The centrepiece initiative of this year's United Nations climate summit has a simple goal: get the world to run more of its economy on electricity. But as countries began signing up in Antalya, questions emerged about whether the pledge goes far enough.
The voluntary "35 by 35" pledge, proposed by Türkiye as host of COP31, aims to raise electricity's share of global final energy consumption to 35% by 2035, from about 23% today, according to Climate Home News, which reported on Thursday, November 12, that at least 14 countries had publicly endorsed it.
The backers include co-host Australia, Ethiopia, which will host COP32, Germany, Norway, Finland, South Korea, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Togo, Liechtenstein, Palau, Seychelles and the Solomon Islands. The European Union was widely expected to join, pending formal approval by member states, and a full list of supporters is not expected until next week.
Why electrification matters
Electrification is central to most pathways for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Electric vehicles, heat pumps, induction cooking and electric industrial processes can replace equipment that burns oil, gas and coal directly. When the electricity comes from renewable or other low-carbon sources, switching to electric equipment can sharply cut emissions.
Electric technologies are also often more efficient. An electric motor converts most of its energy into motion, while a combustion engine wastes much of its fuel as heat.
Murat Kurum, Türkiye's environment minister and COP31 president, has presented electrification as the conference's central implementation agenda, according to FinChannel.
The scale of the challenge
Reaching 35% by 2035 would be a major acceleration. Chris Bowen, Australia's climate change and energy minister and COP31's president of negotiations, noted that electricity's share of final energy consumption rose from 17% in 2005 to 19% in 2015, according to FinChannel. He said reaching 35% would require more than a fourfold increase in the annual pace of electrification.
Roughly 730 million people around the world still lack access to electricity, according to a UN briefing document, underlining that electrification is also a development and equity issue.
The holdouts
Several major economies have not formally endorsed the pledge. The United Kingdom and Brazil welcomed the focus on electrification without signing, while Saudi Arabia, a major oil producer, was openly sceptical, according to Climate Home News.
Climate Home News's report did not mention India's position on the pledge.
The clean power question
The most significant criticism of the pledge is that it "does not specify how that electricity should be generated," according to Climate Home News. FinChannel noted that the draft does not require participants to meet the 35% target solely with renewable or other low-carbon power.
That matters because increasing electricity demand does not reduce emissions if the extra power comes from coal or gas. Scrutiny has focused on Türkiye's own energy mix: coal was its largest source of electricity in 2025, at 33% of generation, according to the Associated Press, as cited by FinChannel.
Portugal, vulnerable Pacific island states and some European countries want clearer language linking the initiative to clean power and a transition away from fossil fuels, Reuters reported, according to FinChannel.
Other developments in Antalya
The electrification pledge is one of several initiatives announced alongside the formal negotiations. Earlier in the week, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development announced plans to invest $6 billion over five years in Türkiye's clean energy transition, and Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye and Bulgaria signed an agreement on a clean electricity corridor to Europe.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on world leaders to agree a climate justice compact and tax fossil fuel companies to fund vulnerable countries. A second group of about 25 world leaders was scheduled to address the summit on November 12, after around 40 spoke on November 11, according to Climate Home News.
What it means for India
India is one of the world's fastest-growing electricity markets, and electrification is already a central part of its development and climate strategy. The government has promoted electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers and buses, expanded rural electrification and set a target of 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel power capacity by 2030.
But India still relies on coal for about three-quarters of its electricity generation, so the climate benefits of electrification depend on how quickly it can expand renewable energy. India has historically been cautious about joining voluntary pledges that could constrain its development choices, preferring commitments that reflect the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
Business implications
For businesses, a global push for electrification creates opportunities in renewable energy, power grids, electric vehicles, batteries, heat pumps and electrical equipment. Manufacturers of transformers, cables and grid equipment are already seeing strong demand. Indian companies in these sectors, such as power equipment makers and EV manufacturers, could benefit from accelerating global electrification.
Copper and other metals used in electrical equipment are also likely to see continued strong demand.
The grid challenge
Electrification on the scale envisaged by the pledge would require massive investment in power grids. Transmission and distribution networks must be expanded and modernised to carry more electricity, connect new renewable energy projects and manage the variability of wind and solar power. Grid bottlenecks are already slowing the connection of renewable projects in many countries.
Energy storage, including batteries and pumped hydro, will be essential to ensure that electricity is available when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing. Investment in these technologies has grown rapidly, but will need to accelerate further.
Who pays
Financing is a central question for developing countries. Expanding electricity access and grids requires large upfront investment, and many developing countries face high borrowing costs. Climate finance from developed countries, multilateral development banks and private investors will be critical to making electrification affordable.
Businesses will also watch for any signals on carbon markets and border carbon taxes, which could affect the cost of exports from countries that rely heavily on fossil fuels.
What comes next
Negotiations at COP31 continue until November 20, and the full list of pledge backers is expected next week. Observers will watch whether the EU, the UK, Brazil and other major economies join, whether the pledge's language is strengthened to require clean power, and whether India signs on. Formal COP decisions require consensus among all parties, while pledges such as 35 by 35 are voluntary commitments by individual countries.
