Bonn, June 9 (IANS) At the UN June Climate meetings in Bonn, Germany, COP31 President-Designate Murat Kurum on Tuesday launched a new global electrification target as a flagship initiative of the COP31 Presidency’s Action Agenda, calling for a major acceleration in the shift from direct fossil fuel use to clean electricity across buildings, transport and industry.

This comes as part of a wider package of non-negotiated Action Agenda initiatives and targets announced by the COP31 President-Designate.

Speaking to delegates at the Bonn Climate Change Conference, Kurum, who is Türkiye’s Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, proposed a collective global goal to increase the share of final energy demand met by electricity from just over 20 per cent today to 35 per cent by 2035. The COP31 Presidency also committed to building a global coalition to implement actions towards achieving this target.

The target is based on analysis from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and is designed to support implementation of the Paris Agreement and help keep the world on a pathway consistent with limiting warming to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels.

During a presentation on the Presidency’s Action Agenda, Kurum also announced additional targets, including a goal to halve global waste growth by 2035. This ambition is part of COP31’s thematic focus on achieving zero waste. Food waste in particular accounts for 10 per cent of global emissions, primarily through methane, which is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.

The COP31 Presidency also introduced a new global target under its Resilient Cities priority, to reduce energy consumption intensity in the building sector by at least 25 per cent by 2035. This is an important step in protecting families and businesses from rising energy costs.

In addition, Kurum shared details on new initiatives and targets being developed by the Presidency. These include critical topics such as food security, circular materials in manufacturing and climate education. He also shared further details on the Climate Implementation Bridge, which will support countries by improving the link between national climate, economic and development priorities, helping finance reach the ground more rapidly and with greater impact.

In support of the electrification target, the COP31 Presidency, in partnership with Australia, has commissioned the IEA to deliver special reports mapping pathways to achieving the “35×35” target and analysing the benefits of halving waste growth and boosting circular waste management systems. This follows the COP31 Presidency’s existing work with IRENA to identify how electrification can accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.

–IANS

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