September 21, 2023, New York

• The Student Energy Summit 2023 and the Bezos Earth Fund are joining forces to connect youth with industry leaders in the energy and climate sectors.
• The partnership will enable the participation of youth from diverse backgrounds, especially young people from marginalized communities and developing countries, who will have the opportunity to amplify their capacities and scale up their clean energy projects.

New York City, USA & Abu Dhabi, UAE, September 21, 2023: Today the Student Energy Summit (SES) announced its plans to ignite a new generation of leaders in the energy transition guided by principles of intergenerational and social justice. At an event hosted during New York’s Climate Week, the Bezos Earth Fund announced its partnership with Student Energy Summit 2023 as the exclusive headline sponsor. The announcement was followed by remarks from Director General of IRENA HE Mr. Francesco La Camera who emphasized the pivotal role of youth in shaping the energy transition.

The Student Energy Summit  2023, the world’s largest youth-led energy summit, will take place in the Middle East for the first time on the margins of the United Nations Climate Change Conference – COP28 from November 29 to December 1. Hosted by New York University’s campus in Abu Dhabi, this summit will unite 650 young energy leaders from around the world to delve into the growing importance of a just energy transition under the theme “Reimagining the Future.”

Youth have been instrumental in mobilizing public awareness and spurring changes to accelerate the shift towards energy transition. However, young people face continued challenges, such as limited access to funding and decision-making processes that often hinder their full impact. Thus, highlighting the need for increased support by responsive leadership, including philanthropic engagement, in providing enabling opportunities to youth.

“At this year’s summit, we want to push our delegates to embrace systems thinking and appreciate the emerging opportunities for addressing the energy transition challenge,” said Beniamin Strzelecki, Co-Chair of SES 2023. “With 4,700 delegate applications received for SES 2023, there is clear evidence of demand for the kind of educational and training opportunities that the summit offers. We know that the Bezos Earth Fund will be a valuable partner in driving this message and shaping an impactful event.”

The Bezos Earth Fund is committed to driving increased innovation and fostering systemic change in the energy transition. During SES 2023, the Bezos Earth Fund will engage with a large and diverse global youth audience to inspire greater innovation in developing catalytic solutions and nurturing youth development.

“With the Bezos Earth Fund – SES 2023 partnership, we embark on a transformative journey for a youth-inclusive energy transition. This strategic alliance brings a unique opportunity to collaboratively and directly ignite a new generation of global energy leaders who play a pivotal role in reshaping and advancing the energy system of the future,” said Nicole Iseppi, Bezos Earth Fund Global Energy Innovation Director.

The support from the Bezos Earth Fund will provide a unique opportunity for youth from around the world to attend the summit, be a part of innovation and entrepreneurship sessions and capacity-building programs and scale up their clean energy projects. The partnership will also enable the participants to forge lasting relationships and networks with other young professionals and industry leaders.

SES 2023’s comprehensive program, speaker profiles, and updates can be found at ses2023.org. To learn more about the Bezos Earth Fund’s work on the energy transition, click here.