Interview: COP31 president says electrification is ‘surest way to protect citizens’
COP31 president-designate Murat Kurum has proposed a target for 35% of global energy to be derived from electricity by 2035. Kurum emphasizes that this goal is based on technical data from the IEA and IRENA, aiming to protect citizens from volatile energy prices and meet climate targets.
Why it matters
Setting a global electrification target is a critical step in international climate policy and energy security strategy.
Last month, COP31 president-designate Murat Kurum launched a target for 35% of the world’s final energy to come from electricity by 2035.
In an interview with Carbon Brief, Kurum says that the target was not a political choice, but instead reflects the latest evidence on “what is needed to keep 1.5C within reach”.
The ongoing Hormuz crisis means there is an “urgent” need for renewables and electrification, which are the “surest and cleanest way to protect citizens” from high energy prices.
Kurum says that the Brazilian and Ethiopian presidencies of COP30 and COP32, as well as the EU, UK and Canada, have welcomed the target.
He adds that “all have confirmed it will be central to discussions at COP31”.
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