Youth-Legislators Dialogue 2025: Driving Legislative Change for a Renewables-Powered Future

During the Youth-Legislators Dialogue at the 15th IRENA Assembly, Bärbel Höhn, Rosa Galvez, Jackson Kiswaga, Ramon Mendez Galain, and youth delegates came together for a candid exchange on how to advance the renewable energy transition through policy and innovation. With ambitious global goals discussions like these are critical in building stronger collaboration between policymakers and young leaders.

A particularly compelling aspect of the session was hearing personal stories from Members of Parliament. Their experiences provided valuable insight into the challenges of policy-making and underscored the importance of long-term commitment to renewable energy. These reflections also served to inspire youth participants by showing how individual action, when supported by legislation, can lead to significant progress.

Key topics discussed included:

– How legislators and youth can work together to overcome challenges in achieving national and global renewable energy goals

– Mechanisms to increase youth participation in decision-making processes

– Examples of youth-led initiatives and how legislative frameworks can support their scaling

– How MPs can balance climate action with electoral considerations, ensuring they continue to advance meaningful change while responding to voter needs

As we wrapped up, there was a clear recognition that while dialogue is important, ongoing collaboration and practical actions will be essential to realizing a renewables-driven future. Legislators have a key role in creating enabling environments, and youth bring fresh perspectives and innovative approaches. Sustained cooperation between both groups is crucial for progress.

This session highlighted that while challenges remain, there is significant potential for shared solutions. Going forward, fostering collaboration across generations will remain a key priority.