EMPOWER 2025 Youth Conference drives green entrepreneurship

Doha, Qatar - The EMPOWER 2025 Youth Conference, organised by the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation through its Reach Out to All (ROTA) Programme, concluded its 16th edition in Doha on 17–18 October 2025. More than 300 young people from Qatar and a range of other countries including Pakistan, Kenya, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon attended.

Theme and Purpose

This year’s theme, “Driving Climate Action through Green Entrepreneurship,” was chosen by the youth participants themselves and formed the core of the two-day programme. The conference aimed to connect young people with the tools, networks and mindset needed to turn climate-related challenges into entrepreneurial opportunities;  emphasising sustainable business models, job creation and environmental responsibility. 

Youth-Led Format

A distinguishing feature of EMPOWER 2025 is its youth-controlled format. Young committees handled planning, speaker selection and workshop organisation, with adult facilitators maintaining a supporting rather than directive role. This approach underscores the objective of enabling young people to take ownership of their ideas and act on them.

Programme Highlights

Among the key components of the conference:

• Panel sessions such as “Youth-Led Climate Innovation: From Grassroots Action to Green Enterprises” featured youth entrepreneurs and start-up founders in the sustainability space.
• Other panels addressed “Empowering Youth for a Green Economy: From Global Policy to Local Action” and “Women Leading the Green Transition: From Policy to Innovation”, bringing together participants from organisations including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNICEF, International Labour Organization (ILO), Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) and the Qatar Research, Development & Innovation Council (QRDI).
• A variety of hands-on workshops focused on green skills, sustainable entrepreneurship, digital innovation for environmental impact and startup-ready approaches for the youth.
• One featured workshop looked at how artificial intelligence can support waste reduction and protection of natural resources — led by a local youth-startup founder who began under the EAA umbrella. 
  The event concluded with the adoption of a youth-drafted Youth Declaration, calling on governments, businesses and communities to invest in youth-driven climate solutions. 

Significance & Impact

Having run for over a decade and a half, the EMPOWER conference series is recognised as a significant platform in the region for youth leadership, innovation and social enterprise. By combining climate action with entrepreneurship, EMPOWER 2025 addressed the dual challenges of environmental sustainability and youth employment; providing young people with skills, inspiration and networks to contribute to a green economy.

Looking Ahead

With its youth-centred format and focus on green entrepreneurship, EMPOWER 2025 seeks to support the next generation of innovators who can turn climate thinking into enterprise action. Participants leave equipped not only with ideas but with pathways to implement them, furthering the broader mission of the EAA Foundation to link education, development and opportunity for young people.