Deepening intergenerational dialogue to empower tomorrow’s energy leaders

Amidst all the activities of the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) 2024, the European Youth Energy Day (EYED) takes centre stage on 11 June, offering a platform for dialogue and collaboration. This year’s focus is on how different generations play a role in the energy transition. 

Titled Where generations meet to power the future, the session will take place on 11 June at 16:30 CEST in the Gasperi room of the Charlemagne building and online, and will explore the challenges and opportunities of the energy transition through an intergenerational lens. The idea behind this approach is that sustainable solutions should consider the needs and interests of both current and future generations. Additionally, both bottom-up and top-down approaches are needed, and young people can help foster this dual perspective.

In this context, the session will feature two TED-talk style speeches by Alan Atkisson, who serves as Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of Global Water Partnership and by Margarita Samsonova, founder of Behind the Greens. They will be joined for a debate by Ditte Juul Jørgensen, Director-General for Energy at the European Commission, and Marco Gervasi,  board member of the European Youth Energy Network and freshly appointed as part of the 30 new Young Energy Ambassadors.

The speakers will discuss practices to improve intergenerational cooperation and to forge pathways towards an environmentally friendly future.

Cross-generational exchanges

The panel discussion will delve into key themes, inviting audience participation and cross-generational exchange. It will highlight opportunities for collaboration and encourage collective action.

The goal? To find common ground amidst generational differences and harness collective wisdom to propel initiatives forward. By fostering dialogue, understanding, and collaboration, this session lays the groundwork for actionable outcomes.

Moreover, as part of the activities dedicate to youth engagement, the Young Energy Ambassadors will be invited to draft recommendations for the future European Commission on energy. These recommendations will be shared during the closing ceremony. In addition, the recommendations outcome of the session will be used to draft an open letter to the next European Commissioner for energy. The letter will be published on the EUSEW platform.

All EYEDs on future energy leaders

Dedicated to empowering and amplifying the voices of young leaders in the energy sector, EYED provides a platform for them to engage in discussions and exchange ideas. 

In previous editions, EYED featured diverse formats, including a roundtable debate with Frans Timmermans in 2020 and a 48-hour communication hackathon in 2021, both fostering youth engagement in clean energy. In 2022, aligned with the European Year of Youth, EUSEW continued its focus on young voices with a dialogue led by Commissioner Kadri Simson and presentations on innovative clean energy technologies, in collaboration with the European Youth Energy Network (EYEN). In 2023, EYED’s mission was to amplify younger voices through a campaign showcasing 30 Young Energy Ambassadors, selected for the first time ever.

Now returning in its fifth edition, EYED continues to serve as an important platform for shaping a sustainable energy future through collaboration and dialogue.