COP31 electrification talks took centre stage in Antalya on Tuesday, as host Turkey urged countries to back a goal of raising electricity to 35% of global final energy use by 2035.
According to Reuters, Turkey will press on Tuesday for the electrification target to sit at the centre of the conference’s final agreement, even though critics question whether the plan alone will cut emissions. The second day of the United Nations climate conference, 10 November, was themed Energy and Transport, with negotiations continuing in parallel in the Blue Zone.
The push comes as new research published on Tuesday reported a slight decline in global carbon emissions from fossil fuels, according to reports from Antalya. Delegates described the fall as a limited positive sign rather than a turning point, with progress on cutting greenhouse gases still seen as too slow.
A pledge, not yet a deal
Turkey and Australia are jointly leading the electrification agenda. Murat Kurum, Turkey’s environment minister and COP31 president, said in a press release on Tuesday morning that the goal was important for cutting emissions, boosting energy security and driving economic growth, Reuters reported.
Chris Bowen, Australia’s climate change and energy minister, is leading the negotiations. According to Reuters, Bowen has previously said that getting the commitment into the summit’s overarching agreement was not a done deal, and that persuading as many countries as possible to sign the pledge would still be a useful objective.
The COP31 presidency has introduced a Global Electrification Pledge inviting governments and other participants to support the proposed 2035 target. Electricity currently supplies around a fifth of global final energy use, according to Reuters, so reaching 35% would require a major shift away from fossil-fuel vehicles, furnaces, boilers and cooking stoves.
Leaders arrive on Wednesday
More than 90 national leaders are expected to arrive on Wednesday for the World Leaders Climate Action Summit, although the heads of government of the United States and China are among the notable absentees, according to reports from Antalya.
As COP31 began on Monday, conference leaders called on the nearly 200 countries represented to move faster to stem global warming, citing rising temperatures and worsening climate-driven disasters. The conference runs until 20 November, with the first week devoted to technical negotiations and the second week to political decisions.
Tuesday’s energy and transport sessions also covered grids, energy security, sustainable transport and the circular economy, according to the conference programme. Whether the electrification goal survives into the final text will be one of the first tests of whether this year’s summit can turn a host-country priority into a shared commitment.
Sources: Reuters (via WT BX/KTWB, 10 Nov 2026); Demokratis/Suara Garut reporting from Antalya, 10 Nov 2026; COP31 programme
