First ever European Youth Energy Day calls for reinforcement of Green Deal actions, aided by strong bottom-up youth engagement

Engaging young people is central to the clean energy transition. The first ever European Youth Energy Day took place digitally on 22 June 2020, under the theme ‘The young generation shaping the vision for a European green recovery’. Using the latest online digital tools and organised in the margins of the EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW), 130 young Europeans aged between 18 and 30 exchanged ideas and debated on how to transform Europe into the first climate-neutral continent in the world in this challenging moment. During passionate exchanges, participants were able to express their views and chat with Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President of the European Green Deal, and Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson.

Structured around different online rooms, participants convened around topics that they consider most crucial to the implementation of the Green Deal and of the #NextGenerationEU Recovery Plan. Various topics emerged, from very local (making cities more cycle-friendly) to global (carbon border tax; how to change the food system), and from looking at the personal level (reskilling; empowering and educating electricity consumers), to broader regulatory and technical issues (energy efficiency in the building sector; micro grids). 

A lively debate around these topics emerged with Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President of the European Green Deal. Besides responding to questions, Timmermans asked youth to come up with concrete and actionable ideas, encouraging them to stand up and mobilise in order to make the change happen.  

In line with this, at the wrap-up session of the event, we collected ideas of participants for how they would like to follow up on this, and how they will stay connected to each other in the process. We look forward to seeing how the European youth will follow up on their great ideas, and we are happy to support them during this process!

Overall, we look back to an inspiring day that will be a milestone in the process of engaging European youth in climate and energy policies.

Related links

• Speech by Commissioner Simson at the EU Youth Energy Day