Latin America and the Caribbean have one of the cleanest electricity mixes in the world. However, this wealth of natural resources alone does not guarantee leadership in the global energy transformation. To turn this potential into development, investment, and innovation, the Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization (OLACDE) launched the OLACDE 2026 Executive Leadership Program: Latin America and the Caribbean Facing the Challenges of the Future. This regional initiative seeks to equip emerging talent to play a leading role in the strategic decisions that will shape the energy sector.
Developed under the ETRELA Project—funded by the German Government’s International Climate Initiative (IKI) and supported by Youth4Energy—the program addresses a key regional paradox: the disconnect between the abundance of renewable energy resources and the region’s limited participation in the global expansion of these technologies. OLACDE’s initiative brings together energy and climate change with leadership methodologies, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, and policy engagement, with the aim of moving beyond technical challenges and fostering the regulatory and financial conditions needed to advance energy-related industrial development.
Beyond academic training, OLACDE is promoting a paradigm shift: moving from isolated youth initiatives toward the permanent institutionalization of younger generations’ participation in its governance. Recognizing that young talent remains an underutilized resource in the region, the Organization seeks to build effective bridges between knowledge, financing, and practical opportunities. In this way, the program aims to develop interdisciplinary leaders equipped with empathy, adaptability, and systems thinking, capable of bringing together the public and private sectors, academia, and civil society.
The synchronous training sessions began on August 10, 2026, through four intensive modules. As a high-impact opportunity, a selected group of participants will have the chance to bring their proposals to high-level decision-making forums during the Second Latin American and Caribbean Youth Meeting on Energy, to be held on October 5 in the Dominican Republic as part of the XI Energy Week. Through these initiatives, OLACDE reaffirms its strong commitment to developing the leaders who will help guide the region toward a just and sustainable energy transition.
