COP31 president names 35% global electrification target by 2035 — The Japan Times

In New York, United States, Turkish Environment Minister and COP31 President Murat Kurum presented the priorities of the UN climate summit, which will be hosted by Antalya, Turkey, in November. He urged business representatives not to lose sight of rising emissions despite world leaders’ focus on artificial intelligence and the war in Iran, The Japan Times reports.

Electrification target

Kurum said countries must reach 35% electrification by 2035. This is the main of six global targets proposed for COP31. The others cover municipal waste management and the development of green industry.

According to the Turkish minister, electrification is at the core of the summit’s action plan. He named power grids, battery energy storage systems, green transport and buildings among the priorities.

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International Energy Agency assessment

A new analysis by the International Energy Agency showed that electricity could account for 33% of global final energy consumption by 2035. This is 10 percentage points higher than the current level. IEA researchers, who used energy prices from before the war, concluded that this result can be achieved cost-effectively. In their view, higher fossil fuel prices observed since the start of the war further increase the economic attractiveness of electrification.

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said that events in the Strait of Hormuz will accelerate this process, as countries seek to produce more energy domestically and reduce dependence on other states.

For Turkey, the 35% target remains a benchmark for now: the country is moving toward an electrification level of 25% by 2035. Some climate activists called for the target to focus specifically on green electricity so that additional energy demand is not met with fossil fuels. Kurum also urged using the negotiations to implement existing climate targets through investment agreements.