World · Europe · 10 hrs ago
Turkey puts electrification at the centre of its COP31 climate agenda
The COP31 climate summit opens in Antalya, Turkey, on November 9, with Turkey leading calls to expand the use of electricity.
Turkey’s environment minister, Murat Kurum, is promoting a non-binding goal to make electricity account for 35% of global energy demand by 2035.
Turkey has expanded wind and solar power, but coal still supplies about a third of its electricity, and the country has set no date to phase it out.
Environmental campaigners say the electrification goal does not require power to come from clean sources, while climate analysts have rated Turkey’s interim emissions targets critically insufficient.
Italy is also in focus: electricity made up 22.7% of its final energy use, with transport especially reliant on non-electric energy.
The summit will test whether countries can turn calls for electrification into stronger climate commitments.
Turkey will use COP31 to promote a non-binding target for electricity to reach 35% of global energy demand by 2035.
The UN climate summit opens on Nov 9 in Antalya, with a ministerial meeting on electrification scheduled for the following day.
Turkey says the target is part of a 10-point agenda intended to speed the shift to renewables and strengthen energy security.
Environmental campaigners say the target does not require electricity to come from clean sources and avoids addressing Turkey’s reliance on coal.
Italy’s electricity accounted for 22.7% of final energy consumption in 2025, while transport remained a particular area of lag.
- Who
- Turkey’s COP31 presidency, led by environment minister Murat Kurum, is promoting the target. Governments are being asked to support it.
- What
- A non-binding target would raise electricity’s share of global energy demand to 35% by 2035.
- When
- COP31 opens on Nov 9, 2026; a ministerial meeting on electrification is scheduled for the next day.
- Where
- Antalya, Turkey.
- Why
- Turkey says electrification can cut emissions, support communities and reduce exposure to volatile energy markets.
Turkey’s COP31 presidency
Environmental campaigners
Target
Turkey’s COP31 presidency
Turkey says the 35 by 35 target will speed the shift to renewables and strengthen energy security.
Environmental campaigners
Campaigners say the target does not specify that electricity must be generated from clean energy.
Coal and fossil fuels
Turkey’s COP31 presidency
Turkey’s agenda focuses on electrification and has largely avoided debate over fossil fuel phase-out.
Environmental campaigners
Campaigners say Turkey should commit to no new coal and set a date for a just transition away from fossil fuels.
At COP30 in Belém, the debate focused on biofuels, and Italy promoted a commitment to quadruple their global use by 2035.
The EU Environment Council approved conclusions reaffirming a mandate to accelerate electrification.
Kurum promoted electrification, and Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar unveiled a US$500 billion roadmap for Turkey’s economy.
COP31 is scheduled to open in Antalya.
COP31’s programme includes a ministerial meeting on electrification.
- Global target
- Electricity to reach 35% of global energy demand by 2035
- COP31 location
- Antalya, Turkey
- Turkey’s coal reliance
- About one-third of its electricity comes from coal
- Turkey’s renewables plan
- Expand installed wind and solar capacity fourfold to 175 gigawatts
- Italy’s electricity share
- 22.7% of final energy consumption in 2025
2 sources
What people are saying
Electrification is the answer. It protects communities from volatile global markets and cuts emissions
What electrification should do is end the dependency on fossil fuels. That should be the ultimate goal.