Reimagining Britain’s energy future through the eyes of young people
Children from schools across the UK have imagined how cleaner, smarter energy could shape the places where they live – and the skills needed to make it happen.
What does Britain’s future energy system look like to the generation that will inherit it - and one day help to build it?
As part of the ReIndustrial Revolution campaign three artworks were created by artist Mark Hearld, imagining how cleaner, smarter energy could transform Glasgow, East London and Sheffield.
Bringing those imagined futures closer to home, E.ON’s New Energy Academy worked with Year 6 pupils from schools in each location to explore what cleaner, smarter energy could mean for their communities. Through creative workshops, they considered greener neighbourhoods, cleaner transport, renewable power and the opportunities these changes could create.
A new industrial chapter, imagined by a new generation
E.ON’s ReIndustrial Revolution sets out how the UK’s next industrial chapter can be powered by cleaner, smarter energy. It shows that economic growth, energy security and decarbonisation can go hand in hand, with proven technologies helping businesses reduce costs, strengthen resilience and turn energy into a competitive advantage.
The opportunity is significant. E.ON’s research found that 89% of business leaders are likely to invest in energy efficiency or low-carbon technologies over the next two years, while wider adoption of proven energy solutions could deliver £2.1 billion in cumulative gas cost savings for UK manufacturing by 2035. But investment in infrastructure must be matched by investment in people. A successful ReIndustrial Revolution will need curiosity, creativity, technical knowledge and the confidence to solve problems in new ways.
That’s why it matters to give young people a voice now. The pupils were not simply asked to picture distant inventions; they were encouraged to consider how cleaner energy might improve familiar places and create opportunities in their own lives. Their work makes an ambitious national transition feel local, tangible and human.
Building the future with young people
The first Industrial Revolution transformed Britain’s economy and communities. The next must do so in a way that is cleaner, more resilient and more inclusive - lowering costs, supporting jobs and ensuring the benefits of growth are shared.
The children’s artwork brings that ambition to life with colour, imagination and a clear sense of possibility. It also carries an important message: Britain’s future energy system should not simply be built for the next generation. It should be shaped with them.
Turning imagination into future skills
E.ON’s New Energy Academy is a free educational programme helping young people gain the knowledge and skills needed for a more sustainable world.
Developed with teachers, its curriculum-linked resources bring sustainability and green careers into the classroom while building skills such as teamwork, communication and problem-solving.
Through practical activities, students can discover opportunities in engineering and other STEM fields, alongside the broader mix of roles and talents needed to shape the green workforce.