COP31 President-Designate Murat Kurum will unveil the Presidency’s flagship electrification pledge: to increase electricity’s share of global final energy consumption to 35% by 2035.
As a campaign coalition advocating for a renewables-based energy system in Europe, Beyond Fossil Fuels welcomes the Turkish COP31 Presidency’s emphasis on electrification. A step change in the pace of transition is undoubtedly needed at this critical moment.
However, we stress that without clear guardrails, the 35-by-35 pledge risks becoming a Trojan horse for expanding fossil fuel use under the guise of climate action, and a missed opportunity for genuine progress.
Two concerns demand urgent attention
First, we warn that electrification is not inherently the same as decarbonisation. Any framework that allows governments to count expanded gas-fired generation as progress toward electrification targets will seriously undermine climate goals. Similarly relying on new nuclear power, which takes more than ten years to be built, is incompatible with the 2035 target.
Secondly, we are concerned about the unchecked growth of data centres and AI-driven energy demand surge. This type of energy consumption does not displace fossil fuels but actually increases their use when powered by new fossil gas, or simply adds new clean energy demand which competes with electrification of other decarbonising sectors, without leading to any absolute reduction in emissions. Without robust regulation and prioritisation of other sectors, the data centre boom risks cannibalising energy from critical societal needs and fueling ever-increasing demand cycles.
Recent analyses by BFF and partner organisations have highlighted how claims by Big Tech regarding the climate benefits of generative AI are often unsubstantiated, misleading, and part of a broader greenwashing operation. Such false narratives risk undermining genuine climate action and misallocating resources.
We urge the international community to establish transparent, measurable guardrails that foster trustworthy, accessible, and equitable renewables-based electrification. These principles must be rooted in preventing greenwashing and ensuring that electrification genuinely advances climate justice and economic progress, without deepening existing inequalities or enriching fossil fuel companies at the expense of consumers.
Claire Smith, Senior International Campaigner, Beyond Fossil Fuels:
“Let’s not allow electrification become the Trojan horse of our times, used to hide new fossil fuel consumption rather than promote renewable energy. The 35-by-35 pledge will only address today’s climate and energy crises if electrification is powered by a flexible energy system where solar and wind energy is complemented by enhanced grids and storage. As it stands, the COP31 Presidency’s pledge leaves the backdoor open for governments to conceal or justify expanded fossil fuel use under the guise of electrification.
We are already seeing data centres divert electricity and renewable energy away from the sectors that genuinely need to decarbonise, driving higher fossil gas dependence and pushing up electricity costs for consumers. Clear guardrails are essential to ensure that electrification advances both climate justice and equitable access to renewable energy, and not the fossil industry’s agenda.”
Duygu Kutluay, Campaigner, Beyond Fossil Fuels:
“Electrification is not inherently synonymous with decarbonisation. Globally, we must ensure that the electrification agenda does not come at the expense of the urgent transition away from fossil fuels. As host of COP31, Türkiye has a responsibility to advance both agendas together.
Türkiye has the opportunity to demonstrate that electrification can serve as a potent catalyst for domestic climate action by committing to no new coal power and setting out a clear pathway to phase out its fossil fuel dependence. Without this, there is a risk that electrification becomes the headline of COP31 without delivering the level of climate ambition the world urgently needs.”
