COP31 Presidency launched a global target to raise electricity’s share of energy demand to 35% by 2035, linking electrification, energy security and emissions reductions with broader climate action goals.
The incoming COP31 presidency on Tuesday launched an ambitious global electrification target aimed at increasing electricity’s share of final energy demand from just over 20 percent today to 35 percent by 2035, positioning the goal as a central pillar of its climate action agenda ahead of this year’s UN climate summit in Türkiye.
COP31 President-Designate Murat Kurum announced the target during the Bonn Climate Change Conference, saying the initiative would accelerate the shift from direct fossil fuel use to clean electricity across buildings, transport and industry. Türkiye’s presidency also pledged to build a global coalition to support implementation of the target.
The proposal forms part of a broader package of non-negotiated Action Agenda initiatives unveiled by the presidency, including a goal to halve the growth of global waste by 2035 and a new target to reduce energy consumption intensity in the building sector by at least 25 percent over the same period.
The electrification goal is based on analysis by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). According to the presidency, the target is designed to support implementation of the Paris Agreement and help keep the world on a pathway consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Speaking to delegates in Bonn, Kurum, who serves as Türkiye’s Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, said the Action Agenda would focus on practical implementation.
“The Action Agenda is the driving force behind implementation. As the COP31 Presidency, we have been listening to everyone. This has helped us build an ambitious and holistic Action Agenda,” he said.
“By electrifying daily life, from transport to buildings and industry, we can protect families and businesses from volatile energy markets. This ‘35% by 2035’ target will be one of the defining priorities of our COP31 Presidency. On the road to COP31 in Antalya, we will work to bring together a strong global coalition that is ready and determined to act in support of this objective.”
Kurum acknowledged that countries have different starting points and would pursue different pathways toward the goal.
“We recognise that this is a global goal, that countries have different starting points, and that countries will pursue different pathways. We will also work closely with all countries, especially with developing economies, to help facilitate access to technical assistance, capacity-building and financial support in line with this goal,” he said.
The waste reduction target reflects COP31’s thematic focus on achieving zero waste. The presidency noted that food waste alone accounts for about 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, primarily through methane emissions. Methane is approximately 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.
The new building efficiency target falls under the presidency’s Resilient Cities priority and is intended to help shield households and businesses from rising energy costs.
Kurum also outlined additional initiatives under development, including programmes focused on food security, circular materials in manufacturing and climate education.
Further details were provided on the Climate Implementation Bridge, an initiative intended to improve links between national climate, economic and development priorities while helping climate finance reach projects more quickly and effectively.
To support the electrification initiative, the COP31 Presidency, in partnership with Australia, has commissioned the IEA to prepare special reports examining pathways to achieve the “35×35” target and assessing the benefits of reducing waste growth and expanding circular waste management systems.
The work builds on an existing collaboration between the presidency and IRENA exploring how electrification can accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.
Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen, who will serve as President of Negotiations for COP31, said faster electrification was critical for strengthening energy security and reducing emissions.
“Accelerating the energy transition will ease shocks to our energy systems, better protect our economies and households from high costs and help keep bending the curve of emissions downwards. That’s why 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,” Bowen said.
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell welcomed the initiative and highlighted the importance of implementation following previous climate summit commitments.
“Electrification has already sparked a global surge in clean energy, driving growth and jobs. Rewiring the global economy is crucial to kick the world’s addiction to coal, oil and gas, to bring energy costs down and to restore energy security,” Stiell said.
He added that resilient and energy-efficient cities, along with reducing waste, were essential for addressing a climate crisis that is already affecting economies, supply chains and inflation worldwide.
Stiell noted that Brazil’s COP30 presidency had aligned the Action Agenda with the outcomes of the first Global Stocktake and praised the incoming Turkish presidency for building on that foundation.
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said growing electricity demand from artificial intelligence, air conditioning, electric vehicles and industry was accelerating the world’s transition into what he described as the “Age of Electricity.”
“The current global energy crisis is accelerating the world’s shift into the Age of Electricity,” Birol said.
As a strategic partner to the COP31 Presidency, the IEA will produce two special reports, one examining how countries can increase electricity’s share of global energy consumption to 35 percent by 2035 while enhancing energy security, and another analysing how waste reduction can lower emissions and deliver broader economic benefits.
IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera said the agency’s roadmap already identifies 35 percent global electrification by 2035 as a key milestone for the energy transition.
“As energy demand continues to rise rapidly across transport, industry, buildings and digitalisation, the energy transition must now focus on electrifying these end-use sectors,” La Camera said.
“Electrification is one of the most immediate, scalable and cost-effective solutions available today.”
Bruce Douglas, chief executive officer of the Global Renewables Alliance, also welcomed the proposal, describing electrification as one of the most effective ways to reduce dependence on volatile fossil fuel markets while delivering the goals identified through the Global Stocktake process.
“A clear global focus on electrification helps align policy, finance and industry around a common implementation agenda and gives businesses and investors greater confidence to scale investment and action across the real economy,” Douglas said.
The Bonn Climate Change Conference is being held from June 8 to 18 and serves as the main preparatory meeting ahead of COP31, which will take place in Antalya, Türkiye, in November.
During the opening plenary on June 8, Kurum warned delegates about the risks of continued dependence on imported fossil fuels and stressed the urgency of accelerating the clean energy transition.
The presidency said its Action Agenda focuses on practical decisions that shape everyday energy use, including families adopting electric vehicles and appliances, businesses investing in electric industrial processes, cities electrifying public transport systems and building owners installing solar panels, batteries and heat pumps.
It stressed that electrification must be accompanied by broader efforts to transition away from fossil fuels, expand renewable energy generation, strengthen electricity grids and storage systems and increase financial and technical support for developing countries.
The new electrification goal builds on a series of commitments made at previous climate summits. At COP28, countries agreed to work toward tripling renewable energy capacity and transitioning away from fossil fuels. At COP29, governments and stakeholders backed efforts to expand energy storage and modernise electricity grids while supporting a target to mobilise at least $300 billion annually by 2035 for climate action in developing countries.
According to the COP31 Presidency, the electrification target represents the next step in translating those commitments into economy-wide changes in energy consumption.
The presidency also emphasised that implementation would require different approaches across countries and sectors. Through its Action Agenda, it aims to bring together governments, businesses, financial institutions, cities and civil society to accelerate practical climate solutions alongside formal negotiations, creating momentum that can continue through COP32 in Ethiopia and beyond as countries work toward the 2035 targets.
