Why electrification is at the heart of COP31 talks

Simulation control room of the Mochovce nuclear power plant (Slovakia), October 21, 2026. RADOVAN STOKLASA/REUTERS "Nations face a choice: electric or shock. Rewire the global economy for the electric age. Or accept ongoing fossil fuel cost pain for families, firms and governments." Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, set the tone on Tuesday, November 10, from the Turkish seaside resort of Antalya.

Amid a global energy crisis, electricity took center stage at the 31 st United Nations Climate Conference (COP31), which opened Monday . Turkey and Australia, the two countries steering COP31, have made electrification a priority. They hope to rally as many countries as possible behind a pledge to ensure electricity accounts for 35% of global energy demand by 2035, an increase of 12 percentage points from today. On Tuesday, during a day focused on energy, initial voluntary pledges were announced.

A new coalition bringing together governments, development banks, and private companies aimed to "unlock investment" in clean electrification and a "global declaration on rooftop solar" was signed. Read more Subscribers only COP31: Turkey and Australia, two coal-dependent countries, lead the world's most important climate summit While COP meetings often feature heated clashes, the decision to focus on electrification – replacing gasoline-powered cars with electric vehicles or gas boilers with heat pumps, for example – has met with broad consensus.

Electrification is seen as one of the main levers to decarbonize the economy and thus fight the climate crisis, as well as a way to strengthen countries' security and energy sovereignty by reducing hydrocarbon imports and exposure to global markets. You have 75.82% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.