This year's host of top annual climate talks, Türkiye aims to encourage countries to increase the share of electricity in global energy use by 2035, while positioning the clean energy transition as one of the top 10 priorities of its action agenda.
The goal of increasing the electricity share, or electrification, to 35% by 2035 is one of the dominant themes at the U.N. climate conference, currently underway in Antalya.
Negotiators at the two-week climate conference were pushing governments to sign a pledge to electrify 35% of the global economy by 2035, up from around a fifth today.
Türkiye was reportedly now seeking to incorporate that electrification goal into the formal outcome of the talks, a Reuters report said, citing a person familiar with the matter.
A spokesperson for Türkiye's COP31 President Murat Kurum did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
But Kurum said in a press release on Tuesday morning that the goal was important to cutting emissions, boosting energy security and driving economic growth.
'Age of electricity'
"The age of electricity is taking shape – and COP31 will be remembered as the moment we flicked the switch," he said.
The target is meant to help reduce planet-warming emissions by speeding the global shift away from fossil fuel-powered vehicles, furnaces, boilers, cooking stoves, and other greenhouse gas-emitting equipment.
Before the summit, the electrification, alongside a push for sustainable AI, was seen as a voluntary pledge, while Türkiye's COP31 Presidency promoted the agenda built upon three main perspectives: action, dialogue and consensus.
Australian Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, who is leading negotiations at COP31, has previously said that getting the commitment into the summit's overarching agreement was not a done deal and that getting as many countries as possible to sign up to the pledge would still be a useful objective.
This year's climate talks also aim to move beyond previous pledges, while turning more to aspects of cooperation and action, calling the COP31 "the implementation COP."
The attendees on the second day of the event, dedicated to "Energy and Transport," were expected to discuss and address a wide range of topics on Tuesday, from supply security and electrification to grid infrastructure, diversification and efficiency.
Ministerial roundtables, high-level panels and sessions bringing together various stakeholders on the thematic day focusing on energy aim to turn climate commitments into practical initiatives and strengthen cross-sector cooperation.
Clean energy transition
The broader focus would be on the clean energy transition, one of the 10 priorities on the Action Agenda of COP31, centering on five key areas ranging from electrification to infrastructure.
According to information from the COP31 Presidency's Action Agenda, the clean energy transition encompasses energy use, infrastructure and access alongside energy production.
The approach aligns electrification across transport, industry and buildings with clean energy supply. It also aims to strengthen energy security through more robust electricity grids, expanded energy storage capacity and improved energy efficiency.
The five core focus areas are clean cooking access, grids, storage and flexibility, efficiency and sustainable cooling, electrification pathways, and nationally grounded transition.
Efforts to advance these areas include increasing investment, improving access to finance and strengthening international cooperation.
The approach also supports a just and realistic transition that leaves no community behind, taking account of countries' different development levels, energy resources and national priorities.
Analysts and experts attending the conference have also underscored a need for stronger international cooperation to accelerate electrification goals.
35% electrification by 2035
The "35-by-35 Global Electrification Pledge" sets a goal of increasing electricity's share of global final energy consumption to 35% by 2035.
Electricity currently accounts for about one-fifth of global total final energy consumption, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The goal aims to encourage countries to expand electricity use across transport, industry and buildings in line with their national circumstances and priorities, supported by efforts to expand renewable energy and improve energy efficiency.
Developing transmission and distribution grids, increasing investment in energy storage and strengthening system flexibility are also integral to expanding electricity use and ensuring reliable supply.
The "Global Electrification Initiative," designed to help implement the pledge, envisages greater knowledge and experience sharing among countries, tracking progress on electrification and supporting investment in electricity distribution grids.
Twelvefold increase in geothermal energy supply targeted by 2050
Expanding geothermal energy use is another goal under the clean energy transition agenda.
The "Global Geothermal Ambition 2050" aims to increase geothermal energy supply for power and heat to 12 times its 2025 level by 2050.
Global installed geothermal power capacity stood at 15.6 gigawatts (GW) last year, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
The ambition envisages supporting public and private investment, improving access to affordable finance and expanding the direct use of geothermal energy for heating and cooling in buildings, industry and agri-food systems.
Countries and stakeholders are invited to support these goals and participate in the implementation initiative in line with their national circumstances and capacities.