Launch of Youth Policy Innovation Team Recommendations for the Global Covenant of Mayors on Climate & Energy

Since 2020, Student Energy has been working with our team of Regional Coordinators for the Global Youth Energy Outlook (GYEO) to engage over 41,000 young people globally on their perspectives on the energy transition. This included a global questionnaire and regional dialogues where young people discussed important energy issues in their region.

In 2021, Student Energy, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) and the Melbourne Centre for Cities (University of Melbourne) partnered to recruit the first GCoM Youth Policy Innovation Team with the goal of driving local action on climate and energy by using the results of the Global Youth Energy Outlook research. This team of youth from nine (9) countries synthesized data from the GYEO into specific recommendations for policymakers. The team’s final report details the methodology, the final recommendations, and next steps for cities and local communities to engage with youth on energy and climate action.

 

Read some of their recommendations below
and the full report here!

Summary of Recommendations:

• Align climate action plans with youth expectations on how urgently cities and communities must act

• Commit to transparency and accountability mechanisms for climate action investments so that youth know these actions are creating impact and can identify where they can support

• Develop policies to promote and finance renewable energy uptake at the local level, contributing to the global vision of having renewable energy account for an average of 20.6% of the global energy mix in 2030

• Conduct more research to determine youth perspectives on what they believe local energy mixes should look like in 2030

• Incorporate the cost of carbon on people and the planet in investment decisions

• Realize the potential of youth innovation in technological advancement by funding and developing youth entrepreneurship and research

• Create initiatives and systems to compensate young people for their work on the energy transition and to welcome more young people from diverse backgrounds into the energy and climate space

• Abide by the concept of “nothing about us, without us” by implementing mechanisms such as youth councils to work with young people and facilitate co-design and co-production of knowledge on local climate action and policy development

• Support holistic climate education and literacy to empower all generations with the skills, knowledge, and values, integrating Indigenous and local knowledge, critical to climate action

• Develop open sources of data to bridge persistent knowledge gaps that result in low community support for climate action