The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has endorsed a proposal being advanced ahead of COP31 to increase the role of electricity in the global energy system.
The proposal was announced during the Bonn Climate Change Conference by the incoming COP31 Presidency. It calls for increasing the share of final energy demand met by electricity from just over 20 percent today to 35 percent by 2035. The target forms part of a broader package that also includes reducing energy consumption intensity in buildings by at least 25 percent by 2035 and halving the growth of global waste over the same period.
Türkiye is expected to seek support for the target in the lead-up to COP31. The proposal is aimed at reducing fossil fuel use by encouraging greater electrification of transport, industry and heating. It is intended as a voluntary global goal rather than a binding international commitment.
IRENA’s support aligns with its broader energy transition outlook. The agency’s latest pathway for limiting global warming to 1.5°C identifies 35 percent electrification by 2035 as an important milestone, with electricity expected to account for more than half of final energy use by 2050.
The proposal reflects a wider shift toward replacing direct fossil fuel consumption with electricity across key sectors of the economy. This includes electric vehicles, heat pumps, electric cooking technologies and industrial processes powered by electricity. Supporters argue that greater electrification can lower emissions while reducing exposure to swings in oil and gas prices.
Energy security is also becoming a larger part of climate policy discussions. COP31 President-Designate Murat Kurum has described electrification as a way to help shield households and businesses from volatile energy markets, particularly as recent disruptions have highlighted the risks associated with fuel import dependence.
The proposal places significant emphasis on investment in electricity infrastructure. Expanding electrification will require cleaner power generation, stronger transmission and distribution networks, energy storage and more flexible grid systems. Without these upgrades, rising electricity demand could strain existing networks and slow progress.
Policy analysts have welcomed the proposed target as a useful benchmark but note that achieving it will depend on implementation. Governments will need to align energy planning, financing, regulation and industrial policy with electrification goals if the target is to translate into measurable results.
The COP31 proposal does not signal an immediate move away from fossil fuels. Instead, it highlights the growing role of electrification in long-term energy planning. For Caribbean countries, the challenge will be determining how quickly they can develop the infrastructure, financing and policies needed to take advantage of that shift.