Hands-on Training in Energy Efficiency, Green Entrepreneurship for Youth Empowerment

We are now living in a predominately an urbanized world with 52 per cent of the global population living in cities and towns with majority being youth. The global youth population between 15-24 years has risen to 1.3 billion with majority of them 90% residing in developing countries. Rapid and unplanned urbanization has led to an increase in the world’s Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. A significant proportion of the world’s energy supply is still generated from fossil fuels， which are associated with GHG emissions that cause local， regional and global environmental problems.

Because economic development is inextricably linked to energy sufficiency， energy demand and production are set to increase in line with the rising population with most of the demand being in cities as a result of urbanization. These levels of energy production and use from current energy sources are not only difficult to achieve， but also unsustainable from an environmental point of view.

Many people are aware， that countries in Sub-Saharan Africa including Tanzania are undergoing rapid urbanization and a corresponding rise in key economic， social， environmental challenges with increasing levels of unemployment. In most of these countries young people are three times more likely to be unemployed than adults and almost 73 million youth worldwide are out of work， with many more millions hired in low productivity and insecure jobs. However a significant percentage of this work force continues to work and earn livelihoods in the “informal economy”.

我們生活在一個城市化程度很高的世界，世界人口的百分之五十二居住在城市或城鎮，他們中的絕大多數是年輕人。全世界15-24歲的青年數量高達13億，他們中的90%居住在發展中國家。快速且無計劃的城市發展導致了世界溫室氣體排放的增加。世界很大一部分的能源供給還來自于化石燃料，與之相關的溫室氣體引發了本土、區域性與全球性的環境問題。

由于經濟發展不可避免地關系到能源充沛程度，能源需求和產品會與增長的人口數量同步增加，并且作為城市化的結果，絕大部分的需求來自于城市。這些不同層次的能源產品和能源使用不僅從現有的能源來源來說難以獲取，從環境的角度來說也沒有可持續性。

很多人都知道，撒哈拉以南非洲地區的很多國家，包括坦桑尼亞，正經歷著快速的城市化進程，同樣，它們在主要經濟、社會、環境等方面面臨著越來越高的失業率。其中很多國家的青年人失業率是成年人的三倍，并且全世界有7，300萬青年處于失業狀態，更多的青年人從事著低生產率、不安全的工作。然而這很大一部分的勞動力繼續依靠“非正規經濟”的工作謀生。

Against this background， UN-Habitat and partners agreed to host this training to build youth capacities in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. The training is combined with green entrepreneurship to enable youth start income generating enterprises in the renewable energy sector; and also become active proponents of energy efficiency and renewable energy approaches.

The training is also in line with the “Sustainable Energy Access for All” initiative launched by the UN Secretary General. The initiative aims to catalyze action to ensure universal access to modern energy services as well as to double both the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency and the share of renewable energy technologies in the global energy mix by 2030.

在這樣的背景下，聯合國人居署與其合作伙伴同意開展此次培訓，培養青年在能效與可再生技術方面的能力。該培訓與綠色創業相結合，使青年在可再生能源方面可以開展能盈利的創業活動；并使他們成為能效與可再生能源方式的積極擁護者。

該培訓也符合聯合國秘書長“人人享有可持續能源”的倡議。該倡議的目標是促進行動，以確保人民大眾都能享受現代能源服務，并且在2030年之前使全球能效和可再生能源技術在全球能源結構中的提高達到原本的兩倍。

Skills development is a primary means of enabling young people to access opportunities and startup enterprises and in the long run contributing to local economic development. A comprehensive approach is required to integrate young women and men in the labour market， including relevant and quality skills training， labour market information and incorporating entrepreneurship with training.

I am glad that the UN-Habitat supported this training because at UN-Habitat we recognize that the world's younger generation is a resource and that their energies of are vital for the continuing development of societies in which they live not only of tomorrow， but today， in the new urban agenda. Working with Governments and Local Government authorities， UN-Habitat implements a number of youth programmes focused on interventions that harness the demographic dividend， promoting the youth bulge as a positive source for development rather than a challenge.

Some of these include the Urban Youth Fund that award grants of up to 25，000 USD to grassroots youth groups in developing countries; One Stop Centres Youth Centres， established jointly with municipalities to provide public spaces for youth to meet an interact， and to host youth trainings in different skills， training; Youth Led Action and biannual publication of the State of the Urban Youth Reports - Global

I hope that all of you who have benefited from this training will continue to work towards making energy efficient products and setting up green enterprises that will not only help you earn a living but will also protect our environment. With this hands-on training， all of you have seen the difference you can make in the immediate and the long-run with locally available resources and the skills gained from this training added to your previous experiences. During my tour of the exhibition this afternoon， I was very impressed by the products that you have been able to make over the last one-week. You have all done good work. Now I hope that you will carry on with this acquired skills in your communities and help reduce the risks of climate change

技能培養是使年輕人能擁有機會、開始創業，并長期為本地經濟發展做出貢獻的主要方法。在勞動力市場上融合年輕男性和女性，包含相關的高質量技能培訓、勞動市場信息、培訓與創業并行的綜合方法是很有必要的。

我很高興聯合國人居署支持這一培訓，因為在聯合國人居署，我們認為世界的年輕一代是一種資源，并且他們的能量對于他們所在社會的繼續發展非常重要，這種發展不僅僅在明天，也在今天，在新的城市議程上。聯合國人居署與國家政府和地方政府合作，實行了一系列青年項目，這些項目集中于那些對人口紅利加以利用的干預措施，促進青年膨脹這一對于發展的有利資源，而非挑戰。

這一系列的項目包括城市青年基金，為發展中國家的草根青年群體提供高達25，000美元的資助；一站式青年中心是與政府當局攜手成立的，目標是為青年提供公共空間，制造互動，開展各種技能相關的青年培訓、訓練；青年引導行動和每半年發布的《全球城市青年現狀報告》。

我希望所有從這一培訓中獲益的人都能繼續從事制作能效產品方面的工作，開展綠色創業，這不僅能幫助你們謀生，也能保護你們的環境。通過這次實踐培訓，你們所有人都看到了自己對當地可利用資源所能產生的直接和長期影響，此外，從培訓中習得的技能增加了你們的履歷。在下午的展會中，你們在過去一周做出的產品令我印象深刻。你們都做得很好。現在我希望你們將所習得的技能用在社區和減少氣候變化帶來的危險上。

As I conclude， I wish to call on Local authorities and national governments， private sector， and institutions to support youth training and invest in youth in-order to tackle youth inequalities， safety and security， social exclusion， gender inequality， climate change and the environment. Young people are a resource for the advancement of societies; indeed they are often the leaders of social， political and technological developments.

Let me finish by thanking our partners， the trainers， and you the youth for your active participation in this training. I also wish to thank our sponsor the International Ecological Safety Collaborative Organization for their continued commitment towards mitigating climate change and empowering young people to contribute to a sustainable urban agenda.

作為總結，我要號召當地政府和國家政府、私營企業和機構去解決青年不平等、安全、社會排斥、性別不平等、氣候變化和環境等方面問題，支持青年培訓，投資于青年。青年人是社會進步的一大資源。實際上，他們往往是社會、政治與科技進步的領導者。

讓我以對我們的合作伙伴、培訓人員和你們青年人積極參與這次培訓的感謝結束這次講話。我也要感謝我們的主辦者國際生態與安全合作組織，感謝他們為減輕氣候變化、賦權青年，使之為可持續城市議程添磚加瓦做出的不斷努力！

Prof. Oyebanji Oyeyinka， Director of the Global Monitoring and Research Division， Chief Scientific Advisor at UN-Habitat

歐拉讓·班吉教授，聯合國人居署全球監測部主任、科學總顧問

The article is the author's speech at the award ceremony of \"Hands-on Training on Energy Efficiency， Renewable Technologies and Green Entrepreneurship for Youth Empowerment\".

本文系作者在“能效可再生技術與綠色創業的青年賦權實踐培訓”頒獎典禮上的演講。