Student Energy Summit 2023 Essay Competition

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Cleary Gottlieb partnered with the Student Energy Summit 2023 – the world’s largest youth energy event, which took place, for the first time, right before the start of COP28 was scheduled in Dubai.

In alignment with the firm’s sustainability thought leadership ambitions and the mission of the firm’s local office’s Sustainability Committee, Cleary agreed to sponsor an essay competition focused on the theme of the summit, “Reimagining the Future.” This was the first time a law firm has been involved in the Student Energy Summit and we were excited to collaborate in this increasingly important and fast-moving space, with other strategic and funding partners, including the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Mubadala Energy, and Dii Desert Energy.

The Student Energy Summit 2023 was a transformative space for intergenerational collaboration and allowed young people from diverse homelands and unique educational and socio-economic backgrounds to network and present innovative solutions to our energy challenges. The timing of the summit was deliberately chosen ahead of COP28 in the UAE, for some of the Student Energy Summit 2023 delegates were allowed to attend COP28 on the final day of the summit and hence be in a position to spread ideas and initiatives discussed during the summit.

More details on the Cleary Gottlieb-sponsored Essay Competition:

Participants were asked to submit an essay on one of the below three topics of their choice. Cleary, together with Student Energy, reviewed essay submissions and selected three winners who received fully funded participation in the Student Energy Summit 2023 in Abu Dhabi:

1. Reimagining Progress: Climate Targets – To what extent should legislative and regulatory frameworks be the primary drivers in meeting climate-linked energy targets, both setting targets and ensuring/monitoring compliance with them? What role should the private sector play in this respect?
2. Reimagining Communities: Toward a Globally Equitable Sustainable Future – How should policymakers in developed countries address energy demand management and energy usage practices as a means to achieve energy security and faster decarbonization of the energy mix?
3. Reimagining Industries: The Circular Carbon Economy – What role do carbon capture innovations have in overcoming the challenges to realizing the conceptual circular carbon economy and can appropriate standards and regulations accelerate their impact?

To learn more about the Student Energy Summit 2023, click here.

To learn more about the Student Energy Summit 2023 Essay Contest, click here.