Key Highlights from the GYEO:

• 80% of youth surveyed believe their governments should take drastic actions to reach net-zero emissions by 2030, with two-thirds of youth who expressed support for decarbonization targets indicating they wanted their governments to work toward a 2030 goal rather than 2050.
• As a global average, youth ranked ‘Government willpower, policies, and regulations’ as the biggest barrier in achieving a sustainable energy transition in their respective countries – especially in Latin America (56%) and South East Asia (48%). Youth also indicated they are prepared to vote on this issue, with 83% of respondents saying that they would vote for a political candidate based on their position on the energy transition.
• Government policy was chosen as the factor having the ‘most importance’ in accelerating the sustainable energy transition, with 44% of respondents choosing it as their top option. Youth in all regions also identified that governments had the most responsibility to reduce emissions.

The Global Youth Energy Outlook intends to bridge the gap between youth and decision-makers in governments and industry – for youth to use the Outlook as a data-backed advocacy tool, and for decision-makers to use the Outlook to understand how to meaningfully engage young people. 

Inside the Report: The GYEO opens with an Executive Summary and a Global Insights section, which contain the headline statistics, findings, and recommendations from the project overall. The report also contains 10 Region-specific Chapters. Each Regional Chapter is introduced with a Foreword by a Regional Coordinator to provide context, a ‘Regional Highlights’ section to amplify particularly interesting findings from each region, and a series of Discussions and thematic analyses that are specific to that region. The GYEO’s survey data is also accompanied by qualitative findings from 25 Regional Dialogues held with youth, as well as Youth Spotlights of young people who are taking action on energy around the world.

Partnerships: The project received financial support from Founding Partners DNV, the Government of Denmark, the Government of Canada (Natural Resources Canada), and the Leadership Group for Industry Transition. The project also received knowledge and peer review support from Knowledge Partner, Enel Foundation.

Student Energy first launched the initial findings from the report at the Science Show Theatre as an official event of the COP26 Green Zone Programme in Glasgow, Scotland, featuring an intergenerational panel discussion with Regional Coordinators and government officials. Since then, the GYEO’s insights have been presented to various youth and global audiences, to support the development of this final report.

“We are excited to launch the Global Youth Energy Outlook to celebrate a 3-year youth-led research process. Through a labor of passion and dedication, the report was developed by young energy leaders who are keen to envision and facilitate a rapid transformation of the energy system. We are also thrilled to have Dr. Carlo Papa, Managing Director of Enel Foundation,  join us for the launch event of the GYEO, as Enel Foundation has been deeply supportive in the review process for the project as our Knowledge Partner. Over the course of this project, Student Energy has seen that young people globally are unified in their desire to see urgent climate action, and yet have a diversity of perspectives informed by the unique geographic and social contexts of their communities. We hope that this research is a launching point for decision makers to meaningfully include young people and youth perspectives in decision-making on the energy transition.” – Helen Watts, Executive Director, Student Energy

About Student Energy:

Student Energy is the world’s largest youth-led organization empowering 50,000 young people in 120+ to accelerate the sustainable energy transition. Since its founding in 2009,  Student Energy has worked to build the knowledge, skills, and networks that youth 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 17 million people to its digital energy education platforms.

About Enel Foundation:

Enel Foundation is an Italian think-tank established in early 2012, with the key objective to drive changes through knowledge creation and sharing to help solve the greatest challenges of our time in the energy and climate domains.

Based in Rome and Santiago, Enel Foundation conducts in-depth independent research leading to scenarios analysis, policy and regulation recommendations and tailored solutions and it co-creates multi flags training programs.

Knowledge platform for a clean energy future

 We focus on the crucial role of clean energy to ensure a sustainable future for all.

By envisioning a sustainable future – resilient and equal – boosted by quality education and enlightened self-interest by the business community. The future we want is powered by affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern electricity smartly distributed to all.

We focus on research and education.

By developing partnerships with pre-eminent experts and institutions across the globe, leveraging on the vast knowledge of our Founders, we conduct research to explore the implications of global challenges in the energy domain. We develop scenario analysis, define policy and regulation opportunities, and design education programs to the benefit of scientific and institutional realms.

We operate at the intersection of business and society.

By engaging institutions and governmental bodies, thought leaders and civil society representatives, industry experts and academia. We are a non-profit organization seeking to converge with like-minded actors determined to solve global challenges ensuring a sustainable future for all.

Media Contacts:

Shakti Ramkumar, Senior Director of Policy and Communications

shakti@studentenergy.org

Phone/Whatsapp: +1 (604) 445 4306

Helen Watts, Executive Director

helen@studentenergy.org

Phone/Whatsapp: +1 (604) 354 2930

Click here to watch the full recording of the webinar event on YouTube

   “The GYEO is a way to bridge the communications gap that exists right now between young people calling for more, and leaders who don’t seem to be hearing or understanding what they’re asking for. “

– Helen Watts, Senior Director of Global Partnerships at Student Energy

Developing the Global Youth Energy Outlook

Since Student Energy began this global data project, two things became very clear: 

1. To create an Outlook that truly represented the viewpoints of young people from around the world, the Outlook needed to be led by youth
2. We wanted the Outlook to be about systems change, looking beyond just policy, and technology, but at social dimensions to ensure we have a justice-centered approach to the energy transition. 

To achieve this, we recruited a diverse team of 12 Regional Coordinators who have been working with Student Energy over the last 18 months, conducting community outreach in their global regions, recruiting hundreds of volunteer country ambassadors, and worked with community organizations to ensure representation across countries, urban and rural regions, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The RC’s also hosted regional dialogues, expanding on the information collected from the GYEO survey, to hear qualitative insights, lived experiences, opinions, and perspectives from youth. 

Click here to view our preliminary results:

PRELIMINARY RESULTS

Our launch event included an intergenerational programme where Regional Coordinators showcased key findings and regional insights from their research, as well as pathways for decision-makers to work collaboratively with youth on setting the agenda for achieving SDG7. 

Watch the full stream of our launch event:

Watch here

Key initial insights:

1. The majority of young people want their countries to take immediate and drastic climate action, commensurate to the severity and scale of the global climate crisis. This includes accelerating targets for net-zero emissions, investing and scaling solutions that transition the system away from fossil fuels, and investing skill-training and financial resources towards the young generation as leaders in climate action.

“From Regional Dialogues that I held in Southeast Asia, one line that I can derive is ‘we do not have any more time to continue with our destructive, business-as-usual path.’ We are calling for more ambitious resources, and finance mobilization towards slow carbon investment. We want to increase the renewable energy share in the global energy mix. We want to ensure universal access to affordable and clean energy. We want to see improvement in energy efficiency [moving] forward, and we would like to accelerate the decarbonization of heavy industry. As the current future work force, we aspire to have more green jobs and we demand a just and equitable transition by making sure we leave no one behind. Most importantly, we would like more adaptation actions, so we can be a climate resilient society.” 

– Nabila Putri Salsabila, Regional Coordinator for Southeast Asia

2. Leaders across government and industry should actively create opportunities for young people to meaningfully engage with decision makers and in decision-making spaces. Young people want to be equal partners in developing and carrying out policies, upskilling, community organizing, and working on tangible climate solutions. It’s important for these leaders and organizations to recognize and address barriers that currently prevent young people from getting involved. 

 

“There’s a huge gap between young people’s willingness to engage and the support they feel that they get. There’s a huge opportunity for governments and businesses and organizations to support young people, like give them the funding and the skills and the mentorship they need to bring their ideas and bring their willingness to take climate action into real solutions and real actions.” 

– Linette Knudsen, Regional Coordinator for Europe

3. The GYEO highlighted important regional differences between young people from developing and emerging economies and those from higher income, developed regions. The GYEO serves as a powerful tool for governments to differentially target their strengths and shortcomings to achieve a globally just and sustainable future. 

“In Latin America, youth see [government] policies as the biggest barrier to a sustainable energy future. In Africa, it is the lack of advanced technologies. If we address all of these regional differences, we will understand that governments…can carefully use this data to enhance climate education in some regions, invest more in clean energy and renewable energy resources and advance technologies in others….We still want the same sustainable future. We still want to see net-zero goals, we may have different horizons for these goals, but we all want to see a sustainable future.” 

– Arsenii Kirgizov-Barskii, Regional Coordinator for Eastern Europe & Central Asia

Watch the full stream of our Launch Event at COP26, including an intergenerational dialogue [57:35] with Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, and Jorn Verbeeck, head of Research and Innovation for the Global Covenant of Mayors, here.

What did the report find?

• 80% of youth surveyed believe their governments should take drastic actions to reach net-zero emissions by 2030, with two-thirds of youth who expressed support for decarbonization targets indicating they wanted their governments to work toward a 2030 goal rather than 2050.
• As a global average, youth ranked ‘Government willpower, policies, and regulations’ as the biggest barrier in achieving a sustainable energy transition in their respective countries – especially in Latin America (56%) and South East Asia (48%). Youth also indicated they are prepared to vote on this issue, with 83% of respondents said that they would vote for a political candidate based on their position on the energy transition.
• Government policy was chosen as the factor having the ‘most importance’ in accelerating the sustainable energy transition, with 44% of respondents choosing it as their top option. Youth in all regions also identified that governments had the most responsibility to reduce emissions.

Find the initial insights from the report at www.studentenergyoutlook.org. The full report is expected to be released in early 2022.

Student Energy launched the initial findings from the report at the Science Show Theatre as an official event of the COP26 Green Zone Programme. Several of the youth coordinators leading the project shared key insights from their region, including Chibunna Ogbonna from South Africa, Arsenii Kirgizov-Barskii from Russia, Nabila Putri Salsabila from Indonesia, and Linette Knudsen from Denmark.

The Global Youth Energy Outlook intends to bridge the gap between youth and decision-makers in governments and industry – for youth to use the Outlook as a data-backed advocacy tool, and for decision-makers to use the Outlook to understand how to meaningfully engage young people. While fully youth-led, the project received financial support from DNV, Natural Resources Canada, and the Leadership Group for Industry Transition.

Quotes:

Meredith Adler, Executive Director, Student Energy:

“The Global Youth Energy Outlook was developed by young people who are passionate about rapidly transforming the energy system. Through this 18-month process, Student Energy has seen that youth want to address the unique needs and opportunities that exist in the energy systems in their own communities, while also mounting a united global call to action. We look forward to seeing how decision-makers will build on this report to meaningfully partner with young people on the energy transition.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, Canada:

“Young people are demanding a clean energy future. I am confident that this new generation has what it takes to build it, too. With this report, they’re not only outlining what they expect from a sustainable energy transition, but how they are going to help make it happen”

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
Phone/Whatsapp: +1 (604) 445 4306

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

The vision of the Global Youth Energy Outlook is to provide young people and decision-makers with a data-backed tool to work together toward a decarbonized energy system.

The Founding Partners act as important advisors to the GYEO’s youth leadership team, sharing best practices and insights on the Outlook’s methodology, two-phase research process, and communications strategy. Our partnerships with DNV and LeadIT are built from a shared goal of advancing intergenerational collaboration between young people and established leaders in government and the energy sector.

DNV

DNV is an independent expert in assurance and risk management, with expertise as a recognized advisor for the maritime industry, a technical advisor to the energy industry, and a provider of testing, certification, and advisory services to the full energy value chain. DNV has just released its latest Energy Transition Outlook (ETO), an independent model-based forecast of the world’s most likely energy future through to 2050. The ETO assesses industry sentiment, confidence, and priorities and outlines the emerging risks and opportunities of accelerating the transition to a low-carbon energy system.

“DNV forecasts a rapid energy transition unfolding in the space of a single generation from now. Young people today are therefore deeply invested in the future of the energy system and its impact on the planet. Through Student Energy the coming generation is not only justifiably requesting a representative seat at key decision-making tables but intend to also contribute with the latest science- and data-based thinking,” says Remi Eriksen, Group President and Chief Executive Officer of DNV. “That is why DNV, with our vision to be a trusted voice to tackle global transformations, is a proud founding partner of and scientific advisor to this important global movement.”

DNV is acting as an expert advisor to Student Energy throughout the methodology, research, and analysis phases of the Global Youth Energy Outlook. Student Energy will also engage DNV to support the development of a communications strategy to raise the profile of the project during and after the report’s launch.

LeadIT

The Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT) is an initiative launched by the Governments of Sweden and India with support from the World Economic Forum (WEF) at the UN Secretary General’s 2019 Climate Action Summit in New York.  LeadIT gathers countries and companies that are committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions from industry by 2050 by providing public policy support, sharing know-how, carrying out analysis, and facilitating public-private collaboration. The LeadIT Secretariat is hosted by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).

“The collaborative efforts of LeadIT focus on ensuring industry sectors contribute to a green, inclusive and resilient future. We are supporting the Outlook as a Founding Partner because it is a great opportunity to give young people a voice in the debate on how to transition our industries, economies and societies,” says GökVe Mete, Head of Secretariat for the Leadership Group of Industry Transition. “In particular, the Global Youth Energy Outlook will give us a clear indication of the changes that the industrial workforce of tomorrow wants and expects from industry today.”

Industry accounts for roughly 30% of global CO2 emissions. Recognizing that transitioning this sector will be a crucial part of the global energy transition, Student Energy is partnering with LeadIT to facilitate a series of Regional Dialogues focused on industry transition. Young people’s insights from these dialogues will act as a basis for key recommendations for the Industry Transition section of the Outlook, and will feed into input for the Minister’s High-level Dialogue at COP26 in Glasgow. At COP26, Student Energy has a series of engagement activities planned to launch the Global Youth Energy Outlook, and will collaborate with the Government of Sweden and the Government of India to highlight relevant findings from youth in both regions.

If you are interested in contributing to a youth dialogue on the topic of heavy industry transition and are based in Europe, Latin America, Europe, or Southeast Asia, please email outlook@studentenergy.org with your name, email, and where you are based in those regions. We also welcome nominations for youth you may know! Dates and times for these dialogues are below:

This series of dialogues that will be a critical part of the Global Youth Energy Outlook‘s research and will be happening in collaboration with one of the Founding Partners of the Outlook, the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT).

Please ensure that you or those you are nominating fit the following eligibility criteria:

• Must reside in the region where the Regional Dialogue is taking place
• Must be between the age of 18-30
• Must have knowledge, relevant experience or strong interest in heavy industry transition

In this interview series, we get to know each of our Regional Coordinators in-depth:

Introduce yourself and where you come from?

My name is Chibunna Ogbonna and I come from Okaiuga Nkwoegwu, Umuahia, Abia State in South-Eastern Nigeria. I was born on Februrary 13, 1997. I always wanted to explore beyond my hometown which led me to attend Secondary school at Air Force Military School, Jos Plateau State in Northcentral Nigeria. There I served as the President of the Mathematics Club; President, Fellowship of Christian Students, and the Intelligence Marshall of the Military school. I gained admission to study Chemical Engineering at Federal University of Technology, Owerri in 2015. In my sophomore year, I co-founded Renewcykle (registered as Renewcycle Energy Limited), a clean energy company with two of my engineering colleagues. Currently, I am completing my final year in college and would love to further my studies to obtain a Master’s degree in Renewable Energy: engineering, policy and management, and a Master’s in Business Administration and Economics. I speak at various local and international conferences on sustainable development and eenewable energy. I aspire to be a global leader, change-maker, philanthropist, and nation-builder. I enjoy traveling to new countries and meeting new people and diverse cultures.

Why are you passionate about energy and/or climate action? 

In my senior year at the Military school, my computer studies teacher, Mr. Obinna always allowed students to surf the internet after each computer practical session despite being against the rules of the school at that time. It was a risk that gave me the opportunity to learn about climate change, the causes, effects, and possible solutions. I became engrossed in the subject matter since I was a science student and understood the implications of the climate crisis. Defying the advice of some teachers to pursue a career in medicine, I changed my mind to get involved by studying a course in the University that could equip me to be a solution. In 2015, coincidentally, the Paris Agreement was signed and the Sustainable Development Goals were also signed into action. Being a very spiritual person, I could connect the dots as a divine calling to tow the path of Sustainable Development. My first article on climate change was “The Agony of Mother Earth” which was published in the Junior Airman Magazine, 2014 edition during my Passing out Parade and graduation from Air Force Military School, Jos. I attended renewable energy and sustainable development conferences within and outside the University and eventually represented Nigeria at the first IRENA Youth Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in January, 2020.

What do you think are some of the biggest challenges to transitioning to a sustainable energy system in your region?

From my research and studies, I have come to learn that the biggest challenges to transitioning to a sustainable energy system in Sub Saharan Africa are: lack of awareness and education to debunk cultural perceptions and myths about the working principles of the sustainable energy agenda, lack of political will to divert subsidies from fossil energy investments to sustainable energy investments, lack of enabling environments for sustainable energy investments such as stringent policies, corruption and predator taxing of new businesses. All these lead to increased cost of deploying sustainable energy technologies despite global falling costs.

What aspect of the energy system in your region do you plan to learn more about?

I plan to learn more about how to influence energy policies to divert subsidies to sustainable energy investments and reduce taxation on Sustainable energy businesses, how to explore new energy markets and opportunities and how to build networks of financiers and funders to attract investments for sustainable energy deployment to the most vulnerable and underserved. For Sub Saharan Africa, I believe our priority is how to achieve cheap access to sustainable energy for electricity, cooking, and industry; and, how this will translate to social prosperity and improved quality of life.

How did you first get involved with Student Energy?

Amazingly, this is my first time getting involved with Student Energy serving as the Regional Coordinator for Sub Saharan Africa, Global Youth Energy Outlook. I am so excited and humbled by the opportunity to represent my region in this capacity and to contribute to the first Global Youth Energy Outlook. I look forward to more roles in the future representing Sub Saharan Africa.

In this interview series, we get to know each of our Regional Coordinators in-depth:

Introduce yourself and where you come from.

My name is Arsenii Kirgizov-Barskii, I am originally from Siberia next to the Baikal Lake, the deepest freshwater lake in the world. Now, I study in Moscow and I hope to become a diplomat in two years after graduating from my masters. I have studied a lot about sustainable development and energy. I have been involved in one initiative established in 2015 called BRICSYEA and now I am the assistant chairman for this organization; it is a very important tool for youth in BRICS countries. I have tried to bring the sustainable development agenda to the BRICSYEA organization.

Why are you passionate about energy and/or climate action?

In Russia, I believe the climate topic is quite marginalized. The youth are very concerned about climate change in Russia just like other countries and when it comes to energy, Russia is quite different from the other countries in the region as Russia has quite a lot of resources and is an exporter. Russia is not transitioning to clean energy right now and it is unclear if they will in the foreseeable future. But as a representative of the youth, I see the energy transition as important, to move away from natural resources completely. I believe we have to develop other energy sources and new tools for development. I believe that youth need to express their views on energy to influence the decision-makers on what youth see that needs to change. The youth perspective will be clear when the outlook is presented. 

When it comes to climate change, I personally come from Siberia next to Baikal Lake where climate change is a pressing issue. There have been catastrophic wildfires destroying the lake, wildfires, and the environment of the cities and surrounding areas. I see climate change as a very important issue that needs to be addressed and I am very deeply concerned about it, especially when it comes to the conservation of Baikal Lake and the conservation of the Siberian forests. I have a lot of other climate concerns as well including pollution in cities, recycling in Moscow which produces millions of tonnes of rubbish a year. There are so many climate issues that need to be addressed in my region and youth are driving this change. Youth are sending a clear message on climate change, the outlook will show the rest of the population what they want to be done to stop climate change.

What do you think are some of the biggest challenges to transitioning to a sustainable energy system in your region?

As I’ve mentioned, Russia and many other countries of the region do not see the need to change. Since the government doesn’t see the need to change and is unwilling to divert from their role as exporters the obstacle will be convincing the government to change. However, there are many other countries in my region that will bring a different perspective.  A primary issue with the transition to sustainable energy in my region is that many of the countries rely on very old equipment that needs to be modernized. Most of the problems in this sphere come from the need to modernize the equipment causing energy loss. The grid is very old and losing energy between countries. I also see a lack of cooperation between countries in the region. Countries need to exchange their new technologies to modernize one another’s systems.

What aspects of the energy system in your region do you plan to learn more about?

There is a lot to learn about smart grid and new innovative solutions. I hope to learn more about it when I study more about the energy system. The energy system itself is important but also the regional corporations in the energy system – I am interested in how countries cooperate

What impact do you personally hope the Outlook will have in your region, and globally?

The hope to share the Outlook at the UN Climate Conference when it is published to bring it to the decision-makers attention to hear what young people from around the world want and hopefully they will realize that youth around the world are actually quite similar in their climate concerns. I hope the Outlook will enable climate and energy issues to be addressed nationally and internationally in my region.

Why is it important to hear the perspectives of young people in your region?

The youth are not involved in decision-making processes in many regions near my country. The youth can give their opinions to decision-makers at a higher level to deliver information and statistics and then the youth perspective can be understood.

How do you think Student Energy and the Outlook will contribute to the future of energy?

I believe it is important to improve international cooperation in the energy sector which is what Student Energy does. We are changing the statistics on youth. The work that has been done at my organization BRICS Youth has influenced decision making, and I hope that the Outlook will help decision-makers too.

How did you first get involved in Student Energy?

The chairman of BRICSYEA was in touch with Student Energy and told me about the Outlook and the youth perspective it will employ. I submitted my cover letter for this position and this last March I was invited to the Youth Forum in New York and was excited to get involved and meet student energy. I was excited to get involved in this agenda and the international processes and diplomacy and international cooperation. I am very interested in the Student Energy story – I got started in BRICS Youth and now chair the program.

In this interview series, we get to know each of our Regional Coordinators in-depth:

Introduce yourself and where you come from.

My name is Nyashadzashe Kunaka and I am from Zimbabwe. I am currently studying towards an MSC Degree in Energy Engineering at the Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences (PAUWES) in Algeria. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Fuels and Energy Engineering from Chinhoyi University of Technology in Zimbabwe. My background in energy has made me the passionate clean energy activist that I am today. 

What do you think are some of the biggest challenges to transitioning to a sustainable energy system in your region?

The political structure and the policies regulating the current energy system are some of the setbacks in transitioning to a sustainable energy system. However, the biggest challenge is the availability of huge oil reserves in the MENA region that makes it cheaper to generate electricity from oil and influence the policymakers’ decision to stick to fossil fuels, which are more polluting to the environment. For example, the cost of 1 litre of gasoline (38.5DZ ≈ 0.29USD) for fuelling a vehicle is less than a 1 litre bottle of drinking water (40DZ≈0.31USD) in Algeria. This implies that the transition of vehicle transportation to electric vehicles in order to curb emissions and mitigate climate change will be a very long process, as well as a difficult one. Apart from oil being the main energy source in the region, it is also the major contributor to their massive GDP (Gross Domestic Product) thus they might be a barrier against the need to deliver a sustainable energy transition by 2030.

What impact do you personally hope the Outlook will have in your region, and globally?

I hope the outlook will empower youth with innovative ideas on how to facilitate the energy transition in their respective regions and help them realize the distinct opportunities and challenges in transforming the energy system. Globally, I hope that more youths who do not know about climate change or acknowledge its impact will be educated, have a renowned interest in climate change adaption and mitigation, and understand how it plays a big role in ensuring a sustainable energy transition. 

Why is it important to hear the perspectives of young people in your region? 

Firstly, because they are the future leaders of tomorrow. Secondly, the youth will be the main driving force in determining the future of the energy system, thus their innovative ideas towards a sustainable energy system are vital. Being the future decision-makers and leaders of tomorrow, the path that the youth take now, whether it be acknowledging the importance of zero net carbon emissions or ignoring it all together, and the actions that will result thereafter will define the energy transition. The actions that will be taken now will determine the sustainability of the energy transition in the next ten and more years to come; therefore it is important to listen to young people’s ideas and nurture them towards a sustainable future. 

How do you think Student Energy and the Outlook will contribute to the future of energy?

The Outlook will bridge the energy gap between decision-makers or governments and the youth. The decision-makers can hear views from the youth concerning the current energy system and how they want the energy transition to take shape so that it will be sustainable and promote social justice and equity, human rights, and climate adaptation and mitigation. The outlook can ensure collaboration between the climate decision-makers and youths in realizing energy solutions that can facilitate a sustainable energy transition.  

How did you first get involved in Student Energy?

I first got involved with Student Energy when I joined the PAUWES SE Chapter at my University in 2018. Even though I did not manage to attend the SES 2019 due to conflicting schedules with my summer internship, I was one of the facilitators from my Chapters’ side for some of the students to attend the conference, after I became one of the leaders of the Chapter. It has always been a pleasure to be involved with Student Energy. I am thrilled at the opportunity to work with Student Energy as one of the Regional Coordinators for the GYEO representing the MENA Region.

In this interview series, we get to know each of our Regional Coordinators in-depth:

Introduce yourself and where you come from.

My name is Linette, I currently live in Copenhagen, Denmark, where I study Global Development, prior to this I lived in the UK for a few years where I studied a Masters in Global Environment, Politics and Society at the University of Edinburgh and worked with climate policy. 

Why are you passionate about energy and/or climate action?

Despite my huge interest in sustainability, energy had never been an area of particular interest before starting my Masters in Global Environment, Politics and Society. For the most part of my undergraduate degree in Sociology, I mainly focused on behaviour change and equity aspects of sustainability without grasping how much influence energy has on both of these areas. In fact, I only realised this connection by accident, when I accidentally got registered for an energy major course looking at the energy system from an anthropological perspective. The course ended up being one of my favourite courses as I got to understand how the energy system may underpin, power and sustain certain lifestyles and/or belief-systems that halt the transition to a truly sustainable future.

What impact do you personally hope the Outlook will have in your region, and globally?

One of the things that drives me the most in relation to the Global Youth Energy Outlook is that the data we collectively gather and the knowledge that will be presented in the final product fill in a data gap. There is no data mapping young people’s hopes and understandings of the energy transition, which oftentimes make it hard for young people to make their demands heard – without data showing a broad picture policy makers are often more reluctant to support ideas or suggestions brought forward by youth. Although young people are increasingly invited into decision making spaces, I hope this data overview will help support the young representatives in creating a collective youth voice on energy issues both regionally and globally. 

How did you first get involved in Student Energy?

I first got involved with Student Energy in 2019 when I was selected to be a part of the first ever youth cohort at the Clean Energy Ministerial/Mission Innovation (CEM10/MI-4) in Vancouver, Canada. This experience of meeting like-minded, passionate and incredibly engaged youth from all over the world sparked something in me, so I took part in the 2019 Student Energy Summit in London, authored a part of the Energy Systems Map, and I am very excited to be a part of the Global Youth Energy Outlook team! 

In this interview series, we get to know each of our Regional Coordinators in-depth:

Introduce yourself and where you come from?

I am Syed Faisal Shah from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan and I am the Regional Coordinator for Indian Subcontinent for the Global Youth Energy Outlook by Student Energy. I did my Bachelor’s in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from COMSATS University Pakistan. After completing my Bachelor’s, I worked in the telecom industry for some time, but my keen interest and passion for renewable energy and sustainable policy development compelled me to continue my further studies. Thus, I secured a fully-funded scholarship for my Master’s in Energy Management and Sustainability from U.S.-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Energy (USPCAS-E) at University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar, Pakistan. I am the co-founder of Student Energy Chapter at USPCAS-E. Currently, I am in the final semester of my master’s degree and also working as Youth Minister for Energy at the Provincial Youth Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. I have participated and presented in many national and international sustainable energy technologies conferences and seminars.

What do you think are some of the biggest challenges to transitioning to a  sustainable energy system in your region?

Actually, the energy system is something that the world depends upon heavily and your access to energy often determines your economic and educational opportunities, health outcomes, and many more. The most immediate energy priority for many developing countries is to expand access, which is also a big barrier with over one billion people experiencing energy poverty. If we talk about the biggest challenges to transitioning to a sustainable energy system in my region, there are so many factors that hinder the adoption and development of a sustainable energy system and clean energy technologies, starting with the continued use of coal as an energy source which means that people are reluctant to use alternative clean energy sources. Other factors are politics and governance, siting & transmission, unequal playing field, reliability misconceptions, social-cultural, financial and economic, market-related, geographical and ecological. All these factors work in tandem to restrict the development of a sustainable energy system and the use of clean energy sources.

What aspects of the energy system in your region do you plan to learn more about?

Most of the countries in my region are rich in clean renewable energy resources like hydro, wind, solar and biomass etc. and I feel really excited to learn more and more about the ways in which we can exploit and make use of its huge natural renewable energy potential that will lead ultimately to a green and clean economy. I am also planning to dive deeper into the energy policies of my region and to know how youth can play an effective role to influence these policies in a sustainable way that could impact the overall energy system positively. Also, energy access and energy security are things that I am curious about, and how we can utilize renewables to ensure sustainable energy access and security to rural and remote communities so that they can play their role effectively in the regional economic growth.

What impact do you personally hope the Outlook will have in your region, and globally?

The Global Youth Energy Outlook is a first-of-its-kind initiative that will reveal what exactly the youth want for the sustainable energy transition. I am sure that this will influence the governments, companies, organizations, and institutions in my region and globally to internalize the value of young people in decision making. This Outlook will help the decision-makers understand the opportunity to actively work together with youth to leverage their innovative ideas and abilities. Also, it will empower young people regionally, as well as globally, and will provide them with the appropriate energy and climate knowledge to take action and work with their governments in adapting the Global Youth Energy Outlook’s principles. I hope that this project will enhance resources and information for young people on how to pursue meaningful careers where they can influence the energy transition effectively.

Why are you passionate about energy and/or climate action?

Energy is not only the biggest industry on earth but it is the enabler of many other industries and the only one that, if done wrongly, can upset the climate and can put an end to millions of people through pollution. And that’s exactly what is being done today at a dizzying scale. I am passionate about energy because it is a way to have a very dramatic worldview.  Energy connects us in everything we do, everything we are, literally everything. In other words, every step of every process of my favorite thing is made possible by energy, so in effect, this made me passionate about energy. Also, energy is my passion because it affords me a sense of influence change in the world, however small it may be. Simply every aspect of our lives is affected in one way or another by some sort of energy-driven system.

How did you first get involved in Student Energy?

It was 2018 and I was in the first days of my master’s that I heard about Student Energy for the first time from my classmate Mr. Amjad Islam who had been in Canada and knew Student Energy. We both sat in our campus library and he showed me the Student Energy website and I was super amazed and inspired. After that day, we showed Student Energy to our class fellows and other students at the campus and they all were amazed and inspired by the movement and thus, we initiated a chapter at U.S.-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Energy (USPCAS-E). It was also the foundational basis of Student Energy at our country Pakistan and after us, another very active chapter at NED University Pakistan was initiated, and now the third chapter at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Pakistan was set-up recently. We are working together, and soon other active chapters will be connected to the network of Student Energy from Pakistan.