BRICS youth energy summit puts innovation, energy access at centre of cooperation

The Eighth BRICS Youth Energy Summit 2026, held here, has reaffirmed the pivotal role of BRICS youth in advancing energy cooperation and shaping solutions for a secure, sustainable, inclusive and future-ready energy sector, in keeping with the vision of "Energy for All", a statement said on Aug 19.

The virtual summit hosted under India’s BRICS Chairship brought together more than 100 participants, including young energy professionals from academia, government institutions, and the Energy Ministries of the BRICS member countries, representatives of the BRICS Youth Energy Agency (BRICS YEA), as well as international organisations including Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), the International Solar Alliance (ISA), and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the statement said.

India's BRICS Chairship in 2026 is guided by the overarching theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability (BRICS)". Within the energy track, India has adopted the theme "Energy for All", reflecting its commitment to advancing universal, affordable and inclusive energy access across BRICS.

The Summit placed youth at the centre of BRICS energy cooperation, recognising their role as drivers of innovation, entrepreneurship, technological advancement and international cooperation. The discussions also emphasised the importance of strengthening collaboration among young professionals, academia, government institutions, and industry across BRICS countries, as per the statement.

The deliberations underscored the importance of translating youth engagement into practical outcomes through joint research, technology demonstrations, knowledge exchange and capacity-building initiatives. Under the three priority areas of energy security and sustainability, energy access and equity, and technology and innovation, more than 20 youth panellists shared country perspectives and experiences on important topics, including diversification of the energy mix, resilient energy supply chains, energy access and innovative financing, new and emerging technologies, and digitalisation of energy systems.

The discussions reflected broad convergence on the need for resilient and diversified energy systems, affordable and inclusive energy access, and innovative and affordable financing to advance clean energy deployment. Technological innovation and digitalisation, supported by reliable energy data, interoperability, cyber security and skilled human resources, were identified as important enablers of efficient, flexible and resilient energy systems.

Youth representatives from India highlighted key national initiatives and achievements in energy security, energy access, clean energy deployment and power-sector reforms, including the PM-KUSUM, PM Surya Ghar, SHANTI Act, Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), and the India Energy Stack (IES), the statement added.

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