On Tuesday 9 June, Türkiye presented its proposals as part of the launch of its action programme as co-president of COP31, in cooperation with Australia.
The preparatory session for COP31, which will take place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November, opened on Monday 8 June in Bonn, Germany, and will end on 18 June (see EUROPE 13883/5).
The programme contains three voluntary targets to be achieved globally by 2035: an electrification target of 35%, 15 points more than today, halving global waste production and a 25% reduction in energy consumption in the building sector.
An ambitious target from Türkiye, backed by Australia. The programme of action was presented from Bonn by Turkish Minister for Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, Murat Kurum. “This ‘35% by 2035’ target will be one of the defining priorities of our COP31 presidency”, he said. “We will work to bring together a strong global coalition that is ready and determined to act in support of this objective”.
“Accelerating the energy transition will ease shocks to our energy systems, better protect our economies and households from high costs, and help keep bending the curve of emissions downwards”, added Chris Bowen, Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy. “That’s why electrifying the global economy is one of our practical priorities for COP31”.
Support for electrification for the most vulnerable. However, Minister Kurum acknowledged the unequal situations facing the 165 signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) with regard to electrification. He gave assurances that Türkiye would work “closely with all countries, especially developing economies, to facilitate access to technical assistance, capacity-building and financial support in line with this target”. (Original version in French by Nadège Delépine)