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COP31 leaders push electrification, urge countries to accelerate clean energy transition
The COP31 Presidency and the United Nations climate leadership have called on countries to accelerate the global transition to electricity powered by clean energy, warning that continued dependence on fossil fuels exposes economies, businesses and households to rising costs and energy market volatility.
They made the call during a joint COP31 Presidency press conference in Antalya, Türkiye, on November 10, 2026, where they highlighted electrification as a major pathway to addressing climate change, strengthening energy security and reducing household energy costs.
COP31 President, Murat Kurum, said the conference was focused on translating climate commitments into practical action, stressing that the world must not abandon the 1.5°C temperature goal despite the increasing risk of temporarily exceeding the threshold.
He warned that the effects of a strong El Niño could worsen existing climate and food security challenges, noting that the World Food Programme had warned that the event could push about 50 million additional people into acute hunger.
Kurum said even a brief overshoot of the 1.5°C threshold could result in irreversible loss and damage, urging governments to act swiftly to limit temperature increases, minimise the extent and duration of any overshoot and return global warming below the threshold.
He said the COP31 Presidency would work towards a decision addressing the challenge, while placing adaptation and loss and damage at the centre of the climate agenda.
According to him, the conference would also focus on strengthening climate resilience across different sectors, from oceans to cities, and convene a special ministerial meeting on the second Global Stocktake.
On energy transition, Kurum said the global energy crisis had demonstrated the vulnerability of countries dependent on imported fuels, particularly in the face of price volatility and supply disruptions.
He disclosed that fuel-importing countries incurred about $330 billion in additional costs between March and August.
To address the challenge, he announced the launch of the 35-by-35 Global Electrification Pledge, which seeks to increase electricity’s share of global final energy consumption from approximately 23 per cent to 35 per cent by 2035.
He said the initiative would promote the wider use of electricity in transport, buildings and industry, adding that Türkiye was also working towards greater energy independence through electrification.
Kurum said the COP31 Presidency wanted the summit to deliver measurable outcomes by bringing political will and investment together to promote reliable energy, cleaner transport and lower-emission production.
He added that the swift adoption of the conference agenda and the support expressed by former COP presidents for the COP31 Action Agenda demonstrated the determination to make the summit an implementation-focused conference.
Australia backs global electrification push
COP31 President of Negotiations, Chris Bowen, said Australia and Türkiye were working closely together to ensure effective coordination of the conference, describing their partnership as an integrated operation.
He said COP31 was taking place amid multiple global crises, including rising living costs, energy market instability, the growing electricity demands of artificial intelligence and worsening climate impacts.
Bowen said the global energy crisis had exposed the economic risks of fossil fuel dependence, with rising fuel costs and declining reliability placing additional pressure on households.
He stressed that international cooperation remained essential to addressing climate change and other challenges confronting countries.
On electrification, Bowen described the 35-by-35 target as ambitious but necessary, noting that electricity currently accounts for about 23 per cent of global final energy consumption.
He said global electrification had increased from 17 per cent in 2005 to 19 per cent in 2015 and 23 per cent currently.
According to him, achieving the 35 per cent target by 2035 would require more than a fourfold increase in the current rate of electrification.
Bowen warned that the world had no chance of keeping global warming within 1.5°C without a significant acceleration of electrification.
He disclosed that the COP31 Presidency was consulting countries on incorporating electrification into the conference’s final decision and encouraging governments to sign the global pledge.
He also expressed confidence that the partnership between Australia and Türkiye would demonstrate how innovative arrangements could strengthen multilateral cooperation and deliver results.
UN urges faster deployment of clean electricity
The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Simon Stiell, said COP31 was adopting a different approach by placing greater emphasis on practical solutions to help countries implement their global commitments and national climate plans.
He explained that the approach would be pursued through two complementary tracks: formal negotiations and the Global Climate Action Agenda.
Stiell said the conference must accelerate the delivery of climate solutions that benefit more people and communities, particularly as climate-related disasters continue to destroy livelihoods and damage national economies.
He described electrification as a major opportunity for countries to reduce pollution, lower household costs and protect their economies from the volatility of fossil fuel markets.
According to him, 90 per cent of large renewable energy projects are now cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives, citing figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
He also noted that renewable energy had overtaken coal in global electricity generation, although the transition remained uneven, with many countries requiring additional support to expand clean energy deployment.
Stiell said existing technologies could already support the electrification of up to 75 per cent of global energy demand.
He called for faster deployment of available technologies and expanded access to electricity across more communities and countries.
The UN climate chief also disclosed that 180 companies with combined revenues of nearly $1.7 trillion were urging governments to seize the economic opportunities offered by electrification.
He encouraged governments, businesses, cities and states to support the COP31 Presidency’s 35-by-35 electrification target.
Stiell acknowledged that addressing climate change would require sustained effort, but said accelerating the deployment of available solutions offered an opportunity to achieve faster progress at COP31.
