The IRENA Youth Forum 2027

The IRENA Youth Forum 2027 is the eighth edition of the International Renewable Energy Agency’s flagship youth platform and will take place from 6 to 13 January 2027 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Held alongside the IRENA Assembly and Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the Forum brings together young professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers, advocates, and emerging energy leaders from around the world. The 2027 theme is “Youth Energising the Future: Grids, Storage and Flexibility for Renewable Energy Systems.”

Purpose and Objectives

The Forum is designed to strengthen youth participation in global energy and climate decision-making while building practical knowledge around renewable energy systems. The 2027 programme focuses on grid modernisation, energy storage, system flexibility, financing, and the policy frameworks required to integrate higher shares of renewable energy. It also aims to develop skills, support youth-led solutions, and strengthen collaboration between young leaders, governments, companies, academia, and international organisations.

Key Activities

The main IRENA Youth Forum will take place on 6 and 7 January in Abu Dhabi, featuring a high-level opening, interactive workshops, technical discussions, and capacity-building sessions. A closing session will be held on 8 January during the Seventeenth IRENA Assembly at the St. Regis Saadiyat Island. Youth engagement will then continue from 9 to 13 January through the Youth Booth and Youth Lounge at the St. Regis and the IRENA Pavilion during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week at ADNEC. This follows IRENA’s established format of linking the Youth Forum directly with its Assembly and wider Abu Dhabi energy events.

Significance

The Forum is significant because it gives young people direct access to international energy-policy discussions and creates a structured platform for youth perspectives to feed into the global renewable energy agenda. Its 2027 focus on grids, storage, and flexibility addresses some of the most important technical and policy requirements for integrating larger shares of variable renewable power. The event also connects emerging professionals with senior policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and IRENA experts.

Expected Outcomes

Participants can expect stronger technical understanding of renewable-energy integration, improved policy and project-development skills, and new international professional connections. The Forum is intended to help young leaders strengthen their projects, identify financing and partnership opportunities, contribute to policy discussions, and build relationships that can support longer-term work in renewable energy and the wider energy transition.

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