COP31 President-Designate Urges Urgent Global Push on Electrification at Copenhagen Ministers’ Meeting

Murat Kurum calls electricity’s rise from 20% of final energy consumption a critical frontier for climate action, ahead of the Antalya summit this November

COP31 President-Designate Murat Kurum called for an urgent increase in the pace of global economic electrification during remarks delivered on May 20 in Copenhagen, describing the shift as critical both to the fight against climate change and to implementing commitments made at previous COP summits.

Electrification’s Growing Role in Climate Policy

Electrification — the process of shifting energy consumption from direct fossil fuel use toward electricity — has increasingly emerged as a central focus within international climate diplomacy, reflecting a broader recognition that decarbonizing electricity generation alone will not be sufficient to meet global climate targets. For emissions reductions to be realized at scale, end-use sectors such as transport, heating, and industry must also shift away from direct fossil fuel consumption toward electric alternatives powered by increasingly clean electricity grids.

This dynamic has taken on additional urgency amid recent global energy market instability, which has repeatedly highlighted the risks associated with dependence on imported fossil fuels and reinforced the strategic case for diversifying national energy sources through greater reliance on electricity. It is against this backdrop that Kurum, addressing the Copenhagen Climate Ministers’ Meeting, positioned electrification as one of the defining priorities of Türkiye’s incoming COP31 Presidency.

Kurum’s Remarks in Copenhagen

Speaking at the meeting, Kurum — who serves as Türkiye’s Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change — said the current energy crisis had underscored the importance of renewable power generation and national energy diversification, reinforcing the broader case for increasing electricity’s role as a global power source.

Kurum told delegates that governments, international agencies, and the private sector are increasingly focusing on electrification as a critical frontier of the energy transition. He noted that electricity currently accounts for around 20% of final energy consumption globally, and called for this share to be raised “as quickly as possible.”

Final energy consumption refers to the energy actually consumed by end-users — including individuals and businesses — for purposes such as heating and cooling buildings, powering lights, devices, and appliances, and running vehicles, machinery, and factories.

IEA Benchmarks for Electrification Growth

According to the International Energy Agency’s Net Zero Emissions by 2050 scenario, the current 20% electrification ratio would need to rise to over 27% by 2030, and exceed 50% by the middle of the century, in order to remain consistent with global net-zero emissions goals.

The IEA has identified the decarbonization of transport — through accelerated adoption of electric vehicles — and the electrification of domestic heating, particularly through electric-powered heat pumps, as likely to serve as key drivers of this broader shift in the years ahead.

A Two-Part Challenge: Clean Power and Electrification

Kurum emphasized that achieving this transition requires addressing two distinct but interconnected challenges. He said decarbonizing power generation is essential, but stressed that this alone would not be enough, noting the additional need to electrify processes across daily life and economic activity more broadly.

Kurum reiterated his intention to use the COP31 process to initiate a global conversation about electrification, positioning the topic as a central organizing theme for the Presidency’s broader climate agenda.

Looking Ahead to Antalya

COP31 will be held in the Turkish coastal resort city of Antalya from November 9 to November 20, 2026. Kurum’s remarks in Copenhagen reflect an early and sustained effort by the incoming Presidency to build international momentum around electrification well in advance of the summit, a theme that has continued to feature prominently across subsequent COP31 preparatory engagements in the months since this address.