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Across the globe, young people are leading bold action for a more sustainable world. From building solar-powered water systems in rural Kenya to launching grassroots campaigns for clean cooking access in Southeast Asia, youth are designing solutions that speak to the everyday realities of their communities.
Take Amina, a 17-year-old student in northern Uganda who, after watching her school struggle with water shortages, led a project to install a solar-powered borehole system that now serves both the school and surrounding homes. With limited resources but boundless determination, she rallied classmates, consulted local engineers, and secured support from a community co-op. Today, younger students walk to school with clean drinking water in hand — and with a model for what youth-led development can look like in practice.
Stories like Amina’s are part of a much broader movement. Across continents, young people are rising to meet urgent challenges with ingenuity, collaboration, and deep community insight.
I’ve seen countless examples of youth around the world stepping up to solve complex challenges through locally rooted, community-first thinking. As Executive Director at Student Energy and a member of the Selection Committee for the Zayed Sustainability Prize’s Global High Schools category, I’ve had the opportunity to engage with some of the most inspiring young minds working at the intersection of innovation, equity, and impact.
Over 1.5 billion young people aged 5–18 are expected to face a lifetime of climate extremes, from heatwaves and droughts to floods and crop failures. Yet in the face of escalating risks, youth are not just reacting; they’re leading.
Through global networks like the UNESCO Youth Climate Action Network, with over 105,000 members in 184 countries, and the One Young World organisation, which has a global ambassador community of over 18,700 young leaders impacting millions worldwide, young people are shaping policy, delivering frontline solutions, and forging new models of community-driven resilience.
This momentum makes one thing clear: young people don’t just need a seat at the table; they need the mic, the mandate, and the resources to lead.
And with the Student Energy Summit 2025 on the horizon – set to take place in Manaus, Brazil, this October – I’m reminded how vital it is to create spaces that not only recognise youth leadership but equip it. Held just ahead of COP30, SES 2025 will gather hundreds of young people from around the world in the heart of the Amazon to explore how sustainable energy and development must be shaped by local realities, cultural knowledge, and a long-term commitment to community well-being.
This kind of convening matters. But equally vital are the platforms that sustain momentum between moments — platforms like the Zayed Sustainability Prize. It doesn't just celebrate youth leadership; it backs it. By recognising and resourcing high school students globally, the Prize amplifies bold ideas, strengthens credibility, and helps young innovators take their solutions to scale.
In reviewing applications from high school students, I’m struck not just by their technical creativity, but by the clarity of purpose they bring — integrating education access, public health, and even local entrepreneurship into their projects. These students aren’t just building solar panels or rainwater systems. They’re building resilience, dignity, and opportunity.
At Student Energy, we’ve seen that the most powerful youth-led solutions don’t exist in silos. They connect energy access to gender equity. They link agriculture to clean water. They see technology as a tool for people, not just output. This systems-thinking mindset is precisely what the world needs — and what the next generation is already offering.
It’s time to stop framing youth as the leaders of tomorrow. They are leading today. And it’s time the rest of us caught up.