The Commonwealth Sustainable Energy Transition Youth Action Group (CSET Youth) is a youth-led action-oriented working group that represents youth and young professionals from across the 56 Commonwealth countries to accelerate the sustainable energy transition.
The importance of youth
Youth are key stakeholders in the energy transition. They face the most significant impacts and have the drive and innovation needed to achieve a sustainable future. Engaging youth is critical to meeting the Net Zero agenda and fostering sustainability for future generations.
CSET Youth’s Objective:
Accelerating SDG7
To empower youth of the Commonwealth to support, contribute to, and advocate for sustainable energy transition in the Commonwealth and catalyse the achievement of SDG7 measures and targets including electricity access (7.1.1), clean cooking access (7.1.2), renewable energy (7.2) and energy efficiency (7.3) by 2030.
The CSET Agenda
To promote collaborative action among Commonwealth countries to accelerate the shift to low-carbon energy systems and achieve the SDGs, focusing on SDG7. It is built on three pillars:
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Inclusive Transition
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Technology and Innovation
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Enabling Frameworks
Key Goals
- Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Energy production accounts for two-thirds of global emissions.
- Increase Energy Access: Ensure affordable, reliable, and modern energy for all by 2030.
- Youth Engagement: With 60% of the Commonwealth population under 30, young people are crucial to driving innovation and sustainable development.
As of 2019, 759 million people remain without access to electricity, and only 23 countries make up 80% of this electrification challenge. Among these, 11 are members of the Commonwealth.
Out of the 2.6 billion people that are without access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking, 80% are within 20 countries, half of which are members of the Commonwealth. In the African continent specifically, 7 of the 10 most impacted countries are members of the Commonwealth.
Partnerships to accelerate action
The CSET Agenda seeks to partner with governments, private sector, financial institutions, and civil society to accelerate action that will address these huge gaps in access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030, thereby contributing to a clean and just energy transition that leaves no one behind in all Commonwealth member countries.
Investing in young people
With more than 60% of the Commonwealth population under the age of 30, the Commonwealth is committed to investing in young people and placing them at the centre of sustainable and inclusive development. Young people across the Commonwealth have an important role to play in driving the change and innovation required to meet global targets, leveraging their skills and competencies, technological know-how and strong networks. It is therefore imperative that we engage young people and children in the global discourse on sustainable energy and provide them with a platform to participate in activities and collaborate in the drive towards a low carbon future.
