The European Commission is committed to involving the younger generation in discussions on clean energy. Initiated in 2023, the Young Energy Ambassadors programme aims at:
- Recognising and rewarding great contribution of many young people to the clean energy transition
- Involving them more in the European policy-making process
- Boosting young people’s interest in clean energy
The programme is open to all ambitious young people involved in the energy sector in Europe – be it through studies, professional or personal activities. Each year, approximately 30 young people (18-35 years old) from across Europe are selected as Young Energy Ambassadors for a one-year mandate based on an open call for applications.
The Ambassadors attend and participate in the European Sustainable Energy Week in Brussels (expenses covered). Several other opportunities such as policy dialogues, webinars and outreach activities are also offered during the mandate.
The next call to apply to be a Young Energy Ambassador opens on 28 January 2025.
You can find out more about the criteria to apply here.
Watch the video of the 2024 Young Energy Ambassadors summarising their call for a clean energy future in Europe:
Meet our Ambassadors
The 2024 cohort of Young Energy Ambassadors gathers young people of 22 nationalities and diverse profiles, ranging from academia, industry, business and research to NGOs.
The first cohort of the Young Energy Ambassadors gathered university students, young experts, influencers, researchers and youth advocates from 24 EU countries.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
The following eligibility criteria apply to all applications. Applications that do not meet these criteria will be excluded from the evaluation.
- Geographical scope: The candidate should reside in Europe, and their personal activities, projects, and actions must be carried out in at least one Member State of the European Union or the European Economic Area (includes Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway).
- Age: Candidates must be between 18 and 35 years old at the closing date of the call for applications.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
The evaluation will consider 3 criteria related to the questions in the application form. Each of these criteria will be scored on a scale from 1 to 10.
- Profile: Applicants should focus on highlighting elements of originality and their personal journey (including specific milestones, if possible) toward becoming an advocate for the clean energy transition.
- Action: Applicants should describe how their actions have advanced the clean energy transition or contributed to tackling specific challenges in the sustainable energy field. Applicants should also describe actions they have taken to mobilising networks or followers on clean energy topics, including on social media.
- Impact: The application should clearly demonstrate the extent to which the activities described are contributing to the achievement of European energy and climate targets and/or are making an important contribution to the sustainable energy policy debate.
As a general principle, the selection process prioritises diversity in terms of gender, age, profession, nationality and proportionality in reflecting the EU population.
- Launch of the call: 28 January 2025
- Closing of the call: 1 March 2025
- Evaluation period: March 2025
- Communication of results: mid-April 2025
By applying to the Young Energy Ambassadors programme, the candidates agree to support the promotion of EUSEW and the clean energy transition efforts and policies by:
- Providing additional information about themselves to the organising team for the development of promotional material, including filmed interview, photos, and quotes;
- Promoting EUSEW and EU energy policies linked to sustainable energy on their channels (such as social media, newsletters, network of contacts, organisation website, etc.)
- Informing CINEA-YEA
ec [dot] europa [dot] eu (CINEA-YEA[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu) about the outreach activities undertaken and potential media opportunities taken up in their role of Young Energy Ambassadors - Participating in activities that will run during the Ambassadorship, including possible follow-up activities (e.g. meetings, events, online workshops, video production, etc.);
- attending EUSEW physically in Brussels. The EUSEW organising team will cover the Ambassadors’ travel expenses and accommodation.
What are the YEA values?
- Responsibility and commitment: Participating in the Ambassadorship programme will entail taking positive actions to embark on the clean energy transition, and inspiring or encouraging others to join. Ambassadors will contribute with concrete, science-based, trustworthy actions, leading to clear and, ideally, measurable outcomes that demonstrate their impact.
- Ambition: To achieve the energy, climate and environmental goals, we need to challenge long-standing behaviours and assumptions. Ambassadors can contribute to this objective by exhibiting behaviours that are coherent with the European climate neutrality goal.
- Action tailored to national and local contexts: Ambassadors’ actions can be tailored to European, but also to national and local contexts. The closer to people’s day-to-day reality, the better. Ambassadors are invited to share their knowledge about European energy policy, programmes or opportunities in their local community, especially with other young people.
- Diversity and inclusiveness: The Ambassadorship programme also aims to help break down barriers and combat biases related to gender, age, disabilities or other characteristics. Ambassadors are expected to act in accordance with the European democratic and participatory values.
Please note that applying to the YEA Programme entails agreeing to these values and actions. If selected as a YEA, not adhering to these values and actions could lead to exclusion from the YEA Programme.
Should you have any additional questions about the Young Energy Ambassadors programme, please contact the YEA coordinators at CINEA-YEAec [dot] europa [dot] eu (CINEA-YEA[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu) or the EUSEW team at CINEA-EUSEWec [dot] europa [dot] eu (CINEA-EUSEW[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)