Global Electrification Takes Centre Stage Ahead Of COP31 As Countries Target 35% By 2035

A major climate proposal is gaining momentum ahead of COP31, but questions remain over whether developing economies can realistically meet ambitious electricity targets without stronger financial and infrastructure support.

Global electrification is emerging as one of the central priorities ahead of COP31, with the Turkish presidency pushing for a dramatic expansion in the role electricity plays across the world economy.

The climate summit, scheduled to take place in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20, 2026, has identified electrification as one of its flagship objectives. Organisers want countries to work toward a collective target under which electricity would account for 35 per cent of global final energy consumption by 2035.

Today, electricity provides roughly 23 per cent of final energy demand worldwide. Reaching the proposed target would require progress at a far faster pace than seen over the past decade.

The proposal has gained support from new analysis by the International Energy Agency, which concluded that rapid electrification is increasingly achievable as technology costs continue to decline. According to the agency, current economics already support a rise in global electrification levels to around 33 per cent.

Supporters argue that widespread electrification could become one of the most effective tools available for reducing emissions while also strengthening energy security and economic resilience.

The conversation is taking place at a time when countries are searching for ways to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and shield themselves from volatile global energy markets.

However, while the goal appears technically achievable at the global level, major differences exist between countries in their ability to deliver it.

Many developing economies continue to struggle with weak power infrastructure, financially stressed utilities, limited investment capacity and higher borrowing costs, factors that could slow progress despite growing demand for electricity.

Electricity Seen As Key To Climate And Development Goals

Climate researchers have long identified electrification as a crucial component of future low-carbon energy systems.

Expanding the role of electricity across transport, industry and buildings offers a pathway for reducing direct fossil fuel use in sectors responsible for large shares of global emissions.

Buildings are currently the most electrified segment of the economy, with electricity supplying about 40 per cent of their energy needs.

Industry follows at just under 30 per cent, while transport remains far behind because conventional vehicles still dominate roads worldwide.

Future growth is expected to come from multiple areas.

In buildings, electrified heating technologies are projected to account for much of the increase. Industry is expected to expand the use of electric systems in low and medium-temperature processes, while transport could see significant gains through wider adoption of electric mobility.

Yet priorities are unlikely to be identical everywhere.

Advanced economies and China may focus heavily on electric vehicles and heating systems, while developing countries could see greater opportunities in sectors such as clean cooking, irrigation and two- and three-wheeler transportation.

These differences highlight why a single global target may require different pathways depending on national circumstances.

Infrastructure And Finance Could Determine Success

The biggest obstacles to electrification may not be technological.

Instead, analysts increasingly point to infrastructure and financing challenges.

According to estimates cited in the discussion surrounding COP31, electricity demand would need to expand substantially during the next decade. That growth requires major investments in transmission networks, distribution systems and grid connections.

Project backlogs have already emerged in many countries, with large volumes of renewable energy and storage projects waiting for access to electricity networks.

Equipment shortages and rising costs for grid components have added further pressure.

Institutional challenges are equally important.

Many utilities in developing regions continue to face financial difficulties that limit their ability to invest in expanded services and modern infrastructure.

At the same time, financing conditions remain far less favorable in emerging economies than in wealthier countries.

Borrowing costs for clean energy projects are often significantly higher, making investment more expensive despite falling technology prices.

That reality has become central to the debate surrounding the proposed electrification target.

Supporters argue that electrification offers clear economic, environmental and energy-security benefits. Critics do not necessarily dispute the goal itself but question whether countries with weaker systems can realistically meet ambitious targets without additional support.

As discussions continue ahead of COP31, the focus is increasingly shifting toward implementation.

For many developing nations, access to affordable financing, grid upgrades, utility reforms and targeted support programs could prove just as important as the electrification target itself.

The success of the initiative may therefore depend not only on how ambitious the goal is, but also on whether countries receive the resources needed to turn that ambition into practical progress.