Turkiye pushes electrification top of climate agenda as COP31 set to open

The United Nations climate conference COP31 is set to open on Monday in Antalya, Turkiye, against the backdrop of the US-led war on Iran, which has underscored the world’s attachment to fossil fuels.

Turkiye has said it would centre electrification on the COP31 agenda, launching the non-binding 35-by-35 Global Electrification Pledge, which aims to make electricity account for at least 35 percent of global energy demand by 2035.

Electricity currently accounts for about one-fifth of global total final energy consumption, according to the International Energy Agency.

Turkiye says the “35 by 35” will speed up the shift to renewable sources of energy while strengthening energy security.

“This year’s energy crisis has shocked us… everyone now understands that energy that you import is energy that you do not control,” the COP31 president and Turkiye’s environment minister, Murat Kurum, said on Thursday.

“Electrification is the answer. It protects communities from volatile global markets and cuts emissions.”

COP31’s aim is “to usher in the age of electricity”, he said.

The climate conference’s priority areas also include zero waste, methane reduction, climate-resilient cities, green industrialisation, education and implementation of national climate plans.

However, climate advocates have criticised the pledge, arguing it does not require that additional electricity come from low-carbon sources.

This has set up a debate on whether electrification alone should count as climate progress.

A coalition of countries, including South Pacific island nations most vulnerable to sea level rise, is pushing more generally for a clearer global roadmap away from fossil fuels.

Many oil and gas producing countries, including Saudi Arabia, argue that fossil fuels can form a substantial part of the global energy mix, provided they are paired with technologies that reduce or capture emissions.

The US-Israel war on Iran has severely disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, raising fuel prices around the globe and leading governments to scramble for alternative sources.

US President Donald Trump has encouraged policies maximising oil, gas, and coal production to address the Middle East disruptions.

South Korea, India, Thailand and other Asian nations have increased their reliance on coal or taken steps to boost coal-fired power generation.

At the same time, the deployment of renewable energy has also risen, driven by surging exports of cheap clean technology from China.