Turkey's COP31 presidency aims to accelerate global electrification by 2035, but achieving meaningful climate progress will also require reducing fossil fuel use, expanding renewable energy and strengthening electricity grids.
-By Laura Contemori
35 by 35 target: Turkey’s electrification ambition at COP31
Global electrification will be a central issue on the agenda at COP31, taking place in Antalya, Turkey, from 9 to 20 November 2026. The Turkish presidency, supported by Australia in overseeing the negotiations, plans to introduce the 35 by 35 target, an initiative aimed at increasing the global electrification rate by 35% by 2035.
The proposal comes at a time when energy security and climate security are increasingly interconnected, following recent crises and continued volatility in fossil fuel prices.
The Antalya summit will also test progress on commitments made at COP28 in Dubai, including the pledge to triple renewable energy capacity and transition away from fossil fuels.
The 35 by 35 target and the need to reduce fossil fuel consumption
Turkey’s proposal is designed as a voluntary commitment. However, experts argue that expanding electrification must be accompanied by a substantial reduction in global fossil fuel consumption.
Katrine Petersen, Interim Programme Lead at the E3G think tank, stresses that a 35% increase in global electrification by 2035 should be accompanied by a 48% reduction in worldwide fossil fuel use over the same period.
“Alongside a 35% increase in global electrification by 2035, we should also see a 48% reduction in global fossil fuel use over the same period,” Petersen said.
She added that accelerated electrification could become a powerful driver of the energy transition, provided it is supported by strong political commitments and tangible progress in clean energy deployment.
This includes expanding solar and wind power generation, alongside increased investment in electricity grids and transmission infrastructure.
The Paris Agreement and the role of national electrification plans
A central feature of the 35 by 35 target is its flexible, voluntary framework, designed to encourage broad international participation.
Federica Fricano, chief negotiator at Italy’s Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE), explained that the initiative’s open-ended language reflects Turkey’s intention to secure support from as many countries as possible.
“The Paris Agreement […] has a very specific nature: it is nationally determined,” Fricano said.
Under the Paris Agreement, countries agree on common rules and objectives while retaining responsibility for determining how those goals will be achieved through their domestic policies.
This flexibility helps build international consensus but also raises questions about the level of ambition behind individual national commitments.
To ensure that the initiative delivers measurable progress rather than remaining a political declaration, governments will need clearly defined implementation strategies.
Luca Bergamaschi, co-founder of the ECCO think tank, highlighted the potential value of dedicated national electrification strategies.
“Having national electrification plans as well, building on what is already in place, could be very useful in providing political direction,” Bergamaschi said.
Such plans could help translate the broader ambitions of COP31 into concrete national policy frameworks.
Renewable energy and electricity grids are essential to the 35 by 35 target
Increasing electricity consumption does not automatically translate into lower greenhouse gas emissions.
The climate benefits of electrification depend on how electricity is generated and whether power systems can accommodate growing demand.
According to E3G, accelerating electrification must go hand in hand with political commitments and practical measures to expand clean electricity generation, particularly solar and wind power, while strengthening transmission networks and grid infrastructure.
The think tank emphasises that electrification combined with power sector decarbonisation delivers greater benefits in terms of energy security, resilience and cost-effectiveness than electrification without a corresponding shift towards cleaner electricity generation.
The credibility of the countries promoting the initiative will also be under scrutiny.
Both Turkey and Australia have significant economic ties to coal. According to E3G, the two countries have an opportunity to demonstrate through their domestic policies how accelerated electrification can be accompanied by renewable energy expansion.
Their national approaches could therefore provide an important indication of whether the 35 by 35 target can move beyond a voluntary international commitment and contribute to meaningful progress in the global energy transition.
