IRENA Youth Council

CHAIRMANSHIP

Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA – Since 2019, he has brought decades of experience in climate and sustainability to his role. Under his leadership, the Agency has strengthened global partnerships and prioritised inclusive action. A strong advocate for youth, he actively champions their role in driving the renewable energy transition and promotes meaningful engagement across IRENA’s initiatives.

Hadiza Abdulmumini, SDG7 Youth Constituency, is a passionate advocate for sustainable development with a focus on renewable energy and youth empowerment. As a legal professional and Global Focal Point for the SDG7 Youth Constituency, she drives initiatives to promote clean energy access and foster youth leadership. With a strong background in policy advocacy and community engagement, Hadiza is committed to creating a sustainable future.

In her role as Global Focal Point for the SDG7 Youth Constituency (2024 - Present), Hadiza leads the constituency in developing and implementing strategies to achieve SDG7 goals. She represents the constituency on the IEA Global Commission on People-Centred Clean Energy Transitions, advocating for youth involvement in the energy transition.

Ahmed Waqqas Alawlaqi, is the youngest employed Emirati in a specialised field and currently serves as a special correspondent at the UAE’s oldest English-language newspaper, reaching over 40 million readers. A dynamic communicator, columnist, and youth ambassador, he engages diverse global audiences on topics including education, sustainability, youth empowerment, and energy. Ahmed has completed multiple internships with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UAE Mission to the Arab League, and IRENA, gaining hands-on experience in diplomacy, strategic communications, and climate action.

He is among the youngest to be trained directly by IRENA’s Director General, working closely with high-level officials. Ahmed has participated in programmes by the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, McKinsey, the Federal Youth Authority, and the Arab Youth Center. Through journalism, public speaking, and advisory roles, he advocates for youth inclusion and sustainable development and continues to be a voice for positive change on both national and international platforms.

Amira Bilqis, Youth for Energy Southeast Asia, is a passionate youth policy advocate for sustainability issues and is well-versed in ASEAN’s energy transition policymaking processes. Her research interest and experience are strongly related to the energy environment and its cross-sectoral issues (climate, food, water, gender, jobs), global energy politics, and youth empowerment. She is a co-founder of a youth-led organisation propelling the region's energy transition agenda called Youth for Energy Southeast Asia (Y4E-SEA) and works at the ASEAN Centre for Energy as an Energy Modelling and Policy Planning Analyst. Amira has actively partaken in global youth recommendations, such as representing Southeast Asia's youth at the G20 Youth Summit 2023 in India and EU-ASEAN Youth Summit 2022 in Brussels and Indonesia at the G7 Youth Summit 2022 in Berlin.

Andrea Balcázar Gonzálezis, Student Energy, a Sustainable Development Engineer who graduated from the University Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in Mexico, she is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Corporate Social Responsibility. She works at Student Energy as a Senior Fellowship Associate leading global initiatives and supporting the development of community energy projects around the world, strengthening her commitment to sustainability.

Andrea has experience in entrepreneurship, project management, performance indicators, logistics, data analysis, sustainability reporting, and sustainable communities’ development. She has a deep passion for social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, project development, and corporate sustainability.

Asma Rouabhia, UNDP Youth Development Delegate, is a proactive and multidisciplinary young advocate from Tunisia, dedicated to driving equitable, inclusive, and sustainable transitions. Coming from an underserved community, she is deeply committed to fostering youth leadership, empowering women and girls, and advocating for marginalised groups. She believes that ""young leaders from vulnerable communities redefine resilience."" Asma currently serves as a Youth Development Delegate with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where she focuses on empowering youth in Tunisia and across the Arab region. Her journey into social change began at the grassroots level in Tunisia, where she collaborated with local entities and led skill-building initiatives for children and youth, such as ElKhadra Sustainable: A Better Tunisia for All and ProActive Youth.

Asma has expanded her expertise regionally and globally, taking on significant roles in Washington, D.C. with the UN Foundation, first as the MENA Regional Manager for the Girl Up initiative and later as the MENA Regional Advisor for Youth Engagement, Policy, and Advocacy. She is also a delegate of the first IRENA Youth Forum, which inspired her to be more active in the energy space. Additionally, Asma served as the Global Focal Point for the SDG7 Youth Constituency between 2022 and 2024. In recognition of her leadership and advocacy efforts, she was invited by the ECOSOC President to deliver the Keynote Youth Statement on behalf of children and youth at the High-Level Ministerial Opening of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2023. An advocate for social change, Asma has received several awards, including the U.S. Department of State's MEPI Alumni of the Year Award. In her free time, she enjoys baking and exploring new cultures, finding peace in nature's beauty."

Avery Barnett, YF/I-ACT/NewGen Alumna, is from Kingston, Jamaica, and is a 4th year Ph.D. Student in the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. She honed her energy interests during her undergraduate tenure at Grinnell College where she graduated with a BA in Physics with concentrations in Technology Studies and Environmental Studies. Her research interests involve modelling electricity trading among Caribbean Island nations, understanding the socio politics of the energy transition within the region, and analysing the impacts of natural hazard risk on future energy mixes and the benefits that electricity trading can have to mitigate the effects of these disasters.

Her involvement in the energy sector has led her to embark upon field experiences in Costa Rica, Nepal, and Barbados, and other energy-related internships with companies in the United States and Barbados. Most recently, Avery was a New Jersey Offshore Wind Fellow and a Macro-Energy Systems Fellow for 2023-2024. She is also a former IRENA Youth Delegate who participated in the previous editions of the IRENA Youth Forum.

Dieuleveut Boka Kondua, YF/I-ACT/NewGen Alumna, he is the coordinator in charge of developing climate change strategies and biodiversity conservation efforts at the NGO Kimbala Développement (K.D). In 2022, he participated in COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, as a United Nations volunteer. Following this, he launched a grassroots initiative to engage rural communities in Mayombe, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in climate action.

With support from the Italian Embassy in DRC and UNICEF/DRC through the I-ACT Italy and IRENA Action for Climate Toolkit program, he organised training workshops on youth contributions to climate action and the energy transition. These workshops brought together youth leaders, university representatives, and religious youth coordinators across Kinshasa.

In September 2023, he launched the “BUMBU Green and Resilient” initiative to mobilise youth in climate resilience and eco-friendly community actions. He also leads the Renewable Energy Festival project and is developing a national platform uniting young leaders and professionals in renewable energy to accelerate the DRC’s energy transition.

Efua Nyamekye Appiah, Green Africa Youth Organisation, is a passionate environmental sustainability professional and climate activist dedicated to accelerating renewable energy mix and just transition in Africa. With an MPhil in Environmental Resources Management and a BSc in Natural Resources Management, she combines academic expertise with a deep-rooted commitment to nature conservation and restoration. As the Policy and Research Officer for the Youth Climate Council Ghana, Efua plays a pivotal role in shaping climate policies and advocating for youth inclusion in environmental decision-making processes. Her work ensures that young voices are heard and integrated for effective policy responses.

Driven by her passion for continuous learning and impact, Efua serves as the Energy and Just Transition Coordinator at the Green Africa Youth Organisation, partnering and engaging critically In the EU-funded RePower project, which aims to enhance rural electrification in four off-grid communities across Africa. She aspires to expand her influence globally, developing evidence-based climate interventions while mentoring and empowering young people to create worldwide impact. Her unique blend of academic knowledge, practical experience, and unwavering dedication positions her as a rising icon in the fight against climate change and the pursuit of a sustainable future for Africa and beyond.

Grace Lam, YF/I-ACT/NewGen, is the co-founder of NetaCarbon, a climate tech startup with the mission to mobilise investments in projects that protect and preserve our planet. Before founding NetaCarbon, she worked at KawiSafi Ventures, a climate VC fund based in Kenya. Grace was also previously an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company and was an active member of its sustainability practice in Asia. She helped launch the firm’s global pro-bono commitment to accelerate decarbonisation.

She is passionate about cross-sector climate investments and public-private collaborations towards a zero-carbon economy. Grace graduated with distinction from the joint Master in Business Administration (MBA) and Master in Public Policy (MPP) programs at Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School. She was born in Singapore and grew up in Hong Kong, with extensive experience working and living across Asia, North America, Latin America, and Africa.

Joice Mendez, UNSG Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change, is a migrant and social entrepreneur working on transboundary cooperation in the water-energy-food nexus with an emphasis on energy justice. Joice is a major voice of Latin America within leading youth and climate mechanisms, including the United Nations Secretary General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change, the UNMGCY’s SDG7 Youth Constituency, the IRENA's Director- General's Global Council on Enabling Youth Action for SDG7. Currently she works at the Youth Climate Justice Fund as Latin America and Caribbean Regional Lead.

Working with youth on her daily basis, Joice has co-founded several organisations like the Foz do Iguaçu- Moema Viezzer Educative & Environmental Observatory , the Latin American Observatory of Geopolitics of Energy (Infrastructure, Technology, Security and Energy Integration), the observatory is part of the Nucleus of Strategic Studies, Geopolitics and Regional Integration (NEEGI) of the Federal University of Latin American Integration (UNILA) and the binational Youth Collective of the Parana Basin 3, from the Cultivating Good Water Initiative (UN-Water Best Practice Award 2015). In Paraguay she co-founded the National Youth Network for Water and the Youth Network for Climate Action Paraguay, organising since 2016 the National LCOYs (Conference of Youth).

Joice is also member of the following organisations: YOUNGO, the World Youth Parliament for Water WYPW (also part of the Blue Peace Initiative, promoting water transboundary cooperation), Student Energy, the Climate Reality Project America Latina, the Youth Adaptation Network of the Global Center on Adaptation, Climate Illustrated, the Ocarete Collective. the Latin American Observatory for Climate Action. and Climate Education.

Kauano Moreira Chales, Observatório Latino-Americano da Geopolítica Energética, is a researcher-collaborator at the Latin-American Energy Geopolitics Observatory (OLAGE), and an International Relations and Integration student at the Federal University of Latin American Integration (UNILA). As a volunteer with Yporã UNILA and the Environmental Educator Collective of Foz do Iguaçu engages on environmental action and climate education on ground projects.

Passionate about renewable energy and sustainability, has promoted energy literacy through national and international events, colloquiums, and workshops, and also has served as a rapporteur in various committees addressing trinational integration, environmental issues, youth, and labor, and has past experiences in events related to science, technology, innovation, energy and water. Kauano aims to contribute to a just and equitable energy transition by fostering scientific, humanistic, and technological knowledge and promoting cooperative solidarity among peoples, academic institutions, and international organisations.

Marco Gervasi, UNIDO, is a young expert with 5+ years in energy, climate advocacy, and sustainable development, passionately drives change. At 21, he ensured energy, water, and sanitation access in Sub-Saharan Africa. Marco is a Business Developer for Renewable Energy and Green Hydrogen, spanning among EU countries. As EYEN's board member and Green Jobs Tree founder, he guides youth toward renewable energy careers. Marco is an IRENA and Italian MFA I-ACT Educator, an Italian MTE Climate Ambassador (C4C/World Bank) and COP28 Delegate.

Mohammed Abdul Mujeeb Khan, BRICS Youth Energy Agency, is an international development professional working with governments, private sector and civil society to build a more equitable and sustainable world. He also plays an active role in youth empowerment as a member of BRICS Youth Energy Agency and International Youth Advisory Council to Rosatom Director General “Impact Team 2050”.

He provides strategic advice and policy development on topics related to energy transition, climate change and sustainable development. An engineer by training, his previous engagements include serving intergovernmental organisations, namely the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

As an energy activist, Mujeeb co-founded "Youth Sustainable Energy Hub", the first online global platform for youth action in sustainable energy. He features as a speaker at various international conferences and was recognised as a Future Sustainability Leader by Masdar.

Thaynara Leal, YF/I-ACT/NewGen Alumnus, is an Energy and environment professional with over 10 years of experience with experience in sustainable development projects, focusing on renewable energy generation and climate change adaptation and mitigation projects. She is a senior consultant in environment and energy transition and am pursuing a postgraduate degree in social studies of environment and sustainability at ISCTE-IUL in Lisbon, Portugal.

She is actively involved in global initiatives such as Young Energy Leader by Student Leader Programme in Renewable Energies (since 2021) from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), in the National Future Energy Leaders Program of the Portuguese Energy Association + World Energy Council, and Alumni Shaper of the Global Shapers Community, among other national and international organisations.

She also acts as a consultant and leader on the environmental front in energy, socio-environmental, and climate agendas.

Wijesuriya Arachchige Sajith, Indika Wijesuriya, IEEE YP, is a Research Scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the United States. His research involves grid-level decarbonisation, increasing resilience of human settlements against extreme climates, advanced building energy modelling and advanced thermal energy storage systems analysis. In addition to that he is a Visiting Scientist at the Colorado School of Mines where he contributes to research on the same topics above.

He works for and assist co-manage three Clean Energy Ministerial work streams. (i) Clean Energy Solutions Center (CESC), which provides assistance to developing countries to design and implement clean energy policies, and resolve deployment-related challenges, (ii) NICE Future Initiative on Nuclear Energy policy assistance (iii) 21st Century Power Partnership which serves as a platform for public-private collaboration to advance policy for the large-scale deployment of renewable energy in combination with deep energy efficiency and smart grid solutions.

Additionally, he chairs the Climate and Sustainability Task Force of the IEEE Young Professionals (IEEE YP CSTF). It is a task force and a formal committee that serves nearly 125,000 young practitioners mostly working in sectors related to the energy transition. Specifically, IEEE standards run the global electricity grid and the internet which makes IEEE YP constituency one of the most crucial youth groups for just technology advancement.

He held positions in the MGCY/CYI (Board) and YOUNGO (BLT). In 2019 he coordinated a process leading to formation of SDG7 Youth Constituency. His organisation Science Policy Circle is the Founding GFP of the SDG7 Youth Constituency from 2020-2022. Most recently the UN Energy invited him to the Global Expert Group Meeting on SDG7 at a Midpoint Review and he has been recognised as a SDG7 expert to the UN-Energy process. He has led research for two Voluntary Peoples Reviews (VPR) in Sri Lanka.