Y4S empowers youth in energy transformation

Youth 4 Sustainability (Y4S), Masdar’s global initiative to empower the next generation of sustainability leaders, has launched Beyond Borders, an international programme that takes sustainability learning beyond the classroom to deliver real-world impact.

The inaugural edition brought 10 young changemakers together in Malaysia for five days of workshops, field engagement, and digital storytelling.

The programme enabled the participants, all Y4S Future Sustainability Leaders, to gain practical experience while fostering cross-cultural understanding and leadership development.

They tackled real-world energy challenges and produced narrative-based case studies connecting people, policy, and technology.

“Beyond Borders Malaysia has set a new benchmark for Y4S in delivering impact at scale. This achievement underscores Y4S’s role as a platform that prepares youth to shape policy, drive innovation and lead the energy transformation globally,” said Zainab Al Ali, Director, Outreach and Stakeholder Relations, Masdar.

The youth, from the UAE, Malaysia, Germany, Egypt, Algeria, Yemen, and India, engaged with Malaysia’s leading energy stakeholders to gain a comprehensive view of the country’s energy transformation.

They visited Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Malaysia’s leading utility company, to gain insights into Malaysia’s national power infrastructure and the strategies driving the shift to renewables.

At Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Malaysia’s premier energy university, participants took part in interactive workshops on inclusive energy systems.

Through design challenges, case studies, and innovation labs, they explored solutions that connect local realities with global sustainability goals.

The programme concluded with a youth showcase, where the young changemakers presented group outcomes and proposed local energy solutions. This allowed the Future Sustainability Leaders to demonstrate practical ideas, and reinforced the role of youth as drivers of long-term positive change in the energy transformation.

“Experiencing Malaysia’s energy landscape firsthand through site visits, community engagement, and storytelling has further strengthened my passion for sustainability.”