To address this challenge, Student Energy and the Climate Emergency Collaboration Group came together at COP28 to facilitate a collaborative roundtable event, uniting youth and philanthropic actors to address the challenges and opportunities inherent in engaging youth-led organizations in the energy sector. These conversations emphasized the importance of flexible, unrestricted funding to support the long-term sustainability of youth organizations while facilitating greater participation in global decision-making spaces; dismantling exclusionary barriers present within current grant-making processes; and recognizing the unique needs and challenges facing youth, prioritizing support for youth efforts across ages, geographies, and backgrounds.

As we look towards this year’s COP convenings, which will be taking place between November 11 and 22, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan, we’re diving into a few key takeaways from this discussion while calling on leaders across all sectors to raise ambition around their youth engagements – a demographic that will be critical to achieving an equitable and sustainable energy future for all. We further hope these findings will catalyze broader gatherings and youth-philanthropy engagements to spur the global energy transition through innovative and impact-driven youth initiatives.

Flexible, unrestricted funding is essential. 

Many youth participants noted that they often have difficulties accessing funding through philanthropies that support multi-year projects or general organizational needs, instead relying on project-specific grants. 

Not only can flexible, unrestricted funding support the long-term sustainability of youth organizations, but a number of additional co-benefits can be realized. Sufficient funding towards organizational salaries can help to reduce burnout common across youth organizations, many of which are volunteer-based. Funding allocated toward travel can facilitate increased youth participation in critical global decision-making spaces, such as COP28, which can be vital for inspiring future work and initiatives. Unrestricted funding can also serve to support educational and people development opportunities, furthering young people’s capacity to undertake this critical work and enhancing their overall credibility as actors in the energy space.  

Philanthropy must work to dismantle barriers that are exclusionary to youth. 

Youth organizations expressed that they generally find the philanthropic space to be exclusionary, difficult to navigate, and often operating in elite circles of which they are not a part. 

Philanthropic organizations must acknowledge the current barriers that may restrict youth organizations from accessing grants. These barriers might include the use of difficult or jargon-filled language, bureaucratic and time-consuming application processes, and funding requirements that render youth-led work ineligible due to fewer years of experience and a perception that youth lack the necessary expertise to undertake such work. Young people have identified trust between youth organizations and philanthropy as a critical first step toward dismantling these barriers. 

Philanthropy must be cognizant of the unique needs and challenges facing youth. 

Youth organizations are operating across incredibly diverse geographies, undertaking initiatives that are geared toward specific contexts and needs. In some parts of the world, youth feel restricted from grants due to ongoing conflict or political polarization. 

To raise ambition around youth engagement in the energy sector, philanthropies should prioritize supporting youth efforts across ages, geographies, and backgrounds while avoiding tokenistic and superficial efforts. Increasingly important is the need to recognize the unique context surrounding Indigenous-led initiatives while encouraging funding to support the integration of Indigenous knowledge into policy and practice. 

This lack of access to philanthropic funding can inevitably restrict youth organizations’ ability to maintain and scale their operations within the energy sector. This roundtable and its findings provide evidence-backed starting points to increase awareness among climate philanthropists of the needs of young entrepreneurs in the energy sector, ultimately spurring the global energy transition through innovative and impact-driven partnerships. 

Given its strategic timing on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, New York Climate Week also offered a fantastic venue for celebrating Student Energy’s 15th anniversary, reflecting on our remarkable achievements in activating young people to accelerate the clean energy transition while at the same time looking toward our future through the release of our 2030 Vision. 

This vision centres around four key pillars we plan to prioritize over the coming years, including fostering global and local community-building through our Chapters network and bi-annual Student Energy Summit; expanding career pathways for young people in clean energy through our Career Training and Fellowship programs; providing grants to high-impact and needs-driven energy projects through our Guided Projects program; and creating new educational opportunities for youth through intergenerational collaboration and meaningful youth inclusion.

It’s these core thematic areas that guided our efforts and advocacy during New York Climate Week. In particular, Student Energy announced a new Commitment to Action as part of the Clinton Global Initiative’s (CGI) 2024 Annual Meeting, which took place in New York between September 22 and 23. This commitment, Equipping Young Leaders for Clean Energy Innovation, aims to advance youth-led clean energy deployment in the Global South, directly engaging 2,500 young people from 2025 to 2027 through job training, skill-building, and project development, with far-reaching benefits impacting thousands more in local communities. Student Energy is delighted to join organizations such as Imagine Worldwide, Ashley Lashley Foundation, and Young Activists Summit in making a Commitment to Action, and we’ll be monitoring our progress toward our goals over the coming years. 

We also had the opportunity to learn from a number of inspiring leaders and experts in the space, through events like the Global Renewables Summit, Resilience Day: Innovating and Investing for People and Planet, and EnergyNow SDG7 Action Forum, as well as those hosted by partners and organizations like Trottier Foundation, Youth Climate Justice Fund, Women Leading on Climate, Time for Better, Rockefeller Foundation, and more. 

Speaking & Moderating Engagements

Sharing Benefits of An Inclusive Renewable Energy Transition

Helen was a speaker at the Global Renewables Alliance’s roundtable discussion, Sharing Benefits of An Inclusive Renewable Energy Transition, hosted as part of the Global Renewables Summit, in which representatives from both the private sector and civil society presented case studies and best practices for accelerating the deployment of renewable energy technologies, while also exploring how to ensure the energy transition is inclusive, the importance of collaboration, and how to ensure that its benefits are distributed equitably to all. 

Flipping the Script: Mobilising the Youth Perspective on Positive Tipping Points

Helen also took part in the Global Optimism-hosted event, Flipping the Script: Mobilising the Youth Perspective on Positive Tipping Points, as moderator, diving into the importance of youth leveraging storytelling and creative communications in order to amplify messages of agency and hope that are founded in the concept of positive tipping points. 

A Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Climate Action: Young Practitioners and Their Role in Technology Transformation

Grace spoke at the event A Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Climate Action: Young Practitioners and Their Role in Technology Transformation, hosted by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), which explored the technological transformations that must take place in order to address pressing sustainability issues and catalyze climate action.

Mainstreaming Gender & Youth for SDG 7: Challenges & Opportunities for Young Women Entering the Workforce

Grace further moderated a session during the Energy Now SDG 7 Action Forum, Mainstreaming Gender & Youth for SDG 7: Challenges & Opportunities for Young Women Entering the Workforce, which featured dialogue on the challenges and opportunities for mainstreaming gender and youth perspectives in support of the achievement of SDG 7 – which calls for access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all – and focused on the empowerment of women within the energy transition.

Hosted Events 

Clean Energy Career Pathways for Youth in the Global South

Student Energy was thrilled to host our very own event during New York Climate Week, in partnership with New Energy Nexus and Linked In, titled Clean Energy Career Pathways for Youth in the Global South. Drawing perspectives from Andrew Chang (Chief Growth Officer, New Energy Nexus), Hamd Akmal (Student, NYU), moderator Cammie Erickson (Senior Director of Social Impact, LinkedIn), and our very own Executive Director, Helen Watts, this event offered both inspiring and critical dialogue on the importance of engaging meaningfully with young people and providing them with necessary green skills and support to drive an inclusive and equitable clean energy transition, while also acknowledging the unique ways in which youth from the Global South are positioned to foster radical change. 

We are immensely proud of the outcomes our partnerships with both of these organizations have achieved in this regard, and we look forward to many future collaborations which continue to work to enable young people as agents of change.

Intergenerational Roundtable on the Future of Climate

On Friday, we also supported an Intergenerational Roundtable on the Future of Climate, which brought together a number of young leaders and senior leaders from various sectors and organizations to foster meaningful dialogue and collaboration in order to empower youth in driving impactful climate solutions, while also amplifying youth voices and emphasizing the need to allocate resources effectively to address the climate crisis. 

This conversation developed from an understanding that youth largely remain tokenized and deprived of meaningful representation within decision-making spaces – despite the growing role they play in tackling the climate crisis and addressing the energy transition – and builds off of conversations Student Energy hosted last year in partnership with the Climate Emergency Collaboration Group, which brought together youth and philanthropy to explore existing challenges, opportunities, and collaborative strategies to spur the energy transition through impactful youth-driven projects. 

Stay tuned for a full report with findings from both of these conversations! We hope that these outcomes will catalyze broader gatherings between youth and a variety of industries and sectors and foster meaningful support for youth as drivers of a sustainable energy transition and climate change action. 

Looking Forward

New York Climate Week highlighted the role and power that partnerships play to disrupt climate narratives and to ensure that we are centring the voices of youth and underrepresented communities. By mobilizing support for young people across different platforms, we aim to mainstream youth-forward perspectives, programs, and policies that support a just transition.

With New York Climate Week now behind us, we’re looking forward to rest and rejuvenation as we prepare for the end of 2024 and are excited to carry forward our successes into another impactful year. If you’re interested in learning more about our work and engagements at events, please connect with us at michelle@studentenergy.org. 

The interim report of the London Climate Resilience Review defines “resilience” in accordance with the London Environment Strategy, outlining it as “the capacity of a system to bounce back from the impacts of severe pressures that may have resulted in damage.” The London Environment Strategy, created by the Office of the Mayor of London, presents a bold vision for enhancing London’s environment for the well-being of all residents through its website and an easy-to-read PDF document.

The City Resilience Framework

The event’s inciting discussion between Jo da Silva and Emma Howard Boyd focused on naming and outlining the risks posed by climate change across the UK. Each participant underscored the significant role that government and financial leaders must play in building climate resilience; The pairs emphasized that there is an increasing regional awareness about the repercussions of climate change, particularly in London.

Jo da Silva described the direct impacts of climate change as risks to our entire global society, including the loss of life and a decrease in average quality of life, damage to essential infrastructure networks, and increasingly frequent interruptions to global trade. Da Silva has been involved in city resilience work since 2007 and has been a part of the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network, contributing to projects in 10 cities across Asia. Her experience has led her to recognize the urgent need to address the impacts of climate change, which led to the City Resilience Framework set to be implemented across  200 cities worldwide. The growing impetus for major urban centers like London to take dire action is evident, given that cities are responsible for the majority of carbon dioxide emissions while accommodating 60% of the global population,  serving as major hubs in the global economy.

Therefore, the “London Climate Resilience Review” is an important document that Emma Howard Boyd has facilitated as her career in green finance has evolved over time. She worked at the fore of London Climate Resilience projects from 2016 to 2022, understanding how the government works, commissioning global adaptation, working across many boards through climate foundations, Green Finance, joint environment, and tenacious networking. If we compare Emma’s approach to what we see (or more actually do not see) in other sectors like banking, the versatility and utility of Howard Boyd’s approach is clear. 

The release of 3-minute videos by the BBC, offering recommendations and highlighting the risks of climate shocks in London, inspired Emma to launch the Climate Resilience Review, focusing on local-level actions for adaptation to achieve net zero and reduce the loss of lives by building resilience.

The final version of the review was published after the general elections, and it is available at here.

London is reaching 40 degrees

Seemingly all at once, water consumption increased, and many parts of London nearly ran out of potable water. In an act of shared community sacrifice, the city massively reduced water consumption; this is the power of collective participation, a delightful surprise to behold in action.

This type of communal living and effort is also not negotiable for a resilient city. Cities need to build networks of inter-industry, inter-community solidarity to properly defend themselves against the increasingly violent challenges posed by climate change. Through reading the “London Climate Resilience Review”, we are tasked  to think about cross-industry investment and the value of educating stakeholders and community members on what they can do when the next heatwave hits. Only through building robust systems of education and preparedness can cities hope to avoid major hazards from climate change.

The impact on global youth

Even though the conversation did not directly address the involvement of the youth, through networking, we were able to discuss this key demographic’s potential and the role of the next generation of leaders in the energy and climate spaces. Globally, youth are one of the most vulnerable populations to the effects of climate change. High temperatures can impact air quality, affect student learning and productivity, and even influence behavior. Youth also possess limited capital and economic agency when compared to previous generations, limiting their ability to achieve self-sufficiency in the face of a changing climate.

By collaborating globally and intentionally fostering the involvement of young actors and leaders, we can empower the new generation to drive creative climate solutions that will bring a cleaner future for all. This point is also highlighted in the preliminary report as a recommendation to the Mayor of London, which urges London’s participation in initiatives such as the Global Challenge Lab, which organizes a competition for students to generate innovation toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Throughout the report’s suggestions, it is made clear that the best way to build adaptable and resilient cities is for individuals, officials, and the city itself, to want to belong to something bigger: a global movement of climate resilience.

The London Climate Resilience Review

The review examines actions required at national, regional, and local levels to reduce climate change impacts in London. It emphasizes ensuring that vulnerable populations will benefit from adaptation efforts and helps all Londoners prepare for and recover from climate-related events.  Vulnerability to the negative impacts of climate change is not felt evenly throughout London’s demographics; according to research by CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), low-income households, elderly people, marginalized and minority communities, children and youth, as well as vulnerable health groups are consistently the most vulnerable to climate hazards across the UK’s local authorities.

Howard Boyd’s review recommends embracing an adaptive pathways approach to empowering decision-makers, where organizations, private companies, and governmental institutions proactively plan for future climate hazards by remaining agile to the latest climate science, growth projections, and changes in the local environment. At a roundtable hosted for the review, one participant emphasized the power of adaptation in imagining the desired future. The London Plan propels action through policies on crucial areas such as overheating and cooling, urban greening, and flood risk management. Here’s why:

London’s Climate Risks

• • Heat.

In July 2022, London hit 40°C, resulting in significant impacts such as wildfires, strain on emergency services, and infrastructure breakdown. Heat exposure led to substantial labor hours lost and a rise in heat-related deaths. Additionally, rising temperatures have been linked to increased violent crimes and impacts on mental health.

• • Drought

In England, the public water supply faces a potential shortfall of nearly 4 billion liters of water per day by 2050. London is already experiencing water stress, with high temperatures leading to increased water consumption and low reservoir levels. The economic costs of drought in 2012 were substantial, and a water shortage could cost London’s economy £500 million per day. Solutions include building a new reservoir, investing in leak reduction, implementing smart metering, and educating the public about water efficiency. 

• • Rising  Sea Levels 

London’s current river defenses protect homes, infrastructure, and businesses. With sea levels expected to rise, proactive action is needed to strengthen the Thames’ defenses and invest in London’s riverside.

• • Surface Water Flooding

The flooding in London in July 2021 caused major disruption and flooded over 2,000 properties with stormwater and sewage. More than 30 tube stations were affected, and hospital wards were evacuated. According to Zurich UK, flooding from torrential rain threatens 42% of the capital’s 301,000 commercial buildings. The average cost of flooding to a home is £30,000 and £82,000 to a business. Additionally, the increase in winter rainfall has led to wetter conditions for football and rugby union, resulting in the cancellation of around 120,000 games per season.

• • Wildfires

Wildfires are increasing in frequency and intensity around the world and London is no exception. These fires are a growing threat to London’s rural/urban interface, as shown at Wanstead Flats in 2018 and Wennington in July 2022. More focus should be on prevention and the preservation of biodiversity must be considered in any wildfire strategy. However, London has not yet developed a formal strategy for managing wildfires.

• • Wider Climate Risk

Even though the framework approaches cities at their individual levels, London is susceptible to climate-related disasters from other parts of the world as no city on Earth can consider itself truly insulated from the movements and currents of geopolitics. Severe storms, flooding, and droughts can disrupt energy and food supply, and lead to migration and conflicts; the potential emergence of tropical diseases is also a concern. As climate change and its effects continue to alter the way humans see each other and our “resources,” several experts predict an increase in global political instability. Being aware of this fact can help Londoners stay informed and aware of the changing world around them.

Building from London Climate Resilience

Throughout London Climate Resilience, the following principles have evolved to  guide action on climate adaptation and the implementation of its recommendations:

1. When adapting London to climate change, it’s important to prioritize the needs of the people, involve local leadership, reduce vulnerability, and address socio-economic and racial inequality.

2. Climate change adaptation should be integrated into decision-making at all levels, and organizations should ensure that adaptation efforts are supported at a strategic level and clearly assigned responsibility.

3. Climate change adaptation should be coordinated with efforts to achieve net zero emissions for a comprehensive approach.

4. Adaptive pathways approaches are encouraged. Given climate change’s unpredictability, it’s crucial to remain flexible while addressing known risks and critical thresholds.

• •  Supporting decision-makers in identifying suitable actions for now and the future.
  • Helping institutions, organizations, and private companies prepare for future climate risks by staying updated on the latest climate science, growth projections, investment opportunities, and other changes in the local environment to enable better planning.

5. Prioritizing nature-based solutions is crucial at all times. These solutions involve safeguarding, overseeing, and rejuvenating both natural and human-altered ecosystems to tackle societal problems. By addressing issues like climate change, human health, food and water security, and disaster risk reduction, these solutions can benefit both people and nature.

The experience of attending a climate resilience review event of this type made it clear how many hardworking-devoted people are invested in completing this type of essential work and organization, but also that there is much more to be done. London is also only a single city, situated in a part of the world with a historically greater access to wealth and resources. How might the problems Londoners are facing be impacting others in parts of the world with less overall development? We hope to see Climate Resilience Plans begin to populate the world, while we continue to advocate for a greener, cleaner, future.

The London Climate Resilience Review document can be reviewed here.

For my experience, I participated in their “Yukon Exploration” program which was mostly centered at the Kluane Lake Research Station located just outside of Kluane National Park. To argue that spending five days at a research station set amidst one of the most serene landscapes I’ve ever seen was merely transformational, does not capture the full magnitude of this experience. Kluane National Park houses the largest nonpolar icefields in the world and acts as a global hub for researchers exploring topics connected to climate change, sustainability, reconciliation, and conservation to name a portion of the prevalent issues studied at the station. During our time at the research station we had the chance to learn directly from climate science researchers, hear from Parks Canada conservation and management staff, spend time with local Indigenous communities, and hike throughout the park. From my perspective, the goal of this experience was to expose youth participants to the interconnectedness of social and ecological problems our world faces, and to help build a foundation for change based on traditional Indigenous Ways of Knowing and scientific research methodology. My trip’s educational programming was, of course, combined with breathtakingly bright night skies, campfires, group bonding activities, and daily cold plunges in the frigid glacier-filled lake.

When I look to unravel this experience, a few core takeaways stand out to me. Shortly after we arrived at the research station, instructors told us about the Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) in the area, informed us that we were expected to bring bear spray with us at all times, and to always let someone know where we were going. This protocol was met with a noticeable level of anxiety from the group, as many of us had spent most of our lives living in areas where the local predator population had been eradicated. It wasn’t until we spent time with local Indigenous Elders that my perspective surrounding bears–or humans’ interconnection to the natural world more broadly–was forever changed. 

Wilderness right outside of Ryan’s bunk, a spoon carved from a moose antler, Ryan’s hand placed next to a Grizzly paw print in the sand.

Through conversations with the Indigenous Elders, I became aware of how disconnected I have been from a vibrant and intact ecosystem, and the feeling of humility and awareness that comes from it. Growing up I played in forests filled with deer, raccoons, coyotes, and squirrels thinking that was normal. What escaped me was that during my grandfather’s childhood he would play in those same forests, where then there were moose, wolves, and bears that he could have encountered. 

I feel personally fortunate to have gotten to learn from Indigenous Elders who share ancestors with those who have spent thousands of years coexisting with the animals around them, while granting them the respect, awareness, and protection they deserve. My experience leaves me wanting to help shape communities towards a healthier connection with the natural world. Humanity exists inseparably within nature; our species is not above nor separate from it. We are meant to walk alongside the natural world rather than trample through it.

I was also quite shocked to see the landscape-altering effects of a glacier that no longer feeds into Kluane Lake, and wondered what was happening to this pristine watershed. Being on the outskirts of the largest nonpolar ice deposit in the world has a way of inspiring conversations about the impacts of climate change by default, but Kluane Lake is Yukon’s largest lake and the glacier that was its main feed source is now being diverted to Alaska. Each day as I would gaze across the lake I could see the sediment blow around, left over from the dried-up riverbed, leaving me to wonder what would happen to the watershed if the glacier didn’t divert back. Although this change carries a negative connotation for many who have observed the phenomenon, we received a glimmer of hope from James Allen, former Chief of the Champaign & Aishihik people. When we were visiting the ‘Shakat Tun Wilderness Camp’, a trapline owned by the Allen family for countless generations, James told us the story of the same thing happening 400 years ago and reminded us to always have humility when it came to our relationship with Mother Earth. This experience connected me to the pulse of an ancient landscape and taught me how my preconceived ideas of what is ‘normal’ or ‘natural’ in an area is often restricted by the shallow understanding afforded by the relative shortness of my own life. I was grateful to learn from James and his family, and be reminded to always seek Indigenous knowledge when addressing environmental and social issues affecting a region and population.

Participating in Howl and having the opportunity to travel to the Yukon- a place at the forefront of social and environmental research, rich in Indigenous culture, and full of serene landscapes- deeply transformed my personal and professional life. When we were in Whitehorse, we visited the Yukon University and heard from the Climate, Conservation, and Energy Research Labs on the incredible projects they are working on. Combined with my experience at the Kluane Lake Research Station, my conversation with Paul McCarney, a Research Professional for the Northern Systems Conservation Co-Lab and Natural Resources Director for the Vuntut Gwitchin Government, inspired me to pursue a master’s and build a career working with remote communities in Northern Canada to help address some of the social and environmental these regions are experiencing. Over the coming months, Paul’s support has transformed my personal and professional goals and has opened my eyes to the intersections of social science, natural science, and local and Traditional Knowledge. For everything he has done and continues to do for me, I owe him a world of thanks.

Canada’s youthful generations have some monumental problems to address, and I believe that it is only through a deep respect for the interconnectedness of humans and our home that we can begin to solve them. Fortunately, Indigenous communities across the world are leaders in this space and through reconciliation, humility, and awareness, I believe we are well on our way!

Ryan Sojnocki has been a Fellowship Program Coordinator at Student Energy for over two years. Before joining the organization, he helped coach and mentor early-stage social ventures at the University of Waterloo, and has carried that passion into his role working with youth around the world to help build successful energy projects in their targeted region. When he’s not working, you can often find Ryan immersed in the backcountry of British Columbia or deep in a philosophical conversation about the many intricacies of being human.

Anushka Nagle 

Anushka’s Youth Energy Narratives story focused on the role of Indian Waste-pickers in the circular economy. In urban India, the alarming statistics of waste production paint a grim picture of environmental degradation and public health risks. With approximately 62 million tonnes generated daily, the majority remains uncollected and untreated, contributing to air, soil, and water pollution. Delhi, a prime example, grapples with over 8,700 tons of municipal solid waste daily.  Less than 10% of this waste is segregated and treated, highlighting large systemic challenges. Nagle conducted two case studies exploring the impacts of cooperative waste management services in two different cities in India to inform her final recommendations. Her presentation highlights that addressing India’s waste crisis necessitates a holistic approach, involving consumers, government bodies, NGOs, and entrepreneurs. Her recommendations shine light on the importance of community based solutions that are responsive to the needs of the community they are being implemented in as well as the need to include community members in climate action incentives. 

According to Anushka, when it comes to climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, it is crucial to put the spotlight on marginalized communities, especially waste-pickers, who play a vital role in keeping our cities cleaner. As stated in her project summary, “By prioritizing [waste-pickers’] upliftment, we not only improve their lives but also tackle environmental degradation head-on. It’s imperative to recognize the intersectionality between social equity and environmental sustainability in tackling India’s waste woes.”

Cathleen Jeanty

Cathleen’s story titled The Revolution Will Be Underwater, is a foray into the world of youth climate activism. Last year marked the midpoint to The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals’ 2030 agenda, where Goal 13, climate action, has really taken center stage. Climate change is on everybody’s lips, but the action – in the view of most young people – is missing.  The piece features perspectives of young people across the globe, who are often sidelined in climate policy making processes. It is an amalgamation of interviews with youth climate activists and policy leaders; surveys with youth activists; data; and research. The story delves into an issue that data and research have shown largely impacts young people: climate-induced migration. It is part narrative, part editorial, and part prescriptive, and offers feedback from young people who have lived experience of what it’s like to be on the frontlines witnessing how climate change can reorient your community. The recommendations from her story are centered around building more pathways for young people to turn their advocacy into actionable policy by earmarking funds to invest in youth-led climate ventures. 

Amanda Nogueira Moreira de Souza

Amanda’s narrative details her connection to her land as a young person from Latin America and how this relates to broader conversations and action plans calling for a sustainable energy transition. Amanda’s story highlights the destructive and unsustainable nature of lithium mining in Brazil and its impacts on Indigenous communities’ access to food, clean water, and safety. Her recommendations call for an equitable and just energy transition that considers the impact to those living in Latin America. As stated by Amanda, “It is essential to not finance projects to further lithium extraction in those regions, provide financial support and resources to those currently being affected by it, and raise awareness of the issue at the international level.”

Abul Bashar Rahman 

Bashar’s narrative for the Council was explored through a five-part podcast series where he interviewed young people with a variety of educational and working backgrounds to discuss how they take action on climate and energy within their sectors. From sustainable transportation to equity and energy justice, Bashar’s podcast highlights the power of young people taking action in the sustainable energy transition and the need for more senior-level organizations and people in positions of power and decision-making roles to meaningfully include young people as stakeholders in the energy transition. Bashar’s final recommendations are centered around the importance of empowering local climate resilience initiatives by investing in local leadership development and capacity building and encouraging the development of knowledge exchange platforms and educational resources for youth and community members. These were developed based on his experience as a young person whose immediate family in Bangladesh has been displaced as a result of climate change, the lessons he learned from his journey cycling across Bangladesh to amplify the voices of the people affected by climate change, and, of course, the stories he heard in recording his podcast for the Youth Energy Narratives Council. 

Adebambo Micheal

Micheal’s story showcases how community solar projects are providing clean, renewable energy access and economic opportunities to everyday people, especially youth, in rural areas of Nigeria. His recommendations are centered around increasing investments in decentralized renewable energy solutions to support rural electrification and ensuring that electricity access programs are gender-inclusive and meet the specific needs of local women and girls. 

If you are interested in reading the Council’s recommendations, please contact us at research@studentenergy.org 

Last month, Student Energy organized the Net Zero World Café event for all energy-interested members of the McGill University and Greater Montreal communities. Michelle Balderston, Assistant to the Executive Director at Student Energy, oversaw the planning and facilitation of this meet-up as an instance of our Research and Youth Engagement program’s Net Zero in Our Neighbourhood research project which seeks to bring clean energy discussions directly to local communities.

Helen Watts, Executive Director at Student Energy, attended the ChangeNOW 2024 in Paris, France, and participated in a panel covering the Clean Energy Revolution. Helen shares the importance of ensuring youth and community are core considerations of all climate and energy solutions.

In this post, we’ll hear from Michelle and Helen about their experiences and learnings participating in these events!

Net Zero World Café

Michelle shares, “Last month, I had the pleasure of supporting Student Energy’s Net Zero World Café in Montréal. Our goal was to bring together community members across a range of backgrounds and interests to explore the world of net zero across local and national contexts. We succeeded on this point, as we welcomed attendees with expertise spanning engineering, arts, sciences, and beyond, all bringing their unique perspectives and expertise to the conversation. 

Through a roundtable format, we had the opportunity to dig into net zero across three critical sectors — transportation, waste, and buildings — and explore a wide range of challenges and opportunities for driving net-zero progress within Montréal and beyond. From advocating for more net zero-related educational initiatives to conducting clothing swaps, rethinking transportation as communal, or getting involved in public consultations, I was inspired by how much these conversations emphasized the immense potential of climate action at a local level and through community collaboration. 

I’ll also speak on behalf of our attendees to say that we were absolutely privileged to hear from McGill community member Rebecca Kresta, a mechanical engineer currently pursuing a master’s in Public Policy. Rebecca really served to reinforce the connections between local and national-level sustainability initiatives we were trying to emphasize and accentuated the role that all professions and sectors have to play in achieving net zero goals. 

Reflecting on how my knowledge of net zero has grown throughout the planning of and participation in this project, one of my key takeaways is that everyone can contribute to our collective journey towards a more sustainable energy system and net zero future — through actions big and small. Also, community building is so critical! As we wrapped up the night with networking over doughnuts and drinks, it was so heartening to receive such lovely and overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees, emphasizing how important it is to be able to connect with others from within their communities, as these are truly the venues for some of the most meaningful and innovative ideas to take place.”

ChangeNOW 2024

Helen shares, “At the ChangeNOW 2024 Conference, I had the opportunity to participate in a fireside chat during the Clean Energy Revolution session, following a panel with leaders from the Shift Project, Schneider Electric, Sweetch Energy and Okra Solar to discuss community-led clean energy, technology and financial access. I highlighted stories from our Global Youth Energy Outlook, how youth are calling for action from decision-makers and what meaningful partnerships and power sharing with young people looks like in practice. 

Getting ourselves on track to triple renewable energy globally requires a massive jobs boom in the clean energy sector. We will not succeed in a transition that is socially just, economically positive, and community and industry needs-aligned if we do not prioritize these critical five years to support young people ages 18 to 30 to move into the sector.  Research and data developed by youth organizations, industry and intergovernmental organizations point to the reality of a significant and growing gap between young people passionate about energy issues and sectors trying to recruit talent.

Young people are hungry for meaningful jobs where they can access secure livelihoods while making an impact on climate and energy needs, and we have all the tools and knowledge we need to create an enabling environment for accessing jobs. What we still need is a scale-up of resources and forward-thinking policies to create an enabling environment, and we need a willingness to adapt from academia and industry recruitment. Organizations like Student Energy work to fill in the gaps for young people to learn how to develop and communicate their soft skills, market themselves effectively, and navigate an increasingly murky and complex job market. 

I had the opportunity to talk about our experiences at Student Energy to bridge this skills gap through programs like Student Energy Career Training, which provides youth with hands-on energy project experience with partner organizations, including Okra Solar. I also spoke about the ways in which our programs centre community building as a catalyst for empowering youth within the clean energy space, the importance of inclusive and accessible workforce training programs, and meaningful youth inclusion within the energy sector across all forums and decision-making spaces.”

Where would you like to see Student Energy?

Student Energy is active at global stages, attending events, expanding our reach, and growing our network of young energy leaders! It will always remain a priority of ours to bring nuanced, critical, optimistic insight into the energy industry, and to do so with youth skills and opportunities at front of mind.

Here you’ve seen just two quick ways that we practice outreach and community-building both in Canada and abroad; this is something we’re doing year round! Where might we see you next?

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Website & Blog: https://studentenergy.org/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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