IRENA Youth Forum 2027
- Organization: International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
- Type: Conference
- Location: Global
- Deadline: September 30, 2026
- Funding: Fully Funded
The International Renewable Energy Agency, the intergovernmental agency for the global energy transition, gathers young energy leaders in Abu Dhabi each January on the margins of its Assembly. The 2027 edition is the eighth, runs from 6 to 13 January, and is themed Youth Energising the Future: Grids, Storage and Flexibility for Renewable Energy Systems. Up to 40 delegates are selected for fully funded participation covering travel, accommodation and visa support, and IRENA states on its own page that there is no application or participation fee. **What you get:** - Fully funded participation for up to 40 selected delegates, covering travel, accommodation and visa support - A place at the Youth Forum itself, including the High Level Opening and interactive workshops - Access to the Seventeenth Session of the IRENA Assembly, the Agency's ultimate decision making authority, where heads of state and government, ministers and global stakeholders meet - Access to Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and the IRENA Pavilion, with a youth run Booth and Lounge at the St Regis Saadiyat Island - Direct contact with policymakers, industry representatives, IRENA experts and young energy leaders from around the world - No application fee and no participation fee **What you'll do:** - Attend the two day Youth Forum in Abu Dhabi on 6 and 7 January 2027, including a High Level Opening and interactive workshops - Take part in the Closing Session held during the Seventeenth IRENA Assembly on 8 January 2027 at the St Regis Saadiyat Island - Run youth led activities from 9 to 13 January 2027 at the Youth Booth and Lounge and the IRENA Pavilion at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week - Work through how young people are advancing grid modernisation, energy storage and system flexibility to integrate higher shares of renewables and widen reliable energy access - Build understanding of grid infrastructure, storage technologies and the policy and regulatory frameworks that enable them - Examine how young innovators can access capital to finance the energy transition **Key dates:** - Expression of interest closes 30 September 2026, stated by IRENA as midnight Abu Dhabi local time - Notification of results by 15 November 2026 per the event page, and by 30 November 2026 per the application form - IRENA Youth Forum, 6 and 7 January 2027, Abu Dhabi - Closing Session during the Seventeenth IRENA Assembly, 8 January 2027 - Seventeenth IRENA Assembly, 8 to 11 January 2027 - Youth led activities and Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, 9 to 13 January 2027 - The application form asks delegates to be available 5 to 14 January 2027, treating 5 and 14 January as travel days **More information:** - Enquiries go to youth@irena.org - IRENA publishes the full list of application questions as a PDF linked from the first page of the form, so answers can be drafted offline before starting - Past editions of the Forum, from the inaugural 2020 edition onward, are summarised on IRENA's Youth Forum page at https://www.irena.org/Energy-Transition/Partnerships/Youth-Engagement/IRENA-Youth-Forum - IRENA states that funded places go to delegates who have not attended an IRENA Youth Forum before - The Forum sits alongside IRENA's other youth work, including the NewGen Renewable Energy Accelerator and the IRENA Youth Council

