Empowering Youth as Key Drivers of the Energy Transition
Young people are central to achieving Europe’s 2050 net-zero targets. For them, these goals are not distant milestones—they represent their future. Involving youth today is essential to accelerate renewable deployment and ensure policies translate into real-world impact.
The European Youth Energy Network (EYEN) works to position youth as professional partners in the clean energy transition. By combining knowledge, skills, and action spaces, EYEN bridges the gap between young people and decision makers.
Youth-Led Perspective: From Tokenism to Partnership
Many local energy projects lack structured youth engagement. Young people often face barriers like limited resources, unclear entry points, or closed decision-making processes. Yet they bring long-term vision, local networks, and fresh ideas.
When youth are actively involved, implementation accelerates. Innovation grows, and community support strengthens. EYEN’s approach treats youth as professional contributors, not just future stakeholders.
Local Projects, Local Influence
Meaningful local engagement drives faster and fairer renewable deployment. In 2024, EYEN partnered with ICLEI on the Fast & Fair Renewables project to develop baseline principles for early youth participation.
Transparent communication, dedicated resources, and structured feedback help build trust between municipalities and youth organisations. Youth involvement amplifies awareness, mobilises communities, and turns policy objectives into local action.
Energy Communities as Intergenerational Infrastructure
Energy communities allow citizens to co-own production and governance. Aligning youth engagement with the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) turns top-down projects into community-led initiatives.
This approach strengthens transparency, equity, and resilience. By professionalising dialogue with youth, municipalities ensure that young people’s input is reflected in final decisions. This makes climate objectives achievable in practice, not just on paper.
Building a Sustainable Future Together
The energy transition requires collaboration across generations. Early youth engagement equips young people with knowledge and influence, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to clean energy planning.
Youth-led organisations become credible partners, ensuring local projects succeed and align with EU sustainability goals. By integrating young voices into decision-making, Europe can deliver faster, fairer, and more effective renewable energy projects.
