Antalya could go down in history as the site of a landmark global energy decision if countries agree at the COP31 climate summit to raise electricity’s share of total global energy consumption to 35 percent by 2035, International Energy Agency (IEA) chief Fatih Birol has said.
The United Nations climate summit will be held in the southwestern province of Antalya from Nov. 9 to 20, bringing together thousands of delegates and world leaders from about 198 UN member states. The first COP summit to be hosted by Türkiye, it will be chaired by Australia, while the IEA will serve as a strategic partner.
Birol said the proposed target, dubbed “35 by 35,” could become known as the “Antalya Decision” if adopted, in a development comparable in significance to the 2015 Paris Agreement.
“COP summits are judged by the number of leaders attending and whether concrete decisions are taken that can shape the global economy,” Birol said. He added that there was already strong interest from world leaders in the Antalya summit and broad support for the electricity target.
The proposal comes as countries grapple with the dual challenges of climate change and energy security, with geopolitical tensions continuing to disrupt energy markets and raise concerns over supply.
Birol said that greater reliance on domestically produced electricity would reduce countries’ dependence on external energy supplies and strengthen energy security.
“That is why we are focusing on electricity,” he said, adding that Türkiye’s decision to designate one of the summit’s key days as “Energy Day” was particularly timely.
Birol said he had recently held talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, COP31 President Murat Kurum and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Türkiye and Australia had agreed to work closely with the IEA throughout preparations for the summit, he said.
He described COP31 as a historic opportunity for Türkiye, saying Antalya could play a guiding role in the emerging global energy landscape.
“Antalya will be a kind of compass for the new world energy map being drawn,” Birol said.
The issue is also expected to feature prominently during the U.N. General Assembly in New York in the third week of September, where Türkiye and its partners plan to advance discussions ahead of the summit.
