Conversation with Cenovus Energy and Young People in Canada

One of Student Energy’s main goals as an organization is to break down the communication barrier between young people and influential actors in the energy system, with the goal to have more honest conversations on areas of disagreement, create pathways for true accountability, and identify ways of working together in an equitable way. We also recognize the increasingly short timeline we have to decarbonize and transform our current energy system to address the climate crisis, and the urgent need to mobilize all actors in the energy system to support this transition. As young people are leading the movement for climate action around the world, we hope that creating an opportunity for honest dialogue between youth and energy companies can help accelerate this transition.

On September 22, Student Energy is facilitating a virtual conversation between young people in Canada and Cenovus Energy, to discuss the company’s ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) targets for climate & greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Indigenous engagement, land & wildlife, and water stewardship. This is an opportunity for young people to ask questions and talk with Cenovus President & CEO Alex Pourbaix to learn more about Cenovus’s efforts thus far.

Why is Student Energy hosting this dialogue?

One of Student Energy’s main goals as an organization is to break down the communication barrier between young people and influential actors in the energy system, with the goal to have more honest conversations on areas of disagreement, create pathways for true accountability, and identify ways of working together in an equitable way. We also recognize the increasingly short timeline we have to decarbonize and transform our current energy system to address the climate crisis, and the urgent need to mobilize all actors in the energy system to support this transition. As young people are leading the movement for climate action around the world, we hope that creating an opportunity for honest dialogue between youth and energy companies can help accelerate this transition. We often do this by bringing diverse young people into spaces and dialogues where they historically have not been represented — with national and international governments, energy companies, and other powerful institutions that influence our global energy system.

Our approach to hosting an equitable dialogue

We know that simply inviting young people to share space with decision-makers isn’t enough. We need to actively address the inequities that young people often face in being able to participate in these processes, whether they are cost barriers, insufficient access to information and context, or inability to participate in the agenda-setting process so they can have the conversation on their own terms.

To address these inequities for this particular dialogue, Student Energy will be providing comprehensive coaching and support to the 2-3 youth moderators who will guide the discussion, including our training on public speaking, group facilitation, sharing and owning personal lived experience, and asking critical questions. We believe this coaching process will help ensure that young people feel more confident in asserting their knowledge and articulating their perspectives regarding Canada’s energy system and Cenovus’s ESG targets.

About Student Energy

Student Energy is a global youth-led organization empowering the next generation of leaders who are accelerating the transition to a sustainable, equitable energy future. We work with a network of 50,000 young people from over 120 countries to build the knowledge, skills, and networks they need to take action on energy. Student Energy collaborates with governments, companies, and organizations to facilitate meaningful youth engagement and mobilize resources to support youth-led energy solutions. 

About Cenovus

Cenovus Energy Inc. is a Canadian integrated oil and natural gas company. It is committed to maximizing value by sustainably developing its assets in a safe, innovative and cost-efficient manner, integrating environmental, social and governance considerations into its business plans. Operations include oil sands projects in northern Alberta, which use specialized methods to drill and pump the oil to the surface, and established natural gas and oil production in Alberta and British Columbia. The company also has 50% ownership in two U.S. refineries. Cenovus shares trade under the symbol CVE, and are listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges. For more information, visit cenovus.com.