Future Energy Leaders: Inspiring Youth Towards Asia's Sustainable Energy Future
What happens when you gather 133 university students and young professionals along with brilliant global thought leaders passionate about sustainability, gathered in one place?
This is what happens; it creates a ripple of movement, big and small, to drive positive change towards a common goal of sustainability and just energy transition.
That was what happened at PETRONAS Leadership Centre when it hosted its first-ever Future Energy Leaders (FEL) programme from 23 to 25 June 2023. Through the exchange of knowledge, insights and innovations by energy industry leaders and sustainability experts, FEL, a subset and prequel of the Energy Asia 2023 conference, aimed to create awareness about the current energy transition and Asia’s Sustainable agenda, all in the hope to inspire the next generation of leaders.
The programme had one clear focus, to prepare these young, aspiring leaders to lead the change for a sustainable Asia. These bright young minds explored and experienced the complexity of the energy transition and sustainability efforts through a series of agenda and activities so that they can recognize the need to balance energy security, affordability, and sustainability – the energy trilemma.
FEL kicked off with welcoming speeches by Charlotte Wolff-Bye, PETRONAS Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, Sharifah Sakinah Syed Ishak, Programme Director for the programme. This was followed by Dr Wayne Visser, a fellow and professor at the University of Cambridge in Sustainability Leadership, who delivered an inspiring keynote address.
One of the most impactful experiences at FEL was the “Struggle for Survival” immersive live simulation. Facilitated by the Crossroads Foundation, this simulation immersed participants in the harsh realities of social inequality within a poverty context. Participants experienced living in the slums, a reality that almost 1 billion people experience on a day-to-day basis. In groups of families, they were forced to make a living by creating paperbags out of discarded papers to earn the bare minimum to survive. What makes this session impactful is that it is based on the harsh actual reality of Hamidah, a mother struggling to make ends meet for her family. Through this simulation, participants gained firsthand experience of the energy trilemma’s complexity, raising awareness and igniting a sense of urgency for sustainable action.
Another inspiring session, “Get Inspired!” featured renowned sustainability leaders sharing best practices and revolutionary solutions that contribute to a more Sustainable Asia. The panellists for the session were David Rosenberg, Co-Founder & CEO of AEROFARM, Ruth Thomas from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and Sushil Purohit, the CEO of Gentari. The engaging panel discussion, moderated by Edward Clowes, a Sky News journalist, encouraged participants to think creatively in finding solutions that are practical and impactful in making the world more sustainable through research and innovation.
Some other highlights from FEL included an Explore Race, where participants had to complete challenges related to sustainability and wellness. They also got to witness a heated debate between Malaysia’s own Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Sunway University, Multimedia University (MMU) and Philippines’ Ateneo de Manila University on whether or not energy transition is only achievable through government intervention and not through market play. Participants also got to listen in to innovative pitches by PETRONAS Innovation Garage’s (PING) venture teams, FarmDirect and V-Cred, as well as a pitch by Muhammad Hakim Azly, a winner of Airbnb! OMG Fund, on his winning idea “Coconut Drifting in the Sea”. Meanwhile, at night, PLC’s outdoor landscape turned magical with beautiful fairy lights and balloons where participants and leaders got to hang out in tents and converse over barbeques and s’mores.
The Future Energy Leaders programme concluded with a memorable cultural thematic dinner, where participants, speakers, and leaders all dressed in traditional attires. This special event allowed us to proudly showcase the vibrant and rich Malaysian culture to our international guests, creating an immersive and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. To conclude the evening, we were privileged to have Puan Farehana Hanapiah, Senior Vice President of Group Human Resource Management, PETRONAS deliver the closing remarks, offering her insightful reflections and expressing gratitude for the invaluable contributions of all involved in the programme.
Overall, FEL left a lasting impact, inspiring a new wave of young leaders to actively contribute to Asia’s sustainable energy future all while making new lifelong friendships and connections. Through collaboration, sparking innovation, personal pledge and commitment to a just and responsible energy transition, the event paved the way for a brighter and more sustainable future in the region.
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