IRENA 14A: Pre-Assembly Live Coverage

Welcome to the Fourteen session of IRENA Assembly Live. Follow this page for live blog from all sessions during the Pre-Assembly day and check IRENA social media channels for updates on #IRENA14A.

IRENA Pre-Assembly stakeholder and ministerial meetings are taking place on ^the 16th April 2024. See the full schedule here.

Youth Forum

The day commences with a Youth Forum session themed "Youth at the core of Just Energy Transition: Skills, Empowerment and Innovation". This session is dedicated to empowering young leaders to foster a just and inclusive energy transition. The session was opened by Lydia Sanz-Lozano, Student Energy Summit who welcomed the participants and encouraged them to bring home what learn here.

The session focuses on building skills and capacities in renewable energy among youth, amplifying their voices in energy discussions, and encouraging youth-led innovation for sustainability. The IRENA Deputy Director-General, Gauri Singh started the panel conversation saying "Each of you show passion and commitment. Let me congratulate you on your work in this space. Through this opportunity, we will learn from you and I encourage you to take every opportunity to work with communities and make changes happen. I would really encourage each of you here to work in the field, to work with communities, to understand what it takes to make change happen, and to build on the passion you have for climate change."

The discussion continues with the focus on challenges that the Youth faces in engaging on a global level. Gauri Singh, Deputy Director General, IRENA, shares the Agency's focus on nurturing the next generation's skills and resources for climate leadership. "Whether you are deciding on academic paths or driving startup innovation, our accelerator program provides mentoring and networking opportunities to shape valuable solutions for climate change", she said.

The Forum is now opened for questions from the audience. Asked about her journey to leadership in the renewable energy sector to inspire young women in the sector, Wudindolo Fantina responded that belief in oneself is the starting point. "I make sure that I can have my voice heard. The keys are identifying your strength and persevere."

Jean Francoise Gagne, Head of the Clean Energy Ministerial Secretariat, urges the youth to unite in tackling the uncertainties of the future. "You can't predict the future, but at the same time you can't wait for the future to be happening on you. And that is why today is very important in helping to build the resilience that will propel us."

Find out more about the Youth Forum here.

The panel discussion is now finished and the session progresses to its next segment focused on group work with the invited guests. The youth will engage with policy makers, government representatives, philanthropy and other stakeholders to discuss the role of youth in just energy transition. The suggested topics focus on identifying priority areas for action to accelerate skills development and youth empowerment post-IRENA Youth Forum and scaling-up Youth-led climate and energy initiatives.