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.

With only 2 days to go before #COP27 begins, Student Energy is preparing to share youth perspectives toward climate action and empower the road to Net-zero together.

Student Energy Team at COP 27

Student Energy will be speaking, facilitating, or hosting events during COP 27. 

Meredith Adler – Executive Director

Helen Watts – Senior Director of Partnerships

Shakti Ramkumar – Director of Communications & Policy

Abdullah Khair – Partnerships Manager

Grace Young – Alumni & Community Manager

Eduarda Zhogbi – Student Energy Senior Advisor

Vaughn-Xavier Jameer – Chapters Associate

Oluwadabira Abiola-Awe – Partnerships Associate

Danielle Kehler – SevenGen Manager

If you are heading to COP 27, Student Energy would love to connect with you. Send Helen, Shakti, or Grace an email at helen@studentenergy.org, shakti@studentenergy.org, or grace@studentenergy.org and we would be happy to meet!

Student Energy Delegation in Sharm El Sheikh

Student Energy is working with key partners, including Sustainable Energy for All, the Government of Canada, and NYU Abu Dhabi, to make sure that youth can participate in person at COP 27 Sharm El Sheikh. Student Energy will be having a delegation of 16 Student Energy young leaders who will be working with us on side events and bringing key messages to world leaders while participating in programming throughout the blue zone. Countries represented will include Canada, India, Jordan, Brazil, Paraguay, Nigeria, Trinidad, Uganda, Spain, UAE, Poland, and the UK.

Currently, SEforALL is supporting a delegation of ten young women from developing economies to attend dedicated programs at the SDG 7 Pavilion and throughout the blue zone.

Energy Transition Skills Report Initial Findings Launch

Student Energy, in partnership with Ørsted, will launch initial findings from the Energy Transition Skills Report at COP 27. The report contains survey results and recommendations from 5,000 young people around the world on how to create more accessible and inclusive entry points for youth to enter and stay in careers that accelerate the global energy transition. The findings will be delivered by Shakti Ramkumar, Student Energy’s Director of Communications & Policy, at the Danish Pavilion on November 16 from 8:00 – 9:00.

The Energy Transition Skills Project was launched in 2022 to identify the needs of ready young people for energy transition jobs. 

Youth Impact Framework Initial Findings Launch

With the recent developments of the Youth Impact Framework in place, Student Energy, with the Global Covenant of Mayors, will be sharing the initial findings at COP 27. The findings will be discussed by Shakti at the UNFCCC Innovation Zone on November 10 from 14:00 – 16:00.

The Youth Impact Framework is a set of impact measurement tools and indicators to help youth climate advocates, project leaders, and founders measure and communicate the impact of their initiatives to incorporate youth-inclusive project design principles, by recognizing the impact of youth contributions to SDG 7 and across the Sustainable Development Goals.

International Student Energy Summit 2023 Abu Dhabi Announcement

More than 1,000 young people have already pre-registered for the International Student Energy Summit 2023 (SES 2023) during the first week beginning the summit’s launch last October 27. The Student Energy Summit team will be announcing the International Student Energy Summit 2023 at the Youth Pavilion on November 15. This will be followed by The Student Energy Summit 2023 Abu Dhabi: Uniting the Energy Transition happening at the UEA Pavilion from 14:00 – 14:45. 

Global Youth Energy Outlook Final Report Launch

In 2020, Student Energy launched the Global Youth Energy Outlook, the first youth-led research project of its kind to collect youth perspectives on energy. An online survey and a series of Regional Dialogues have engaged 41,652 young people, aged 18-30, from 181 countries and territories around the world. Now, the final report will be launched at COP 27. 

Find out what else we’re doing at COP 27!

November 8 

How can clean energy mitigate climate change, accelerate development, and support food security? 

• Shakti will be speaking at the Danish Pavilion from 12:00 to 12:45 with the event hosted by the Danish Chamber of Commerce

November 9

Youth Financing Done Right: How to best structure youth-financing program in developing countries

• Abdullah Khair, Student Energy’s Partnerships Manager, will be speaking at the Side Event Room 3 – HATSHEPSUTI from 11:30 – 12:30. The event hosted by YOUNGO

Just Sustainability, Circular Economy and Social Justice: employment and social policies to support a just green transition across the globe

• Shakti is speaking at the EU Pavilion from 19:00 – 20:00

November 10

Youth in the Energy Transition – Panel Discussion 

• Abdullah will be speaking at the Atoms4Climate Pavilion on November 10 from 9:00 – 10:00. This event is hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency

Launch of the Energy Transition Commission

• Vaughn-Xavier Jameer, Student Energy’s Chapters Associate, will be speaking at the SDG 7 Pavilion from 10:30 – 11:30. The event is hosted by SEforALL 

Empowering Youth in Climate and Sustainable Energy

• Abdullah will be speaking at the Green Zone on November 10 from 13:00 – 14:00. The event is hosted by Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency.

Investing in Youth for a Just Energy Transition

• Eduarda Zoghbi, Student Energy’s Senior Advisor, will be speaking on this event, with Grace Young, Student Energy’s Alumni and Community Manager, moderating at the SDG 7 Pavilion on November 10 at 13:30 – 14:30

Fireside Chat with Simon, CEO of GEAPP and Dabira

• Oluwadabira Abiola-Awe, Student Energy’s Partnership Associate, will be speaking on this event happening at the GEAPP Office from 14:00 – 14:30

November 11

UNDP COP 27 Hour

• Dabira will be speaking at the UN Broadcast Center from 11:30 – 11:55. The event is hosted by UNDP

Global Alliance for Sustainable Energy Event

• Meredith Adler, Student Energy’s Executive Director, will be moderating this event happening at the Wind and Solar Pavilion Zone D from 14:00 – 15:30. The event is hosted by the Enel Foundation

Panel Discussion – Energy Transition, Green Jobs and Skills

• Dabira will be speaking on this event at the WMB Pavilion, hosted by the National Grid

High Level Panel Discussion with Matchmaking Session and Dinner

• Helen Watts, Student Energy’s Senior Director of Partnerships, will be speaking at the event from 17:20 – 20:00

November 12

There is No Food Security Without Clean Cooking

• Shakti will be speaking in this event, hosted by the Clean Cooking Alliance, happening at the SDG 7 Pavilion from 9:00 – 10:00

Achieving NDC Targets through Clean Cooking Action

• The event will take place at the UN Climate Change Global Innovation Hub from 13:00 – 14:00, hosted by the Clean Cooking Alliance

Capacity Building: Energy Literacy to Power a Greener Future (The Commonwealth Secretariat)

• Helen will be speaking at the SDG 7 Pavilion from 16:30 – 17:30, hosted by The Commonwealth Secretariat

November 14

Where is the Money for a Gender Just Transition?

• Dabira will be speaking at the SDG 7 Pavilion from 10:30 – 11:30, hosted by UNIDO

November 15

Game Changers Accelerating the Global Energy Transition

• Eduarda will be speaking at the Climate Action Rooms from 10:00 – 12:00

Unlocking Potential: Working with Young People for a Just Transition

• Happening at the We Mean Business Pavilion from 10:30 – 11:30, Student Energy will be co-hosting this event with We Mean Business

Africa’s Just Energy Transition: Scaling Up Renewable Energy Minigrids for People and Planet

• Dabira will be speaking at the UNDP Pavilion from 11:45 – 12:35

Green Jobs in the Energy Transition

• Dabira will be speaking at the We Mean Business Pavilion from 11:30 – 12:30

COP27 Energy Day Implementation Lab “A cleaner power sector by 2030: Scaling renewable and storage-based systems.”

• Eduarda will be speaking at the Lotus Room (Action Room 2) from 14:00 to 15:30

Indigenous & Youth Leadership in Canada’s Road to Net-zero

• Student Energy and SevenGen will be co-hosting this event at the Canada Pavilion from 15:15 – 16:00

November 17

Meeting with Global Affairs Canada

• Student Energy will be co-hosting and pitching this event at the SDG 7 Pavilion

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.

Our mission at COP 25: Setting the stage for youth-led solutions

• Amplify the youth voice, and highlight young people’s leadership in transforming the energy system.
• Put the wheels in motion for an unprecedented level of global youth leadership and intergenerational collaboration at next year’s critical COP26. 
• Communicate progress on countries’ and non-state actors’ goals to decarbonize their energy systems, and their efforts to involve youth in that process.
• Advocate for stronger leadership from government and industry decision-makers in the energy sector to implement energy solutions that are just, equitable, in partnership with young people.

Context for COP 25

The world is not on track. But there is a crucial window of opportunity.

Throughout 2019, we’ve seen (and been a part of) the rapidly growing global youth movement calling for stronger climate action. Young people are not only sounding the alarm on the climate crisis, they are ready and driven to implement cross-cutting solutions to address the challenge at the pace it requires.

So it is all the more frustrating that as a global society, we are not yet on track to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions quickly enough to keep global heating to below 1.5C. The latest Emissions Gap report paints a devastating picture of where we are and where we’re going — toward a 3.2 degree warmer world if we don’t accelerate action now. UN Secretary General Antonio Gutierres noted today that we are set to produce more fossil fuels than is consistent with a 1.5 degree pathway. 

How can we change course?

”Countries must increase their NDC ambitions threefold to achieve the well below 2°C goal and more than fivefold to achieve the 1.5°C goal.” – Emissions Gap Report 2019

Next year, COP 26, will mark five years since the signing of the Paris Agreement, and parties will be expected to strengthen their NDCs, or Nationally Determined Contributions, which are the tangible efforts put forward by countries to reduce their emissions and adapt to climate change. In order to bend the emissions curve downward, countries will need to drastically strengthen their NDCs, particularly in regards to transforming their energy systems. And we know this can’t be done without the active and meaningful engagement of young people around the world.

About Student Energy

Student Energy is on a mission to empower young people around the world to accelerate the sustainable energy transition, by building the important skills young people to take action, while mobilizing resources to support youth-led energy solutions. Our global network of 50,000 young people come from 150 countries, from all academic and professional backgrounds, with a shared goal to build their sustainable energy future.