Youth Leaders Call for a Just, Democratic Energy Transition at COP Belém, November 20th
At COP Belém yesterday, young climate activists, engineers, and representatives from civil society highlighted the urgent need to place youth at the center of efforts to address transport poverty, strengthen oversight of public energy investments, and expand citizen energy communities.
Speaking at a press conference, the representative from RES Foundation underscored that transport poverty remains one of the most overlooked sources of inequality, limiting access to jobs, education, and services. “Clean mobility must be a social upgrade, not just a technological one,” she emphasized, noting that new data-driven tools and standardized indicators are helping governments design more inclusive, climate-neutral mobility policies.
The panel also focused on the need for greater scrutiny of public spending in the energy transition, especially in countries where public budgets are limited and accountability mechanisms are weak.
“Public money is scarce. Oversight is not optional — it is a climate justice tool,” the RES Foundation representative said. She called for building a new generation of public-good agents: young councillors, students, engineers, and investigative journalists trained to monitor spending, evaluate policy impacts, and ensure fairness.
A third key message centered on the potential of citizen energy communities to democratize the energy transition. These community-led initiatives allow citizens to co-produce, share, and manage clean energy. “Citizen energy communities turn people from consumers into energy citizens,” she said, highlighting that schools are ideal incubators for pilots that can scale to neighborhoods and municipalities.
The unified message from the press conference was clear:
A fair transition is only possible when informed, empowered youth are at its core — shaping policies, overseeing public investments, and co-owning clean energy futures.
The conference is available and downloadable on this link.
You can read the press release here.
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