The presidency of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) has introduced a new global electrification target designed to accelerate the shift away from direct fossil fuel consumption across major sectors of the global economy. The initiative was announced by COP31 President-Designate Murat Kurum on Tuesday during the ongoing Bonn Climate Change Conference in Germany. Kurum proposed a collective goal to increase the share of global final energy demand met by electricity from just over 20 percent currently to 35 percent by 2035.
Background and Context
In recent years, countries have been encouraged to pursue green development by transitioning from fossil fuels to more climate-friendly energy sources. In Nigeria, the government has been working to reform the electricity sector amid unreliable power supply and frequent grid collapses. The government has also announced Nigeria's Energy Transition Plan (NETP), targeting universal energy access by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2060. The strategy requires an estimated $1.9 trillion in expenditure—approximately $10 billion annually—across five key sectors: Power, Cooking, Oil and Gas, Transport, and Industry.
Details of the Initiative
Speaking at the Bonn meeting, Kurum, who also serves as Turkiye's Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, described the new target as a flagship initiative under the COP31 Presidency's Action Agenda. He said efforts are underway to build a broad international coalition to support its implementation. According to the COP31 Presidency, the target is based on analyses conducted by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and is intended to support the implementation of the Paris Agreement while keeping global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
COP31 is scheduled to take place later this year in the Turkish city of Antalya. Parties are expected to advance implementation-focused climate actions alongside formal negotiations under the UN climate process.
Electrification as Climate Strategy
Presenting the Presidency's Action Agenda, Kurum stated that expanding the use of clean electricity across transport, buildings, and industry would strengthen energy security and protect households and businesses from volatile fossil fuel markets. “By electrifying daily life, from transport to buildings and industry, we can protect families and businesses from volatile energy markets. This '35 percent by 2035' target will be one of the defining priorities of our COP31 Presidency,” he said. He added that the Presidency recognizes varying national circumstances and will work with countries, particularly developing economies, to facilitate access to technical assistance, capacity-building, and financial support. The initiative forms part of a broader package of non-negotiated Action Agenda priorities announced by the COP31 Presidency.
Waste Reduction and Resilient Cities
Alongside the electrification goal, the Presidency announced a target to halve the growth in global waste by 2035 as part of its “zero waste” agenda. The Presidency noted that food waste alone accounts for around 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, largely through methane emissions, a greenhouse gas significantly more potent than carbon dioxide. Another target unveiled under the Resilient Cities initiative seeks to reduce energy consumption intensity in the building sector by at least 25 percent by 2035. According to the Presidency, this measure is expected to help households and businesses reduce energy costs while enhancing urban resilience to climate-related challenges.
Kurum also disclosed that additional initiatives covering food security, circular materials in manufacturing, and climate education are being developed ahead of COP31. The Presidency further outlined plans for a “Climate Implementation Bridge,” designed to help countries better align climate action with economic and development priorities and improve access to climate finance.
International Support
Australia's Minister for Climate Change and Energy and COP31 President of Negotiations, Chris Bowen, said accelerating electrification would improve energy security while lowering costs and emissions. “Electrifying the global economy is one of our practical priorities for COP31 because it's the fastest way to strengthen energy security, cut emissions and bring down costs,” he said. The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Simon Stiell, described electrification as critical to reducing dependence on fossil fuels and addressing rising energy costs. He said more energy-efficient cities and improved waste management would play a key role in tackling the climate crisis, which is already affecting economies and supply chains worldwide.
Role of IEA and IRENA
To support the electrification target, the COP31 Presidency and Australia have commissioned the IEA to produce special reports outlining pathways to achieving the 35 percent electrification goal and assessing the benefits of reducing waste growth and expanding circular waste management systems. The Executive Director of the IEA, Fatih Birol, said the world is entering an “Age of Electricity,” driven by growing demand from artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, air conditioning, and industry. He said the agency would support the COP31 Presidency by identifying strategies that could help countries increase electricity's share of energy consumption while improving energy security.
Similarly, the Director-General of IRENA, Francesco La Camera, welcomed the proposed target, saying the agency's energy transition roadmap already envisages global electrification reaching 35 percent by 2035. He described electrification as one of the most immediate and cost-effective pathways for reducing fossil fuel dependence and improving economic competitiveness. The Chief Executive Officer of the Global Renewables Alliance, Bruce Douglas, also endorsed the initiative, stating that greater electrification would help lower costs, improve energy access, and provide stronger signals for investment in renewable energy.
Building on Previous Commitments
The UN said the new target builds on a series of complementary pledges agreed at previous climate conferences. At COP28 in Dubai, 117 countries agreed to work towards tripling renewable energy capacity and transitioning away from fossil fuels. Similarly, at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, governments and stakeholders supported efforts to expand energy storage and modernize electricity grids, and set a target to mobilize at least $300 billion a year by 2035 to scale up climate action in the developing world. The COP31 Presidency underscored that an electrification target provides the next logical step in this global architecture for the energy transition by helping translate those commitments into changes in how energy is consumed across the economy.
