“We are the future” – the Geothermal Youth Declaration

During the recently concluded World Geothermal Congress 2023 held in Beijing, China, a group of 80 young professionals from the geothermal industry came together for a workshop to network, collaborate, and come up with an action plan to contribute to the advancement of geothermal and secure the support needed for this mission.

The result of the workshop is as follows – a Youth Forum Declaration stating the youth’s vision for the future of geothermal and their collective call for action for young geothermal professionals worldwide.

“WE ARE THE FUTURE”

We, a new generation of geothermal enthusiasts, recognize that the world is currently facing an unprecedented energy crisis associated with environmental problems and increasing carbon emissions. The challenge to all countries is to look for a future sourced by sustainable energy solutions.

Geothermal energy is a carbon-neutral, renewable resource that is widely available, and unlike wind and solar energy, is weather-independent, meaning it can provide a stable supply 24/7. Today we are thrilled to have young geothermal professionals from across the globe gathered in Beijing, including engineers, researchers, project managers, and so on, to discuss the role geothermal energy can play in de-carbonizing the world.

Our vision for geothermal in the future:

• We envision geothermal energy becoming the solution for heating and cooling of residential buildings.
• We envision that geothermal energy could provide reliable base-load electricity/direct heat for industrial processes.
• We envision that geothermal energy could play a key role in maintaining favorable indoor environmental conditions for better crop growth in agricultural sectors.
• We envision that geothermal energy will continue its significant role in balneology and tourism worldwide.
• We envision that growth in the geothermal sector would increasingly benefit from the use of modern technologies such as artificial intelligence and digital reservoirs.

What we can do to fulfill our vision:

• We urge young geothermal professionals to actively engage in exploratory research and develop transformative geothermal technologies.
• We urge young geothermal professionals to seek international/interdisciplinary collaborations in order to share knowledge, resources and exchange expertise.
• We urge young geothermal professionals to demonstrate their newly developed technologies in real-world applications.
• We call upon young geothermal professionals to raise public awareness and understanding of geothermal energy in search of better social acceptance.
• We call upon young geothermal professionals to promote the integration of geothermal energy with other renewable energy resources, such as solar and wind, based on site-specific conditions (i.e., hybridisation of energy sources).

We are the geothermal future.

Source: IGA