The European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) is committed to involve the younger generation in discussions on clean energy. Since 2020, the European Youth Energy Day has been organised as part of EUSEW Policy Conference, to give young participants (aged 18-34) the chance to get involved in debates on Europe’s sustainable energy transition.
In 2024, the European Youth Energy Day is hosting:
- on Tuesday 11 June, a dialogue between generations, aimed at exploring the challenges and opportunities from the perspective of each generation, as well as possible ways for inter-generational cooperation
- on Tuesday 11 June, a closed-door session to co-create recommendations on the future of clean energy for the next Commissioner in charge of energy
- on Thursday 13 June, a dialogue with Executive Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič during the closing session.
YOUNG ENERGY AMBASSADORS
Launched in 2023, the Young Energy Ambassadors programme is open to all ambitious young professionals working in the energy sector in Europe. The programme aims to gather 30 profiles and involve them in outreach activities during and after EUSEW, for a total of one year mandate. The 2024 cohort of Young Energy Ambassadors was setup on April 2024 – it brings together 22 nationalities aged between 20 and 35.
The first cohort of Young Energy Ambassadors contributed to EUSEW 2023 by sharing ideas on the future of clean energy in Europe.
Previous editions
In 2020, the chosen format of the European Youth Energy Day was a Roundtable Debate with young people and Frans Timmermans, European Commission’s Executive Vice-President of the European Green Deal. For the 2021 edition, a 48-hour Communication Hackathon focused on teams of young people generating ideas to boost renewables and energy efficiency. The European Youth Energy Network (EYEN) was a partner in these activities.
With 2022 declared the European Year of Youth, a prominent section of EUSEW was once again dedicated to young people and clean energy. A Dialogue between Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson and young representatives took place on the first day of the event, followed by a series of presentations on cutting-edge technologies, significant for clean energy advancement and youth. In 2023, a policy session, open to all EUSEW attendees, explored the social, economic, and environmental issues related to energy communities and the role of youth.