By forging a collective voice and engaging with today’s policy makers, tomorrow’s leaders can ensure climate policies are developed that balance the need for energy security with the wider long-term goals of the energy transition. Encouraging youth to be ambassadors of change requires greater collaboration between policy makers and young people. The development of youth engagement initiatives by today’s policy makers can help to equip young people with the knowledge needed to recognise and champion impactful policy and financial mechanisms that drive investment and innovation in clean energy technologies and infrastructure, support the creation of novel partnership models, make meaningful reference to young people as stakeholders and rights holders of the transition, and acknowledge young people’s vulnerabilities to climate change. By offering greater opportunities for young people to engage with today’s policymakers, future leaders can position themselves as stakeholders in the energy transition and ensure energy security, affordability, and sustainability are at the center of climate policy agendas.

As digital technologies revolutionise the way we power our world, new career opportunities are emerging, demanding a fresh set of skills and expertise. Automation, connectivity, and artificial intelligence are fundamentally altering energy systems and redefining the requirements of traditional energy jobs. Future leaders will hear first-hand how AI is transforming the energy sector and how tomorrow’s leaders can future proof their skillsets for a successful career in the energy system of tomorrow.

An energy transition that leaves no one behind stands to be realised by tomorrow’s leaders. By leveraging digital tools, channels and platforms, and engaging with energy policy makers and industry pioneers, today’s youth can be advocates of a truly inclusive energy transition that recognises the potential for digital and clean energy technologies to unlock new value chains, drive multilateral partnerships, create new job opportunities, and encourage knowledge transfer between developed and less-developed nations. Through youth advocacy of these key outcomes, and the enabling policies to support them, future leaders can carry forward a sustainable and inclusive legacy for the future that recognises the democratisation of technology as a key pillar of an inclusive transition.

Equipping a new generation with the knowledge to realise the next phase of energy solutions will be crucial to delivering the clean energy ecosystem. Developing scalable solutions that drive emissions management and economic development will be pivotal to accelerating the energy transition at the rate needed to meet net-zero targets. By aligning the creative perspectives of young minds with the experience and knowledge of established energy entrepreneurs, new advances in clean and climate technology can be realised.