SEforALL announces three-day virtual summit to catalyse youth action on sustainable energy transition
The world now has the largest generation of young people in history and we need them in the driver’s seat if we are to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
To empower these young leaders from across the world to support a just, inclusive energy transition in line with the Paris Agreement on climate, Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) will host its first ever SEforALL Youth Summit early next year, highlighting universal access to sustainable energy as a pivotal step to achieving global climate goals.
The Summit will:
- Educate youth on the scope and importance of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) for global development
- Connect youth across the globe to networks and academic and career opportunities in the energy sector
- Inspire youth to actively participate in achieving SDG7 during the Decade of Action
With only a decade left to provide universal electricity and clean cooking access, dramatically improve global energy efficiency and increase the share of renewables in the energy mix, we need immediate action to be taken by a wide range of energy stakeholders.
“With their futures at risk, youth are the ultimate stakeholder in the energy transition. We need to empower young leaders to act and influence today’s decisions around energy and climate so they have the opportunity to the prosperous future they deserve. Taking place during a critical year for energy and climate action, SEforALL is proud to host our first ever event dedicated to youth,” said Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy.
A summit for youth, by youth
The three-day inaugural virtual summit, organized by youth representatives from SEforALL, EM-ONE Energy Solutions, the Clean Cooking Alliance, the UN SDG 7 Youth Constituency and Student Energy, will be held from 9-11 February 2021.
Participants will have the opportunity to network with peers from around the world who are advocates for sustainable energy. Interactive breakout sessions will connect youth with energy experts from the private sector, international organizations and public sector, as well as other inspirational speakers from the sustainable energy movement.
Big, bold, creative solutions needed
To drive youth-led action towards achieving SDG7, young people will be invited to a competitive Call for Proposals, where they can recommend solutions for tackling some of the challenges in meeting SDG7 by 2030. The finalists will present their ideas to their peers at the global Summit.
The Summit will take place at the start of a pivotal year on energy that will be followed by the UN High-Level Dialogue on Energy in September and COP26 in November. The outcomes of the Summit will feed into key moments SEforALL is leading to drive bolder, more ambitious action towards universal energy access.
Young people aged 15-30 can register for the Summit from mid-January 2021. For more information on the SEforALL Youth Summit, visit the event page or follow #YouthLeadSDG7.
The inaugural SEforALL Youth Summit is sponsored by:
