Climate issues top of agenda of important conference

Expectations for the 31st Conference, which began on Monday, November 9, are more about its ability to send useful and concrete signals than it is about the outcome of formal negotiations. No important decision will be made at this conference. After the COP30 held in November 2025 in Brazil, which marked the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, and before COP33, scheduled for 2028, when the second “global review” of climate action takes place, the event, according to Li Shuo, a research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy of Asia, was to take place in a “calm atmosphere.”.

“Unlike other meetings, this meeting will not be defined by a large-scale, landmark outcome of the negotiations. I think the focus will be on practical obstacles, how we solve the problems that we collectively have, said Ani Dasgupta, president of the World Resources Institute.

Turkey has said electrification will be at the centre of the COP31 agenda, announcing a non-binding global electrification commitment on a 35 by 35 scale that aims to ensure that electricity accounts for at least 35 percent of global energy demand by 2035. According to the International Energy Agency, electricity currently accounts for about a fifth of the world’s total final energy consumption. Turkey argues that “35 to 35” will accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources while strengthening energy security.

“This year’s energy crisis has shocked us. Now everyone understands that the energy you import is energy that you do not control, Murat Kurum, president of COP31 and environment minister of Turkey, said in a statement. Electrification is the solution to the problem. It protects populations from volatile global markets and reduces emissions.”.

The goal of COP31 is to usher in the era of electricity. Priorities for the conference will also include achieving zero waste, reducing methane emissions, green industrialization, education and implementing national climate plans, but climate advocates have criticized the pledge, arguing that it does not require additional electricity from low-carbon sources, sparking a debate about whether electrification itself should be considered progress on climate change.

A coalition of countries, including the South Pacific island nations most vulnerable to sea-level rise, is generally advocating a clearer global roadmap to phase out fossil fuels. Many oil and gas producing countries, including Saudi Arabia, argue that fossil fuels can make up a significant part of the global energy mix, provided they are combined with technologies that reduce or capture emissions.

The Middle East conflict has forced governments to seek alternative sources. US President Donald Trump has called for maximizing oil, gas and coal production, while Asian countries have taken steps to increase coal-fired electricity production.