CALL TO ACTION
TO CHAMPION YOUTH MAINSTREAMING IN ENERGY COMPACTS
to accelerate a just, inclusive and sustainable energy transition
‘Nothing about youth, without youth’
The involvement and leadership of youth plays a pivotal role in the achievement of a just and inclusive sustainable energy transition—intrinsic to the goals of SDG 7. However, young people continue to face barriers in accessing quality education and training, inclusive financial mechanisms, and meaningful employment opportunities in the sector, that prevent them from leading, participating in, and benefitting from the sustainable energy transition. Oftentimes, young people are overlooked and excluded from decision-making processes in the field of energy, despite their active involvement in their communities and their driving force to take action towards the advancement of the 2030 Agenda.
The Call to Action to champion youth mainstreaming in Energy Compacts — convened by UNIDO and the SDG 7 Youth Constituency, in partnership with Student Energy and BRICS YEA — calls on governments, the private sector, finance institutions, academia, civil society, and intergovernmental organizations to include youth dimensions in their Energy Compacts to meaningfully contribute to supporting the advancement of their commitments.
The following recommendations are a follow-up of the Call to Action launched during the Vienna Energy Forum (VEF) Virtual Series in January 2021. The Call to Action urged stakeholders to take immediate action to develop a conducive environment that synergizes and complements avenues of youth engagement, and empower youth to contribute to the sustainable energy transition, as leaders and innovators.
Collectively and individually, the champions of this call to action aim to leverage inclusive youth leadership to accelerate action towards a just, inclusive and sustainable energy transition and progress towards SDG 7. The following is a (non-comprehensive) list of recommendations, co-designed by champions of this call to action, that highlight possible entry points for pathways to involve and empower youth. We invite stakeholders to consider them when formulating or refining their Energy Compacts.
Champions (list to be continued):
Youth organisations:
- SDG7 Youth Constituency
- Student Energy
- BRICS Youth Energy Agency
- European Youth Energy Network
- Collegiate Energy Consortium
UN and intergovernmental organisations:
- United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
- United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
- Sustainable Energy for All (SEforAll)
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Regional organisations:
- Global Network for Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC)
- Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE)
Academia:
- MVJ College of Engineering
- Yogyakarta State University
Government:
- Patna High Court
Non- governmental organizations:
- Advocacy Network, Against Irregular Migration
- Collectif des Leaders pour le Développement durable de l'Afrique (CLDA)
- Solar Professionals Gambia Chapter
Private Sector:
- Energy Shift
For more information on this specific Energy Compact, please contact sdg7gfp@unmgcy.org.
If you have any questions about the Energy Compacts in general, please direct them to energycompact@seforall.org
