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.

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

Introduce yourself and where you come from. 

I am Paola Flores Carvajal, Regional Coordinator for Latin America, and I am from Bolivia.

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

When I was a child my family lived ____ and my grandmother is from an indigenous community and did not have adequate energy or water access. I see energy as an essential for economic equality and health. I love talking about energy because I have seen how bad climate change has impacted people in the city.

I told you how passionate I am about energy but in high school, I was not as passionate about energy until one of my friends invited me to learn more about energy and how to get involved.  Then five years ago, I traveled to La Jolla, California in the US for a summer course, and I learned about renewable energy which I had not heard of before.

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

Latin American countries have great potential for supplying renewable energy, there have been a lot of things that have prevented it from happening. Specifically, policy is a key factor for my region. Political actions are needed for more focus on renewable energy.  I think it’s highly important to let the world know what is happening in my region,  Latin America, towards the transition to sustainable energy.

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

Something I would like to know more about the energy system in my region is how sustainable are the energy projects happening in latin america. There is solar and lithium in my region and i would like to know more about it. I want to understand the conditions of the project and economic and social impacts they have on the community. I also want to know how strong the policies are in the region, and what the ambitions of the government are.

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

Personally I really like the outlook because this is the first time I have seen a movement to let the world know what young people think or want for the future of energy. This is the first time we are asking young people what they want, and the impact this will have is really important as we are living in a situation where covid-19 is impacting social and economic systems. Now we have opened our eyes to what is happening in our world and what we have been doing that is wrong. This is a moment to take advantage, we can acknowledge climate change and talk about how energy plays a key role in climate change. The outlook will allow organizations to know what young people want for energy but also governments and big companies to know what we want for our future.

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

Introduce yourself and where you come from.

I am from Guangdong, a province in Southeast China. I grew up in an environment where China is starting to pay attention to environmental issues and take action on protecting the environment. We were taught that climate change is taking place and what mechanisms are behind it from our textbook and exams when I was in middle school. Our parents told us that they used to swim in the river and stare at the starry sky in their hometowns when they were young. I have never seen what they told me about in our hometown, and am well aware of the environmental issues [that are involved]. But I never thought of what I can do to make a difference until I did my undergraduate at McGill University, Canada.  I am currently a fourth-year Civil Engineering student, and I have been actively involved in lots of youth empowerment events and organizations, such as How to Change the World and Student Energy. I aspire to become an engineer who carries out sustainable design projects, and a global thinker who promotes sustainable development. 

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

First, the current scale and scope of sustainability energy projects in China, such as what are the challenges and opportunities that they currently have. Second, what is the job market of sustainable energy in China and how can young people pursue sustainable energy in their future careers. 

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

Many young people in China are well aware of the issues of climate change and would like to participate in promoting energy transition-related projects. Therefore, I hope that the Outlook can help identify the challenges that the young generation is facing which prevent them from being involved in more sustainable energy projects and jobs, and allow their voice to be heard by the stakeholders. In addition, many youth in China are not well aware of, or connected to, international organizations and opportunities in this field, such as webinars and conferences. I am lucky because I have the privilege to study at an international university, which allows me to have more access to many international empowerment opportunities. Besides, I realized that there is no Student Energy chapter in China currently, which might be due to the fact that university students in China are not informed of the opportunities and ways to be involved in many international projects. Therefore, I hope that the Outlook can be a resource with a global scope to help empower youth in China to be involved in the energy transition towards a more sustainable future by participating in sustainable energy projects and pursuing a career in sustainable energy-related sectors. I think this is the same for the youth globally: I hope that the Outlook can make their perspectives heard and carry out projects that allow more young people to have a better understanding of the sustainable energy industry and involvement opportunities.

How did you first get involved in Student Energy?

I met with Ms. Angela Paley, Project Manager at Student Energy, at a conference called How to Change the World (HtCtW). The conference and the organization aims to empower the young generation of engineers to participate in SDG projects and make positive impacts across the globe. It was held in February in Toronto, Canada, right before the outbreak of COVID-19 in North America. I had a chance to talk to her and she encouraged me to start a Student Energy chapter. Therefore, I asked some friends who participated in the HtCtW program and co-founded the chapter at McGill University, which is also the first one to be organized in Quebec. Currently, we are planning a year-long project which aims to provide sustainable cooling to refugee camps in Sub-Saharan Africa. If you are interested in our project, don’t hesitate to contact me!

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 Tianna Philippot and I am the Regional Coordinator for North America for the Global Youth Energy Outlook, and the current Student Energy Chapter President for the University of Manitoba (U of M). I grew up in a small rural community north of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and am currently in the final year of my undergraduate biosystems engineering program. 

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

I am extremely passionate about innovative research and technology in the clean energy sector and unique culturally inclusive implementation strategies to apply them on a global scale. I strongly believe an important aspect of the global energy transition is proper energy education, communication, and collaboration across the world. 

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

It is without debate that many northern and/or remote communities in North America are currently reliant on fossil fuels for survival. The needs and capacity of each community are so unique that a thoughtful and meticulous community energy plan must be created for each community. This process is very important but also extremely time-consuming which creates a challenge for a fast transition to sustainable energy. 

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

I plan to continue research on low carbon economies, and ongoing carbon capture initiatives in western Canada. 

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

It is important to hear the perspectives of young people in my region as they are the future of the world who will ultimately suffer the greatest consequences from climate change. Throughout history, young people of diverse backgrounds were not granted the same opportunity to voice their opinion on world issues. This is one of the many reasons the Outlook is so important to the future of energy: because it is the first opportunity to gather the perspectives of 50,000 youth from all over the world.

How did you first get involved in Student Energy?

I started with Student Energy’s partnership chapter at the University of Manitoba two years ago. I realized immediately that the organization’s reach extended much further than I could have imagined. As I continued to involve myself in Student Energy’s programming, such as attending the International Student Energy Summit, I was able to make lifelong connections in the energy sector. My passion for energy education only grew deeper when I joined the Student Energy Leadership Fellowship and gained valuable project experience. With the help of my amazing fellowship cohort, the University of Manitoba is now an officially recognized Student Energy Chapter. Student Energy has only been a part of my life for the last 2 years, but it has held an incredibly important presence.

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

Introduce yourself and where you come from. 

I’m Kayla Choi from South Korea, majoring in Civil Engineering at Korea University. Taking from the word ‘civil’, everything that relates to civilization is what I consider my lifelong research quest, whether that be the subject of transportation, energy, wastewater treatment, or buildings.

As a young person, what are your concerns when it comes to climate change? What concerns are you seeing from other young people around you?

When it comes to climate change, I am concerned about the uncertainty, about the time we’ve really left, and our willingness to change. I picked ‘uncertainty’ because what we’re battling against is intangible. We don’t know what the ‘end’ or the tipping point looks like, but we feel the worsening repercussions that environmental damage causes. I chose ‘time’ as well, since some say we have a few years to turn it around, but unforeseen factors (such as release of stored methane, sudden bursts of wildfires, etc.) could cause 1.5 degrees to be reached a lot faster than we’d expect. Finally, I pointed out ‘willingness to change’ for both those who don’t believe it to be true and for those who do but feel hopeless about the matter.

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

One of the biggest challenges is ‘starting from scratch’. We have to completely overturn the current energy system, which has been so deeply rooted in society, and build a more sustainable one bottom-up. It’s hard to believe the old and the new one can ‘co-exist’ since even the way electricity is generated and transmitted by these two systems is so fundamentally different. This change would not only affect energy systems but also cause reformation in social and economic systems as well.

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

When you’re trying to create a revolution, especially of this scale, I feel it is crucial to determine that your desire for change is a shared sentiment or at least is well heard by the mass. It is especially essential to hear perspectives of young people in my region because they are the ones who have the most to lose and by really listening to them will we know which areas to focus on, to pay attention to, and to highlight in order to best address the existing needs and problems that arise when tackling the issue.4

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

Introduce yourself and where you come from.

I am Joshua Miguel Lopez from the Philippines. Along with Salsa, I am a Regional Coordinator for Southeast Asia for Student Energy’s Global Youth Energy Outlook.  I am also currently working on my master’s degree in Public Management at the Ateneo de Manila University.

I like working in the intersections of fields. I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering, but instead of practicing in the mining industry, I decided to work in a development organization – originally in an effort to explore and then resolve the negative social and environmental impacts of mining. It was during my stay in the development sector where I grew an appreciation of the various intervening factors (society, environment, politics, governance, etc.) that dictate whether technology works for good or not. 

As a young person, what are your concerns when it comes to climate change? What concerns are you seeing from other young people around you?

Coming from the perspective of someone who came from rural, underdeveloped areas, I initially did not care about climate change. Climate change for me then was an abstract issue that was much lower on my priority list than, say, earning a decent livelihood. Why worry about what will happen decades down the line when I cannot feed myself now?

But climate change is not a future issue anymore. It is already an issue now. My region, situated at the eastern seaboard of the Philippines, is the first-hit region of most typhoons that land in our country. And the typhoons have already become stronger and more frequent. It sucks to have to “restart from scratch” every time a disaster destroys your home. I could go on and on about how summers have already become unbearably hot in my country, or how we, a country surrounded by water, have experienced water shortages for two summers now, but I am sure many have already heard about the impacts of climate change. 

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

I first became passionate about energy when I learned how it affects economic growth. Electricity rates in my country are among the highest in the world. Partly, the reason why this is the case is because the energy sector here is controlled by an oligopoly who benefits from keeping prices high and the energy supply low. High electricity rates and poor energy infrastructure are some of the reasons why industries here are few and overly concentrated in the capital region, Manila. As someone who came from a rural region, this urban-rural development divide is an issue close to my heart. 

I became more passionate once I learned more about the energy transition. The transition to renewable energy offers a solution to my main concern of regional disparities in development as it makes feasible an energy system that is distributed and diverse. At the same time, it offers another solution to the climate crisis. It is a win-win solution. 

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

For me, one of the biggest challenges for the Southeast Asian energy transition is the rapid increase in energy demand here. Our region is at the phase where the economy, and energy demand with it, is growing rapidly. Policymakers and businessmen are faced with the pressure of meeting demand as fast as possible. Fossil-based energy infrastructure is a much easier sell for the decision-makers as the financial and political risk of constructing these plants is much lower for them. They already know how much these plants cost, what engineering designs to use, what kind of policies govern these plants, how to manage community backlash against these plants, and so forth.  

This brings me to the second challenge: lack of technical and common knowledge on sustainable energy systems. In the Philippines, for example, only one university offers a degree in Energy Engineering. Same goes for many other universities in the region, where fossil-based energy systems are still the standard topic – sustainable energy systems are taught, yes, but as an “alternative” to conventional energy. But this is only for engineering education. Other fields that affect energy, such as energy law, energy economics, sociology of energy, community energy systems, and so forth, are still few and far between. Having said all these, I think education on sustainable energy systems is still far from the tipping point where it already becomes the “conventional” energy – not fossil-based energy.

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

I look forward to learning the different perspectives on energy in Southeast Asia. I really believe that for a technological transition to take root, it must make sense for the people involved in that transition. It must hit the right incentives – whether political, ethical, financial, etc. Learning more about what ticks the people here would give me a better perspective how the energy transition can be promoted here. 

Beyond that, I would also like to learn more about the different energy transition pathways exercised in my region. I am only familiar with Western transition models like Germany or the UK. Learning more about the different approaches existing in my region would help me better understand what works within our context. 

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

I really hope that the Outlook will start a deeper conversation on the global energy transition. Unlike issues like poverty, hunger, or gender disparity, the issue of dirty energy systems does not get as much focus. But energy, being an important input to almost all human activity, is required for society to be able to solve all these systemic problems. And with the youth having to bear the worst impacts of a poorly designed energy system, youth perspectives should already be heard as early as now, while there is still time to transition these systems.

On the regional level, I hope the Outlook facilitates cooperation among Southeast Asian nations towards the energy transition. We share the same climate, young post-colonial governments, and rapidly changing economies. The Outlook opens an opportunity to identify common points for youth action, as well as shared strategies that align with incentives inherent in this region.

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

Two reasons: Southeast Asia is a young population, and youth will bear the consequences of whatever development direction will be picked now. The median population of Southeast Asia as of 2020 is 30.2 years old. It is only right that the perspectives of a big chunk of the Southeast Asian population is represented in the plans set forth by our decision-makers. 

Our region is also at the point where its systems are still being developed. This means that whatever infrastructure, policy, or system is established now, its effects will be felt not by the decision-makers now, but the people who will live in the decades to come. If the youth are not involved now, we will be stuck with a system that does not work according to our interests and priorities.   

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

Student Energy, being one of the most prominent global youth organizations focusing on energy, is in a unique position to consolidate the global youth voice and allow it to be heard by our decision-makers. It has worked hard to keep the discussion on the energy transition alive among the youth, while putting emphasis on the idea that energy is a topic that can be acted on whatever one’s field of expertise age is. It already has a track record of empowering energy leaders in business, politics, academe, and civil society. 

The Outlook is just one of Student Energy’s many contributions to the future of energy. First of its kind, the Outlook gathers data on what the youth really think about energy and what they really want from our leaders and policymakers. It’s the first step towards getting the pulse of the next generation. 

How did you first get involved in Student Energy?

I first got involved in Student Energy when I joined the 2017 Student Energy Summit in Merida. It was my first time to travel alone to another country. It was also my first time to be with a congregation of young leaders who discussed energy – a topic which I thought was only a concern for us in the engineering field. I learned so much about energy not only from engineers but from many other fields. It was an eye-opening experience for me.  

Being inspired by how much I learned from the people I met in SES, I organized youth trainings back home in an effort to share the experience I got from Student Energy. We organized the Renewable Energy Bootcamp (REBOOT), a training program for engineers, designers, managers, and development workers to learn about renewable energy by creating energy transition solutions while working with the grassroots. We are currently in the third batch of our training program and are already in the process of institutionalizing REBOOT Philippines as a registered organization of young energy leaders.