COPENHAGEN — The Iran energy shock is poised to turn this year’s United Nations climate conference into a staging ground for a global electrification push.
Turkey and Australia, the countries organizing the COP31 summit in Antalya in November, told a preparatory meeting in Copenhagen this week that accelerating efforts to power cars, heat buildings and produce goods with clean electricity rather than fossil fuels will be at the heart of their conference.
“We consider electrification to be a priority,” said Murat Kurum, Turkey’s environment minister, who will serve as COP31 president.
Regarding the global energy transition, “the most important step we can take in this area is actually strengthening electrification,” he said at a press conference Thursday following the two-day Copenhagen climate ministerial. “When we strengthen electrification, we will effectively ensure the transition away from fossil fuels — not just in theory, but in practice.”
