Promoting African youth advocacy for clean energy

CMU-Africa visiting faculty Rebekah Shirley, director of research, data & innovation at the World Resources Institute Africa, recently organized the Youth Advocacy Clinic for Clean Energy in collaboration with Pan African Climate Justice Alliance. The objective of the clinic, held at CMU-Africa, was to create the opportunity for clean energy advocates in the youth demographic to learn about the critical energy challenges facing the continent and to be armed with the best available data and science to amplify and strengthen youth advocacy efforts for Africa.  

The clinic was attended by youth advocates for clean energy who were in Kigali for the 2022 Sustainability for All Forum (SEforALL). The forum is a landmark global gathering bringing people together to take stock of progress, showcase success, and identify solutions to achieve faster, broader gains toward sustainable energy for all. It serves as a platform to broker new partnerships, spur investment, address challenges and drive action toward realizing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #7 and a global clean energy transition.

The plenary presentations provided insight into various perspectives on Africa’s energy sector.

“With the power of their messages and as the largest youth generation in history, young people are increasingly creating space and speaking platforms for themselves at the largest global forums and conferences in the sustainable energy and climate space. In preparation for UN Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27), they must be equipped with home-grown, data-driven messages, tools, and techniques to make compelling arguments that deliver powerful messages on the need for solutions and action for just and equitable energy transitions for Africa,” says Shirley.