NEWS

With the race to decarbonisation getting intense across countries, there is an increased focus on clean energy consumption, sustainable lifestyles and conscious consumption. What we often do not pay attention to is the fact that when we talk about energy transition, we are actually ensuring energy and climate needs for our future generation. The choices we make on energy use, control, regulation and policy, will certainly shape the world that the teens would inherit tomorrow. There is also a very important question of intergenerational equity that lies at the heart of this conversation: how can we make sure that future generations are not left with the consequences of our inaction/mis-action today, but are instead equipped and inspired to drive positive change?

Over the past two centuries, access to energy, primarily from fossil fuels, has powered unprecedented human development. It has transformed societies, fueled economic growth, and dramatically improved living standards. Yet, this very source of progress now poses an existential threat. The combustion of fossil fuels has driven climate change to critical levels, endangering ecosystems, communities, and the stability of our planet. The paradox lies in the fact that the same force that propelled us forward is now pulling us toward crisis.

Today, we have the knowledge, ingenuity, and technological tools to reverse this trajectory. Solutions to reduce CO₂ emissions exist and continue to improve. What’s missing is large-scale, equitable implementation. The Global North must transition away from fossil fuels, while the Global South faces the dual challenge of meeting growing energy needs and doing so sustainably, through leapfrogging into renewables.

Youth stand at the heart of this transformation. To shape a just and sustainable future, they must understand the deep interconnections between energy transition, climate change, digitalisation, and social justice. Being adequately informed will not only empower them to engage meaningfully in societal change but also help them choose the right educational and career paths to become the scientists, engineers, policymakers, communicators, and innovators the world urgently needs.

This is where Yconic comes in: a dynamic, youth-based initiative that places teenagers (aged 12 to 16) at the centre of climate, energy, digitalisation, and social justice. Designed and piloted by an international consortium, Yconic equips young people with the knowledge, tools, and strategies to engage in real-world issues through learning, storytelling, and action. By combining interactive education with hands-on communication campaigns, Yconic helps students not only understand the science and politics behind energy and climate change but also connect it to their everyday lives. The project encourages youth to become informed advocates and future decision-makers, while also supporting teachers and parents to guide them along this journey. With digital innovation at its core, Yconic enables youth to shape their own narratives and take part in building a just, clean, and connected future.

Why Energy Is Central to Yconic

Energy is at the core of everything we do, be it our homes, schools, hospitals, communication, transportation, and the technology that powers our digital lives. Without energy, humanity cannot continue to evolve. The choices we make about how we generate, distribute, and use energy will determine whether we achieve a future that is sustainable, equitable, and resilient, or one that is unstable and unjust.

This is why energy is the central theme in Yconic. It is the key that unlocks many of the world’s most urgent and interconnected challenges: from fighting climate change and reducing global inequality to enabling digital transformation. Energy isn’t just about infrastructure, it’s about people, power, and possibility. Teaching young people about energy is not just a matter of technical education, but a question of justice, empowerment, and survival.

1. Energy: The Foundation for Everything

Energy is not just one issue among many, it is the issue that underpins all others. It is the foundation of development, health, connectivity, and security. However, our current energy systems, largely based on fossil fuels, are also the biggest contributors to environmental degradation and climate instability.

The future of energy must be renewable, just, and inclusive. Clean energy technologies exist and are improving rapidly, but they require mass implementation and collective will. A sustainable energy transition demands not only better technology but also informed citizens who understand energy’s role in shaping society.

Energy interconnects with:

• Climate Change, through emissions from fossil fuels.
• Social Justice, by determining who has access to power, and at what cost.
• Digitalisation, as energy systems become increasingly automated, smart, and data-driven.

Teaching youth about energy helps them see the full picture: how power is produced, who controls it, who benefits, and who is left out.

2. Climate Change: The Key Driver of the Energy Transition

Energy production and use account for over 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it the central driver of climate change. To limit global warming to 1.5°C, we must rapidly shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy like solar, wind, and hydro. This is not just a technological challenge, it is a civilisational one.

Climate change is already here: heatwaves close schools, floods destroy homes, and droughts threaten food supplies. For young people, these are not distant threats, they are lived realities. Understanding the connection between energy choices and climate consequences empowers youth to see how their actions, voices, and innovations matter.

How it’s connected:

• Energy: Decarbonising energy systems is essential to climate action.
• Social Justice: Marginalised communities bear the brunt of climate impacts while contributing least to the problem.
• Digitalisation: Tech tools can help monitor climate trends, model solutions, and raise awareness, but only if they are accessible.

Engaging youth in the climate-energy conversation is not optional, it’s essential for ensuring long-term change.

3. Social Justice: Energy as a Human Right

Access to reliable, clean, and affordable energy is a justice issue. Energy poverty affects millions globally, limiting education, health, safety, and opportunities. Even in high-income countries, low-income and marginalised communities often face the highest energy costs, the dirtiest fuels, and the fewest choices.

Climate change magnifies these inequalities, hitting the most vulnerable the hardest. From rural schools without electricity to urban communities suffering from air pollution, energy systems are both a source of inequity and a potential tool for change.

A just energy transition must:

• Prioritise underserved communities.
• Involve those affected in shaping solutions.
• Ensure clean energy is not just available, but affordable and empowering.

Interconnections:

• Climate Change: Exacerbates existing inequalities.
• Energy: Must be redistributed fairly to avoid deepening injustice.
• Digitalisation: Can empower, but also exclude, if access isn’t universal.

Youth awareness of energy and justice helps build inclusive leadership and purpose-driven action.

4. Digitalisation: Power, Access, and Inclusion

Digitalisation is transforming the way we live and interact with energy. From smart meters and apps that track energy usage to AI systems predicting power needs, technology is making energy systems more responsive and participatory. Youth can learn to use these tools to monitor, understand, and even innovate within the energy space.

But the benefits of digitalisation are not equally shared. The digital divide – lack of access to devices, internet, and skills means many young people, especially in rural areas or low-income settings, are left out of this transformation.

A just digital energy transition must:

• Recognise digital access as a right, not a luxury.
• Provide digital tools that are safe, inclusive, and youth-friendly.
• Equip youth not just to use tech, but to create and shape it.

How it’s all linked:

• Energy: Digital tools help manage grids and user engagement.
• Climate Change: Data-driven tech can accelerate climate solutions.
• Social Justice: Without inclusion, tech can reinforce the very inequities it aims to solve.

By engaging youth with digital tools and teaching them to navigate the ethics and opportunities of digitalisation, we prepare them to become active agents in the energy transition.

Conclusion: Learning Energy, Leading Change

The future belongs to those who understand its complexity, and act with purpose. By exploring the intersections of energy, climate change, social justice, and digitalisation, Yconic equips youth with the knowledge, tools, and mindset to lead the way toward a more sustainable and equitable world.

But knowledge alone isn’t enough. Yconic is designed to empower youth, not just to learn, but to create, question, connect and lead. Through communication tools, peer exchange, and content creation, students don’t just absorb information, they become active participants in shaping the narrative and the solutions. They discover their voices, their agency, and their power to influence real-world change, locally and globally.

In empowering young people, we are not only preparing them for the future, but we are also recognising that they are already shaping it.