other decision-makers to facilitate meaningful youth engagement and mobilize resources, coaching, and mentorship to support youth-led work. Student Energy has built coalitions with over 100 diverse partners, such as Indigenous Clean Energy, Sustainable Energy for All, HSBC Global, the Stockholm Environment Institute, DNV, WSP, and national governments like Canada, Denmark, and Sweden. Student Energy has stewarded CAD$10 million+ in funding to date, supported the development of over 280 youth energy projects, held 6 international Student Energy Summits, and attracted over 17 million people to its digital energy education platforms.

About the Clean Cooking Alliance: Since 2010, the Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) has worked with a global network of partners to build an inclusive and financially sustainable industry to ensure clean cooking is accessible to the nearly three billion people who live without it each day. CCA is the leading organization bringing together stakeholders from across the ecosystem with the aim to achieve universal access to clean cooking by 2030 in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Net Zero ambitions. CCA’s Youth program aims to facilitate increased impact and expanded action to address the needs, build the agency, and advance opportunities for youth to lead ambitious clean cooking transitions. 

Media Contact:  

Shakti Ramkumar

Sr. Director of Communications and Policy, Student Energy

Email: shakti@studentenergy.org

Phone/WhatsApp: +1 604 445 4306

The recently published  World Energy Employment report from the International Energy Agency calls attention to the growing demand for highly skilled workers in the energy sector. Clean energy employment is set to grow to an estimated 30 million by 2030, creating a need for workers with energy sector-specific skill sets. Despite this immense potential for growth and innovation, the clean energy sector will face a dire shortage of talent in the coming years. At the same time, there are thousands of young people worldwide who are deeply passionate about a just energy transition and have the potential to become leaders in the industry. However, they lack access to skills training programs, mentorship networks, and entry-level project experience needed to enter these careers. The clean energy sector is one field where partnerships are required to break down barriers that divide youth from the workforce. 

Student Energy Career Training (SECT)

The program connects young people between 18 and 30 from diverse backgrounds directly to energy industry partners who share experience, provide mentorship, and support the next generation of the energy workforce. This project partnership is committed to promoting youth voices that inspire innovative ideas and collaborative solutions necessary for a sustainable energy future.

As a partner, SEforALL will mentor and guide the 2022 SECT cohort through learning about and addressing a real-world energy problem. SEforALL will be hosting two projects in this cohort — the first addressing healthcare, and the second for China- UN Platform on Climate Cooperation and Renewable Energy. Over half the world’s energy employment is in the Asia Pacific region, and the People’s Republic of China has the largest number of energy workers. It has an estimated near 20 million workers and is home to energy’s largest and fastest growing workforce, making it an essential market for research and analysis on the energy transition. This platform aims to accelerate and scale up the deployment of renewable energy in identified countries by sharing knowledge and success stories from China, while also leveraging China’s expertise and development support to accelerate the deployment of clean energy in countries across the Global South, most notably in Africa.

About Student Energy Career Training

Student Energy Career Training (SECT) is a 4-month cohort-based program aimed at young people between 18 and 30 who are interested in pursuing a career that advances the energy transition but may not yet have the skills, knowledge, or connections necessary to get a ‘foot in the door’. Led by Student Energy and co-created by knowledge partners Enel Foundation, this program offers students a comprehensive introduction to the current energy system, decarbonization pathways, energy economics, and policy. 

Student Energy Career Training aims to provide students in each cohort with the technical and soft skills necessary to secure an internship or entry-level role in the clean energy sector by connecting students with mentors from leading energy organizations like Enel Foundation and SEforALL. They provide subject matter expertise and support students in becoming career-ready through energy system education, project management skill building, and career coaching.

About Sustainable Energy for All

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an international organization that works in partnership with the United Nations, government leaders, the private sector, financial institutions, civil society, and philanthropies to drive faster action towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) – access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030 – in line with the Paris Agreement on climate.

We work to ensure a clean energy transition that leaves no one behind and brings new opportunities for everyone to fulfill their potential. Partnerships are essential to our work. Delivering on the mandate of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) and the Paris Agreement demands concerted action. Given the ambition of both international frameworks, this will not be a small task and we will not achieve progress alone.

Call to Action

Applications to join the 2023 Student Energy Career Training cohort open in December 2022!

The program is open to young people aged 18-30 around the world from all academic and professional backgrounds. Beginning in January, the program will be a 4-month course featuring core energy education and mentorship from Student Energy and expert energy organizations, including SEforALL.

Learn more at: https://studentenergy.org/program/career_training_program/

This year’s UN Climate Change Conference, COP26, took place in Glasgow, Scotland from October 31st to November 12th. The main aim of the conference this year was for countries, Parties to the Paris Agreement, to submit more ambitions Nationally Determined Contributions to rapidly reduce emissions, and to increase the ambition of national and international climate action overall. Student Energy aimed to bring a diverse global youth delegation to the conference, with the goal of advocating for young people to be meaningfully included in decision-making, and for mobilizing finance to support youth-led work.

Here’s a recap of our activities:

November 11:  Meredith Adler on the New York Times Climate Hub

Meredith Adler joined Apolitical C.E.O Robyn Scott, HALO Urban Regeneration Founder Marie Macklin, Danone C.E.O Emmanuel Faber, and Project InsideOut Founder Renée Lertzman for a New York Times Climate Hub Panel Green Upskilling: The Next Generation of Climate Skills and Leadership.

In the panel, Meredith discussed what skills are required for advancing climate action, and what are organizations doing to develop them. If deployed properly, how much of a difference can this upskilling actually make?

“We’re hearing governments and others talk about, “oh good news, this policy is going to produce x amount of jobs.” You know, the IEA says the energy transition will result in about 55 million jobs when you look at all of it together, but really very few people are focused on skill building. There’s lots of announcements around the money for deployment, but not around who will be the deployers. 

The thing that [Student Energy] works to do is how do you do training at a scale that’s globally applicable. We work really hard on teaching problem-solving skills, teaching deployment skills, and the things that people need to know in order to be able to learn and culturally adapt to what needs to happen.” — Meredith Adler, Executive Director, Student Energy

November 10: COP Resilience Hub: Latin American findings from GYEO

Student Energy hosted a dynamic session sharing the perspectives of 5000+ Latin American and Caribbean youth from the Global Youth Energy Outlook, which surveyed over 40,000 youth around the world. The panel discussed how the energy transition can be made possible in a diverse and challenging region such as Latin America.

November 5: Women Leading on Climate

Student Energy supported Catherine McKenna, former Minister for Environment and Climate Change in Canada, in launching the Women Leading on Climate initiative. The effort seeks to recognize the leadership of women and girls in advancing progress on climate action in communities around the world, broaden the network of women and girls engaged in discussions around the environment and climate change, and raise awareness of the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and girls globally and discuss innovative solutions and share best practices.

On Friday, November 5th, during COP26’s Youth and Public Empowerment Day, women and girls from around the world flooded COP26 with videos on social media using the hashtag #WomenLeadingOnClimate. This included videos from New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Stanford University Managing Director Alicia Steiger, and women, girls, and gender minorities from around the world who are acting on climate.

“Student Energy has a network of over 50,000 youth, half of whom are young women. We know how important it is to provide the funding, coaching and skills training they need to lead on energy and climate solutions. We look forward to continuing to partner with Women Leading on Climate to make sure the next generation of climate leaders is ready to implement the solutions we need and curb the impact of climate change on women globally.” — Meredith Adler, Executive Director, Student Energy

https://womenleadingonclimate.com/

November 5: Breaking Barriers for Youth to lead on SDG7

Breaking Barriers for Youth to Lead on SDG7 was a side event at the SDG 7 Pavilion hosted by Student Energy and featuring UNDP Youth Focal Point for Energy and Community of Practice Facilitator on Energy, Caroline Tresise.

“We’re not only underrepresented, we’re underestimated. If we want to achieve #SDG7 we have to build capacity for youth”

– Eduarda Zoghbi 

November 5: Energy Empowering Employment

Student Energy’s Executive Director Meredith Adler was a speaker on Power for All’s panel at the SDG 7 Pavilion #PoweringJobs and scaling the Distributed Renewable Energy sector. The panel featured industry experts from GOGLA, Student Energy and CEEW. Through a facilitated dialogue, informed by the Powering Jobs study Power for All, aims to change the limited understanding of job opportunities within DRE.

“The sector is changing so fast that the main thing you can learn is how to learn.” –Meredith Adler, Executive Director, Student Energy

November 4: GYEO Launch

Student Energy launched the Global Youth Energy Outlook (GYEO) report on November 04, 2021. Featuring global and regionally specific insights collected from 40,000+ young people globally, the GYEO is a powerful data-backed advocacy tool for both youth advocates and decision-makers.

Youth are calling for leaders in all sectors to move beyond tokenism and engage with youth through equitable and meaningful partnerships. How can decision-makers work with youth to accelerate climate action and the sustainable energy transition? The Global Youth Energy Outlook presents insights on what young people envision for their energy future and how they want to work with decision-makers to get there.

The launch event broke down key insights from Student Energy’s youth-led research, and includes a tangible guide for decision-makers on how to work with young people in an equitable way. 

The GYEO Launch event featured an intergenerational and global lineup of speakers who outlined how the GYEO can be effectively mobilized at the grassroots level, within government institutions, and in the energy sector: Featured speakers included:

• Student Energy’s youth Regional Coordinators who have been leading this research in their regions throughout 2020 and 2021
• Representatives from several national governments, including Canada, Denmark, and Sweden
• Representatives from companies in the energy sector, such as DNV

“Just look at us, young people coming together from every region to engage over 42,000 of our peers to show what young people globally want from a sustainable energy future” – Arsenii Kirgizov-Barskii, Regional Coordinator for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Watch the livestream recording.

Discover the emergent findings from the report.

November 02: A business-Led Climate Resilience Initiative: Turning Aspirations into Action https://www.woodplc.com/cop26/register-for-access

November 02: BBC Scotland Debate Night: COP26 Special 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00118r8

All of COP:SDG 7 Pavilion for the People and for the Planet at COP26

After 2 weeks of negotiation, let’s review some of the key announcements that came out of COP;

5 Key Announcements from COP26

From Nature-Based Solutions, fossil fuel phase-out to clean energy investments, a lot of important topics were on the table at COP26 – but what did countries actually commit to? Let’s look at 5 key areas where some announcements were made:

Coal & Fossil Fuel Funding

Over 40 countries pledged to phase out coal in a new deal, titled the Global Coal to Clean Power Transition Statement, and covering 267 GW of operating coal capacity. Notable absentees from the pledge are China and India which accounts for 54.3% and 11.6% of global coal consumption (BP’S world energy statistics) respectively. The United States which accounts for 6.1% also abstained from the deal.

Also, 20 countries including the United States, Canada and UK have pledged to stop funding fossil fuel projects abroad. The details of this deal also include oil and gas projects, making it the first of its kind. Coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, accounts for 40% of emissions, with oil second with 32% emissions.

Deforestation

The first headline agreement from COP26 is the pledge to end deforestation by 2030. Over 100 hundred world leaders pledged to end deforestation in the Glasgow Leaders ‘Declaration of Forest and Land Use’. The pledge is backed by a $19.2bn (£14bn) in public and private funds. The over 100 signatories of the pledge represents  85% of the world forest, and some of the funding will help developing countries restore degraded land and tackle wildfire. Indigenous communities will also receive funding and support.

Methane

The Global Methane Pledge, an initiative launched by the U.S. and European Union have received significant backing from over 100 countries (representing 70% of the global economy and nearly half of anthropogenic methane emissions) to cut their methane emissions 30% by 2030. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and is 84 times more powerful at warming the climate compared to C02 over the short term. According to European Union estimates, a 30% cut in methane emissions could reduce projected warming by 0.2 degrees Celsius.

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

Prior to COP26, 140 countries (nearly 70% of Paris Agreement signatories) submitted a new or updated NDC. A notable update at COP26 was India announcement of updated climate targets. The Southeast Asia nation pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2070. India is the world’s third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases and this new ambitious target will bring the country in line with other top emitters climate targets. Other notable NDCs announcement submitted closely prior to COP26 includes South Africa and Brazils updated commitment.

Climate Finance

With new pledges and commitments announced, a notable failure stands out—the non-fulfilment of world leaders to keep to their promise of making $100 billion available for developing nations. At the 2009 UN climate summit in Copenhagen, developed nations promised to provide $100 billion a year to less developed countries to help mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change. This commitment is yet to be achieved. Some takeaways from finance at COP26 includes the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net-Zero, a deal by financial institutions to move $130 trillion of funds under control to recipient committed to net-zero pledge by 2050. Public donations from billionaires amounted to $2.5 billion with an enormous chunk ($2 billion) coming from Jeff Bezos’s Earth Fund. The Ford Foundation and Gates Foundation also made donations in agriculture research and support for indigenous rights groups, respectively. Other side events clean energy investment and donations are also reported.

How inclusive was COP26?

“The most important conversations are happening outside of COP26, both in the streets and other events and this conversation are happening between scientists, professionals, activists and organizers across the globe. Yet all the policies that can lead to actual policy changes and financial contributions are happening behind closed doors…” – Alaina Wood.

More than 30, 000 people representing over 195 countries attended the COP26. This also includes diverse high-level meetings and side events. While some, including the United Kingdom – the host of COP26 have described the event as the most inclusive COP yet, others have decried the lack of representation from developing countries that couldn’t attend due to COVID inequities and the absence of young leaders and Indigenous groups at the decision-making table.

COP26 Background

Like many UN processes, the COP process comes with a lot of acronyms and jargon – we’ve included this overview to help break down the basics:

What is COP26?

‘COP’ stands for the Conference of Parties and is the supreme governing and decision-making body responsible for monitoring and reviewing the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Each country that has signed on as a “Party” to the UNFCCC is represented at COP, which is also used to refer to the annual United Nations climate change conference, with 2021 being the 26th annual meeting. In 2015, the Paris Agreement, an international treaty on climate change was adopted by 191 countries (“Parties”), as the successor to the Kyoto Protocol. Under the Paris Agreement, every country must strengthen their climate commitments every five years. Faced with looming disasters and scientific reports of the worsening climate, this makes COP26 critical.

What was the aim of COP26?

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are non-binding climate targets and commitments to reduce greenhouse emissions. Under the Paris Agreement, each country decides its goals and actions. This is sometimes insufficient, making It difficult to achieve the aspirations of the Paris accord. Besides NDCs, climate finance, mitigation and adaptation are some of the important priorities and focuses of COP26. There are also ‘sectoral agreements’, these are the ‘coalitions of the willing’ and technically are not part of COP since it isn’t an agreement among the 196 countries signature to the agreement. The sectoral agreements are focused on deforestation, climate finance, fossil fuel phase-out among others.

NEW YORK, June 25, 2021 – Today, Student Energy, New Energy Nexus, and the Government of Denmark announced the launch of the Student Energy Solutions Movement to world leaders and governments at the United Nations High-level dialogue on Energy, Ministerial Thematic Forums. This new, youth-led, global Energy Compact bridges the gap between youth motivation and action by directly funding and actively supporting the deployment of 10,000 youth-led clean energy projects by 2030. 

As one of the first governments to champion the initiative, the Government of Denmark announced their commitment as the first confirmed funder of the Student Energy Solutions Movement:

“Tackling climate change is the biggest challenge of our time and it will not be easy, but seeing the motivation, innovation, creativity, and drive that young people around the world today are showing gives me hope that we will achieve our goals. The kind of ambition demonstrated by Student Energy to support 10,000 youth-led clean energy projects by 2030 is precisely what we need in order to accelerate the energy transition and achieve SDG7. Denmark is proud to be a funding partner of this initiative,” says Asser Rasmussen Berling, Head of Department at the Centre for Global Climate Action at The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities, Denmark

Announcing the Solutions Movement Energy Compact

Student Energy’s Solutions Movement Energy Compact aims to resource and deploy 10,000 youth-led clean energy projects by 2030, creating structural change by putting real financial resources in the hands of the world’s most passionate youth.  Funding required to meet this objective is $10 million by December 2021, and $150 million by 2030. The Compact will scale tangible action by young people 18-30 years old through a unique combination of project funding and education, training, and mentorship within Student Energy’s programs ecosystem. 

Ambitions by 2030:

• Launch 10,000 youth-led sustainable energy projects or businesses
• Train 50,000 agile and employable youth workers, with a particular focus on reducing the energy skills gap in developing nations, and for women
• Deploy $150 million toward upskilling, mentoring, and directly financing early- and mid-stage youth-led clean energy initiatives

Quotes: 

Meredith Adler, Executive Director, Student Energy —

“For decades, youth ambition and motivation have existed to transition our world to a more sustainable and equitable energy system, there just simply hadn’t been the resourcing to bridge that motivation into action. In launching the solutions movement, we’re shifting gears into taking action and deploying the energy and technology solutions we already have at our fingertips. I want to commend the High-level Dialogue on Energy for putting youth front and center, and for moving so quickly to get our global network engaged. It’s refreshing to see other organizations move with the same hustle and pace as the world’s young people!”

Danny Kennedy, CEO of New Energy Nexus —

“This is the decade to deploy the solutions we have at hand to address the climate crisis, and many of these solutions need to be youth-led. If these businesses are going to last decades, they are going to need the motivation and energy of young people to really disrupt the markets and overcome the incumbents that they’re going to challenge.  We at New Energy Nexus are really excited to partner with Student Energy to develop this movement of guided entrepreneurship.”

Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) —

“Every stakeholder has a key role to play as we aim to meet the SDG7 and Paris Agreement targets, including youth, and I am pleased to see the leadership being demonstrated by Student Energy with this Energy Compact commitment. SEforALL’s first ever Youth Summit, held in February 2020, demonstrated our renewed commitment to bringing youth to the fore in this critical year, and it is great to see one of our organizing partners for the Summit come full circle by setting the pace for other young people to follow. This shows that beyond bringing their voices to the table, young people can design and fund the innovations required to achieve our energy and climate goals.”

Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator —

“I warmly welcome the launch of the Student Energy Compact. It is a strong symbol of the profound shifts taking place in the development sphere where young people are no longer waiting for others to act. They are taking up the baton, driving forward transformation in critical areas, including when it comes to how our world is powered. With more and more groups joining by the day, the United Nations is building a broad coalition of action to spark a clean energy revolution that will improve the lives of millions of people.”

About the UN High Level Dialogue on Energy:

The UN Secretary-General will convene a High-level Dialogue on Energy during the 76th UN General Assembly on September 20, 2021 in New York, to accelerate progress towards achieving SDG7 by 2030. It presents a historic opportunity to provide transformational action in the first years of the Decade of Action. Ministerial-level Thematic Forums are bringing together key stakeholders virtually over five days to mobilize actions on the road to the High-level Dialogue on Energy. Ministers from national governments and leaders from business, civil society, and youth organizations showcased solutions on each priority theme and presented their Energy Compacts, outlining voluntary commitments and actions.

About Student Energy:

Student Energy is the world’s largest youth-led organization empowering young people to accelerate the sustainable energy transition. Since founding in 2009,  Student Energy has worked with thousands of  youth from over 120 countries, to build the knowledge, skills, and networks they need to take action on energy. Student Energy operates on a unique youth empowerment model, which means that initiatives are co-created with youth, for youth.

Student Energy also works with governments, the UN, and other decision makers to facilitate meaningful youth engagement and mobilize resources, coaching, and mentorship to support youth-led work. Student Energy has built coalitions with over 100 diverse partners, such as Indigenous Clean Energy, Sustainable Energy for All, HSBC Global, the Stockholm Environment Institute, DNV, WSP, and national governments like Canada, Denmark, and Sweden. Student Energy has stewarded CAD$10 million+ in funding to date, supported the development of over 280 youth energy projects, held 6 international Student Energy Summits, and attracted over 12.5 million people to its digital energy education platforms.

Media Contacts:

Shakti Ramkumar, Director of Communications and Policy
shakti@studentenergy.org
+1 (604) 445 4306

Meredith Adler, Executive Director
meredith@studentenergy.org
+1 (604) 354 2930

Sean Collins, Co-Founder
scollins@studentenergy.org
+1 (780) 232 0339