Australia endorses ambitious new global electrification target to hasten exit from fossil fuels

Australia energy and climate minister Chris Bowen has endorsed an ambitious new global electrification target – 35 per cent by 2035 – that is designed to hasten the exit of fossil fuels and help the world meet its climate targets.

The new target was announced at the UN’s interim climate talks in Bonn, Germany, where Bowen is having his first official outing as head of negotiations of the COP31 event to be held in Türkiye in November this year.

The president of those talks, Türkiye’s minister of environment, urbanisation, and climate change Murat Kurum, says the new target aims to increase the share of final energy demand that is met by electricity from its current levels of just over 20 per cent to 35 per cent by 2035.

The initiative is based on analysis from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and is intended to support implementation of the Paris Agreement and help limit warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

“By electrifying daily life, from transport to buildings and industry, we can protect families and businesses from volatile energy markets,” said Kurum.

“This “35% by 2035” target will be one of the defining priorities of our COP31 Presidency. We recognise that this is a global goal, that countries have different starting points, and that countries will pursue different pathways.

“We will also work closely with all countries, especially with developing economies, to help facilitate access to technical assistance, capacity-building, and financial support in line with this goal.” 

The COP31 Presidency, in partnership with Australia, has commissioned the IEA to deliver a suite of reports mapping out pathways to achieving the “35% by 2035” target.

“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,” said Bowen.

“That’s why electrifying the global economy is one of our practical priorities for COP31 — because it’s the fastest way to strengthen energy security, cut emissions and bring down costs.”

The initiative was welcomed by consumer groups and acedemics.

“Electrification needs to be at the very heart of COP31,” said Patrick Veyret, from Energy Consumers Australia.

“The benefits of going all-electric are clear: cheaper bills, predictable energy costs, energy sovereignty and healthier environments to live and work in. The sooner households and businesses are supported to make the switch, the sooner they can lock in those benefits.

“As Australia steps up to lead negotiations for COP31, the Federal government must back its international climate ambition with concrete domestic action. We need a clear, national roadmap and ambitious electrification targets to help households and small businesses to become all-electric.”

Melissa Conley Tyler, Honorary Fellow in the Asia Institute of The University of Melbourne, said Australia will play a crucial role in setting the agenda and bringing countries together to agree on action.

The new electrification target builds on a series of complementary pledges agreed upon at previous climate talks, including the COP28 commitment to work towards tripling renewable energy capacity and transition away from fossil fuels.

At COP29, governments and stakeholders backed efforts to expand energy storage and modernise electricity grids as well as targeted the mobilisation of at least $300 billion a year by 2035 to enable action in the developing world.

Türkiye’s COP31 Presidency believes that an electrification target provides the next logical step in this global architecture for the energy transition by helping translate previous commitments into real-world changes in how energy is consumed across the economy.

The “35% by 2035” electrification initiative is one of several new initiatives and targets that have been developed by Türkiye’s COP31 Presidency as part of its Action Agenda.

Other efforts include halving the growth in global waste by 2035 – part of COP31’s thematic focus on achieving zero waste – and a new global target under its ‘Resilient Cities’ priority to reach a minimum 25 per cent increase in energy efficiency in buildings by 2035, with am ambition of 35 per cent.

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