Welcome to Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed.
An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change.
This week
COP crunch
FINAL CALL: COP29 has entered its final scheduled day in Baku. Yesterday’s six-hour “Qurultay” meeting witnessed “unanimous” disappointment over the state of draft texts, with developing countries unhappy about the lack of numbers on climate finance and almost all calling for clearer language on climate action. (Carbon Brief’s Simon Evans live-posted highlights from the event.) Around 3pm local time today, the COP29 presidency released a package of new texts, just hours before talks were due to close. At least one further iteration is expected.
FINANCE FIGHT: The new proposal for a global climate finance goal would involve developed countries “taking the lead” in channelling $250bn a year by 2035 to “help poorer nations” deal with climate change, Reuters reported. It added that the proposal has drawn criticism “from all sides”. Politico noted that it “falls far short of the trillion-plus figure that the poorer countries had sought”. For more on the draft finance deal, see Spotlight below.
STOCKTAKE STUTTERS: Last year’s “global stocktake” at COP28 included the landmark deal to “transition away from fossil fuels”. But the latest draft on the “mitigation work programme” excised all links back to this. Carrying things forward has been left to the “UAE dialogue”, which, in its latest draft, “reaffirms” last year’s language on fossil fuels, renewables and energy efficiency. It also has optional text adding further goals on energy storage and grids, as well as requesting an annual progress report for debate at subsequent COPs.
WILL IT END?: Seasoned COP watchers will know that the talks almost always run past their scheduled finish time. Carbon Brief’s analysis of previous finish times suggests that, if COP29 follows the upward trend, it will end at 3.25am on Sunday morning. Carbon Brief also polled a group of more than 200 delegates to ask when they think COP29 will end, with the mean time selected being 1:34am on Sunday. After talks finally draw to a close, Carbon Brief journalists will hold a free webinar to discuss the key outcomes. Sign up.
Around the COP
- ARGENTINA STAYS: Argentina confirmed it will not leave the Paris Agreement, squashing rumours ignited after right-wing populist leader Javier Milei decided to withdraw his country’s delegation from the talks last week, El Observador reported.
- INDONESIAN TRANSITION: Indonesia’s president Prabowo Subianto announced plans to retire all coal and other fossil-fuel power stations within 15 years, while also aiming to bring the nation’s net-zero target forward by a decade, said the Associated Press. It said experts “welcomed” the ambition, but are “sceptical” of its delivery.
- POWER PLAY: The UK launched a “global clean power alliance” at the G20, with Brazil, Australia, Canada and France among members, according to the Press Association. The leaders of the UK and Brazil wrote joint op-eds touting the pact in the Times and Folha de São Paulo.
- COP ‘STAND-OFF’: Australia and Turkey are currently in a “stand-off” over who will host COP31 in 2026, with neither party willing to give up their bid, Reuters said.
- ‘BIZARRE’ RESTRICTIONS: COP29 host Azerbaijan went to “bizarre” lengths to prepare Baku for the summit, Bloomberg reported. This included clearing public areas and roads by moving parliamentary elections, shutting schools and universities and ordering two-thirds of the city to work from home.
- LOBBYISTS: A Global Witness investigation found that at least 1,700 fossil-fuel executives registered to attend COP29, lower than the record in Dubai, but still larger than most party delegations. The Guardian reported that “hundreds” of industrial farming lobbyists have also been in attendance.
Zero
The number of new countries at COP29 joining a small alliance of nations that have pledged to phase out oil and gas.
Latest climate research
- Climate lawsuits and negative court decisions can reduce the value of publicly listed companies, a Nature Sustainability study suggested.
- Early 20th century global ocean surface temperatures were warmer than previously thought, a study in Nature has found, meaning the pace of heating from 1900 to the 1950s was slightly slower than assumed.
- A Nature Geoscience study found that the weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) – a major system of ocean currents responsible for transporting heat around the world – could be linked to influxes of freshwater into the subarctic Atlantic.
(For more, see Carbon Brief’s in-depth daily summaries of the top climate news stories on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.)
Captured
China’s historical emissions within its borders have now caused more global warming than the 27 member states of the EU combined, according to new Carbon Brief analysis. However, China is still far behind the world’s largest historical emitter, the US, the analysis showed. It added that China is unlikely to ever overtake the US, based on current policies, committed plans and technology trends in both countries. Carbon Brief’s analysis is featured in a data-driven article in the New York Times.
Spotlight
Decoding the COP29 finance proposal
Carbon Brief unravels the latest hotly contested climate-finance text from COP29 and explains the main sticking points.
Nations have a deadline at COP29 to agree on a new goal for channelling money into cutting emissions and protecting people from climate change.
This target will replace an existing obligation for “developed” countries – including EU states, the US and Japan – to provide $100bn of climate finance a year to “developing” countries.
Money has always been one of the most controversial aspects of UN climate talks and COP29 has exposed deep rifts.
A draft text outlining the new goal published earlier today shows that, on the day the talks are meant to finish, these tensions are far from being resolved. Developing countries and climate NGOs described the proposal as “totally unacceptable” and a “joke”.
Parties will now digest this text and at least one new version will be produced by the Azerbaijani presidency as the talks drag into overtime.
Billions
The proposed goal has two parts. At its core is $250bn delivered each year to developing countries by 2035.
This is framed as the continuation of the $100bn annual goal, which is provided entirely by developed countries. Yet, in this text, developed countries only “take the lead”, leaving the goal open for others to contribute.
As with the $100bn, this goal would include public money, such as development aid, as well as private finance that is “mobilised” by public spending.
The target matches one floated to Politico by EU sources earlier in the week, which was greeted with derision by global-south leaders. Developing countries had demanded a similar core goal of $440-900bn, but made up entirely of public money and largely as grants.
Crucially, analysts have found that comparable amounts of climate finance could be provided in this timeframe, even if developed countries make no extra effort to contribute more in the coming years, beyond existing commitments.
Trillions
From the start of COP29, all developing countries have been united behind a call for $1.3tn in climate finance a year, provided by developed countries.
There is broad agreement among experts that developing countries need to invest trillions of dollars each year to fulfil their climate goals, with large chunks coming from developed countries.
The new text includes a “call” to raise $1.3tn in climate finance by 2035.
However, it does not line up with developing countries’ proposals and, instead, reflects developed countries’ long-standing vision of a broader goal based on global “investment”. It refers to the $1.3tn coming from “all public and private sources”.
On the other hand, some of the more contentious ideas put forward by developed countries, such as the US, are no longer in the text. For example, it does not reference “domestic spending” in counting towards the goal.
Contributors
One of the most disputed topics in climate-finance talks has been expanding the list of contributors beyond developed countries.
Many nations classed as “developing” in the UN climate system, such as China and Saudi Arabia, are relatively wealthy and major contributors to climate change. This, some argue, means they should be obliged to provide finance.
There is no longer a formal recognition of this in the new text. An attempt by some developed countries to add criteria for new contributors was deleted the previous day.
COP29 has seen some wrangling around this issue. Observers welcomed China referencing the billions of dollars in climate funds it already provides to the global south and the EU expressed its openness to recognising “voluntary” contributions from developing countries.
In the end, the draft text “invites” developing countries to contribute. It also references “voluntary” counting of contributions from multilateral development banks, to which emerging economies provide large sums of money.
The climate-finance text contains many more notable compromises, which are summarised in this thread. All eyes are now on what the final text, agreed by all parties at COP29, will say.
Watch, read, listen
‘TRUMP ATE MY HOMEWORK’: A comment piece by Avantika Goswami in Down to Earth picked apart the “narrative of a prejudged failed COP” in a crucial year for climate finance.
‘GRANTS, NOT LOANS’: The Green Pulse podcast by Singapore’s Straits Times explained what the COP29 finance goal means and why more “loans can’t help” vulnerable communities in developing countries.
ASIAN AGE: Historian and author Adam Tooze discussed climate, trade wars, geopolitics and the “polycrisis” in Asia in his State of Asia 2024 address.
Coming up
- 25-27 November: UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, Geneva, Switzerland
- 25 November-1 December: Fifth session of negotiations for an international plastics treaty (INC 5), Busan, South Korea
- 2-13 December: International Court of Justice hearings on the obligations of states in respect of climate change, The Hague, Netherlands
- 2-13 December: UN Desertification Conference COP16, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Pick of the jobs
- Small World, senior sustainability consultant | Salary: £49,811-£67,000. Location: Lancaster (hybrid)
- The Ocean Census, head of science | Salary: £78,000. Location: Oxford, UK
- M+ Museum, head of conservation and research | Salary: Unknown. Location: Hong Kong
- Associated Press, oceans and climate reporter | Salary: Unknown. Location: Los Angeles, US
- The Environmental Reporting Collective, managing editor | Salary: Unknown. Location: Southeast Asia
DeBriefed is edited by Daisy Dunne. Please send any tips or feedback to debriefed@carbonbrief.org.
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The post COP29 DeBriefed 22 November 2024: Countries split on climate finance; Fossil-fuel transition ‘reaffirmed’; Latest texts analysed appeared first on Carbon Brief.
The UK’s incoming prime minister Andy Burnham has remained tight-lipped on his views on climate change during his leadership campaign.
When asked his views on reversing Labour’s manifesto pledge to stop new North Sea drilling in June – a move that the oil-and-gas industry and right-wing media have pushed for in recent months – he said he had “something of an open mind” on the issue.
But a trawl of Burnham’s past comments about climate change, net-zero and fossil fuels reveals a different picture.
Just a year ago in June 2025, Burnham, while mayor of Greater Manchester, gave his support to the fossil fuel treaty – a proposed international pact on phasing out coal, oil and gas – calling it a “lifeline” that “all governments” should join.
In a video message endorsing the treaty, he also said that “there should be no turning away from net-zero”.
During his last bid to be Labour leader in 2015, he used similar language, saying:
“Labour under my leadership will never turn our back on either our duty to tackle climate change or the prospects offered by the green economy.”
Burnham has spoken about the threat of climate change since at least 2008, noting in 2021 that accelerated action could “create thousands of good jobs”, but also warning that net-zero risked becoming the “next Brexit”.
Burnham is yet to appoint his cabinet, but there is much speculation that he will select current net-zero secretary Ed Miliband as his chancellor – with their ally Miatta Fahnbulleh having a “strong chance” of taking Miliband’s former position.
Below, Carbon Brief recounts 28 things that Burnham has said about climate change, net-zero, fossil fuels, energy and transport.
Climate change
“Tackling climate change isn’t just about protecting the planet – it’s a powerful opportunity to build a fairer, greener future for our communities and businesses.”
Calling for local councils to be given more power and money for climate action, 29 November 2025
“There is little doubt that Greater Manchester’s biodiversity has taken a hit over the years, with habitats being lost, destroyed and becoming less diverse due to the impact of development, climate change, pollution and invasive species…We are committed to delivering a city-region for all residents to enjoy – a fairer, greener and more prosperous place for everyone.”
Statement after Greater Manchester declared a “biodiversity emergency”, 25 March 2022
“Over the next decade, if we accelerate our response to the climate crisis, we can create thousands of good jobs, improve homes, overhaul our transport system and make [Manchester] an even better place to live.”
Greater Manchester Green Summit, 18 October 2021
“The environment has never been higher on the national and international agenda.”
Statement after visiting a peat bog restoration project in England, 9 January 2020
“I think climate change [action] will be driven more quickly from the bottom up, if I’m honest. It’s the will of evolution if you wait for the government to act…When governments aren’t listening you get out and get your voice heard…so I think [climate protesters] deserve our encouragement, not our criticism.”
Speaking to Manchester Evening News at a student climate protest in Manchester, 24 May 2019
“Labour under my leadership will never turn our back on either our duty to tackle climate change or the prospects offered by the green economy.”
Labour leadership candidate speech, 15 July 2015
“Climate change can seem a distant, impersonal threat – in fact the associated costs to health are a very real and present danger…We need well-designed climate change policies that drive health benefits.”
Speaking to the Guardian about a study on climate and health, 25 November 2009
“The Stern report on the economics of climate change has changed the debate, in this country and around the world. It made it clear that the people who could suffer most from a failure to tackle climate change, or from a lack of ambition in our approach to it, are those living in the developing countries. They are the most vulnerable…[and] Stern said that the cost of not acting would be large. That is why the government took various measures in the recent spending review to ensure that we are prepared to face the challenges posed by climate change.”
Speaking in the UK parliament on the economic impacts of climate change on his final day as chief secretary to the Treasury, 24 January 2008
Net-zero
“There should be no turning away from net-zero.”
Speaking after giving his support to the fossil fuel treaty – a proposed global pact to introduce laws to phase out coal, oil and gas – on behalf of Manchester, 6 June 2025
“An opportunity is opening up for Britain as other countries move away from net-zero. We should seize that…We can make Britain a green leader. This is not the time to tiptoe, it is the time to commit to this path.”
Speaking at Innovation Zero World Congress in London, 29 April 2025
“[We] need a government that fully buys into the 2038 vision because the UK will not get to 2050 unless places like Greater Manchester are freed up to go faster – and we’re ready to go faster.”
Speaking about Greater Manchester’s aim to reach net-zero by 2038, 19 October 2022
“In Greater Manchester we have plans to build 30,000 net-zero social rented homes because we recognise that a successful city region needs good quality, affordable accommodation for everyone.”
Speech on the future of cities, 24 June 2022
“By building a broad consensus behind the drive to net-zero, we can ensure that the transition is a fair one that delivers social justice as well as climate justice. This is an opportunity for all of us to show how cutting carbon emissions in our cities can make a real difference to our communities – away from the abstractions and rooted in the real world.”
Panel discussion in Glasgow during the COP26 climate summit, 12 November 2021
“To the extent that people have picked up anything from COP26, it’s a sense that the drive to net-zero will mean cost and inconvenience for ordinary people and offsetting for the wealthy and entitled. All of a sudden, you can feel how net-zero could become the new Brexit – a debate that gets very divided on class grounds…This has got to be a wake-up call. We cannot let this happen. We need to act now to build a broad social consensus behind the drive to net-zero. How to do that? It starts with taking control of the climate narrative from those steering it in the wrong direction and turning it around…We must show how, if done in the right way, the drive to net-zero is actually an opportunity to reduce the cost of living; to make people’s lives better and society fairer.”
Writing for the London Standard, 5 November 2021
“The drive to net-zero is a chance to re-industrialise the north of England, this time in a clean way. Create really good jobs, future-facing jobs for people, better public transport, improve people’s homes…If we go quickly towards net-zero, it’s the quickest way to level up the country.”
ITV interview at COP26, 1 November 2021
“If we really embrace the drive to net-zero, that is the route to level up the country…But it needs substantial investment, upfront, now, of the kind that Rachel Reeves, shadow chancellor [and chancellor under Keir Starmer’s government], has been talking about. We need long-term predictable funding.”
Interview with GB News at COP26, 1 November 2021
“I would have preferred to hear slightly less about carbonated wine and much more about a decarbonised economy.”
Referencing a UK budget, which included tax cuts for sparkling wine and other drinks, 28 October 2021
“Decarbonising is not just about lowering costs on to people. It’s the route to get better, cheaper public transport. It’s the route to getting homes that are cheap to run. It’s actually the way we can create thousands of good jobs for the people who live in Greater Manchester. This is the route to levelling up the country by going further and faster on decarbonisation.”
Speaking to Manchester Confidential, 20 October 2021
“[I am] asking people to stop seeing the environmental agenda as a cost and a burden agenda. I think this is a barrier that we’ve got to get over. Already in the media interviews I’ve done today, people are saying ‘can you afford it?’, ‘can it be achievable when times are tough?’.
“My answer to that is, at some point in the 21st century, all homes will be zero-carbon. At some point in this century, all buildings of any kind will be zero-carbon…All cars will be zero-carbon, all public transport will be zero-carbon…The question is: when? And surely the places that embrace those things first are putting themselves in a position of economic strength when it comes to facing up to the future. Rather than seeing the whole agenda as a burden, we’ve got to see it for the benefits that it can bring.
“There may be a greater upfront cost in a zero-carbon home, but let’s stop thinking, as we tend to do in Britain, of the short-term, the short-termist approach to life. Surely let’s start talking to the public about the lifetime cost.”
Greater Manchester Green Summit, 21 March 2018
Fossil fuels
“I’ve got something of an open mind, you know. I don’t have a sort of fixed position.”
Speaking on the issue of new North Sea oil and gas in a New Statesman interview, 3 June 2026
“We would fight this in GM [Greater Manchester]…Communities across the north would face all the danger and disruption while big oil and gas walk away with all the profits.”
In response to Reform’s call for fracking, on X, 25 August 2025
“I am proud to endorse the fossil-fuel treaty proposal today on behalf of Greater Manchester. It’s not just a plan – it’s a lifeline. It’s a call to end coal, oil and gas, hold polluters accountable…I urge all governments, nationals and subnationals to join this fight.”
Statement upon endorsing the fossil-fuel treaty, 5 June 2025
“Fracking is the past, it is not the future.”
Speech at London climate protest, 20 September 2019
“I have called for a moratorium on fracking. Far too many potential risks and unanswered questions.”
On X, 22 June 2015
Energy and transport
“What I would do, if successful, is lay out a plan for more public control over water, energy, transport, so that over the period we can get those bills down, fares down, and give people and give businesses breathing space.”
LBC interview, 2 July 2026
“I am all in favour of tough decisions at a national level. I don’t believe there should be a third runway at Heathrow, for instance. But I think those are decisions for national government.”
Guardian interview, 13 June 2019
“There is a debate to be had about aviation, isn’t there? There are changing public attitudes about aviation. Rather than just saying no to people flying, don’t we need to accelerate research into low and zero-carbon forms of aviation?”
Guardian interview, 13 June 2019
“Today, I stand alongside the mayors of some of the greatest cities in the world. I’m committed to a cleaner, greener and healthier future for Greater Manchester. Around a third of greenhouse gas emissions in our city-region come from transport.”
When signing the C40 Fossil-Fuel-Free Streets Declaration, which includes support for zero-emissions vehicles and walking and cycling, on behalf of Manchester, 14 September 2018
The post 28 quotes from next UK leader Andy Burnham on climate, net-zero and fossil fuels appeared first on Carbon Brief.
28 quotes from next UK leader Andy Burnham on climate, net-zero and fossil fuels
Suresanathan Murugesu is the country director of Action Against Hunger in the Philippines
The Philippines is caught in an extreme weather trap. Here, forecasts for a strong El Niño in the months ahead do not just indicate a period of drought – they also point to torrential rain and flooding.
It could hardly come at a worse time, threatening communities that are still struggling to recover from previous typhoons, such as last year’s Typhoon Tino, as well as two strong earthquakes – in Cebu in September 2025 and last month’s 7.8-magnitude quake in Mindanao.
Forecasts point to the arrival of one of the most intense El Niños in recent history this year and into 2027, with the United Nations warning that it could be the strongest in decades around the world.
The peak of the El Niño is expected towards the end of the year, but the weather phenomenon is already estimated to have caused agricultural losses of nearly €30 million (£25.9 million), potentially affecting the livelihoods of 4 million farmers.
-
Scientists warn El Niño could intensify climate extremes in 2026
Climatologists say a particularly powerful weather pattern could amplify wildfire risk, heatwaves and flooding worldwide as global temperatures continue to rise -
WHO issues new guidance on heat-health action plans, as El Niño sets in
Amid warnings of “unprecedented” weather extremes this year, the World Health Organization urges governments to strengthen protections for vulnerable groups -
Philippines storm victims to seek damages from Shell in “unprecedented” climate claim
The case is the first civil claim to directly link an oil firm’s climate impact to deaths and personal injury in the Global South, its backers say
On the climate frontline
For many, El Niño is a figure in a report or a distant headline, but for those of us who live and work on the ground, it is a reality that is already hitting the most vulnerable families.
When I travel through the communities of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region – in the south – or speak with families on the island of Siargao or in the Zamboanga region, I do not see data or graphs.
I see a father looking at his cracked rice field, wondering how he will pay off the debts from a harvest that is already lost before it has even begun. I see a mother walking under a relentless sun because her village’s well has dried up, carrying the water that sustains the health of her children and her entire community.
And what we are seeing today – 26 provinces experiencing drought and millions of dollars in agricultural losses – is only the beginning.
Loss and damage fund delays first project approvals as needs dwarf resources
Many Filipino families are still trying to rebuild and recover after last year’s typhoons and the two earthquakes. In Mindanao, where the recent magnitude 7.8 earthquake displaced more than 90,000 people and destroyed over 19,000 houses, uncertainty remains about when the people will be able to fully recover and return home.
Today, they are trying to protect the meagre possessions they have and, if they are lucky enough to have their home unscathed by typhoons and earthquakes, their homes from flooding; tomorrow, they will have to survive the hardship and impact of drought.
The effects of El Niño threaten to exacerbate their troubles.
Struggle for basic needs
Many low-income Filipino families already face significant challenges to meet their basic needs.
In our daily visits, we see how life is becoming increasingly difficult for millions of people. Rising fuel and transport costs are driving up the price of basic foodstuffs, making them unaffordable for many families. At the same time, crop failures and income losses are leaving households without livelihoods, while disasters contribute to further suffering.
But we are not just talking about hunger. We are talking about health, safety and dignity. Water shortages are forcing many people to resort to unsafe sources, increasing the risk of disease. And, as is the case in so many crises, it is the most vulnerable who bear the heaviest burden: walking long distances every day to fetch water or food, enduring enormous physical strain and facing risks of violence and insecurity.
Building resilience
Faced with this reality, our response is based on a simple idea: to be there before the crisis reaches its most critical point. At Action Against Hunger, we work alongside communities to anticipate the situation, assessing the impact of the drought and activating early response mechanisms to protect their livelihoods and access to water.
We translate climate forecasts into concrete action plans: from support for farmers to programmes ensuring safe water. All of this is done in coordination with local authorities and international partners, because we know that what we do today will make the difference tomorrow.
The hardest months are yet to come. But the question is not just what will happen, but what we are doing now to prevent it. How many tables will remain empty and how many children will see their health compromised will depend on our ability to act in time.
We cannot stop El Niño. But we can prevent it from becoming a crisis of human dignity. We cannot afford to look the other way whilst the earth cracks and opportunities disappear. Because behind every statistic, there is a family struggling to get by. And that is a reality we cannot ignore.
The post A strong El Niño spells more climate pain for the Philippines appeared first on Climate Home News.
A strong El Niño spells more climate pain for the Philippines
Last month, COP31 president-designate Murat Kurum launched a target for 35% of the world’s final energy to come from electricity by 2035.
In an interview with Carbon Brief, Kurum says that the target was not a political choice, but instead reflects the latest evidence on “what is needed to keep 1.5C within reach”.
The ongoing Hormuz crisis means there is an “urgent” need for renewables and electrification, which are the “surest and cleanest way to protect citizens” from high energy prices.
Kurum says that the Brazilian and Ethiopian presidencies of COP30 and COP32, as well as the EU, UK and Canada, have welcomed the target.
He adds that “all have confirmed it will be central to discussions at COP31”.
In the interview, Kurum – who is also Turkey’s minister of environment, urbanisation and climate change – tells Carbon Brief where the target came from and what he expects to happen next.
Carbon Brief: You recently launched a target for 35% of the world’s final energy to come from electricity by 2035. Where did this idea come from?
Murat Kurum: The “35 by 35” target is grounded in technical data and based on the IEA [International Energy Agency] and IRENA [International Renewable Energy Agency] analysis of what is needed to keep [the 1.5C Paris Agreement target] within reach. The level was not chosen politically. Rather, it reflects what the science and the energy modelling tell us is required.
CB: Why do you think an electrification target is important right now?
MK: The case for the target is urgent right now. The latest war in the Gulf has made energy diversification – and, in particular, renewable energy transition and electrification – a top global priority, because it is the surest and cleanest way to protect citizens around the world from high and volatile energy prices.
At a time of real fragmentation in international relations, a single, shared target is needed to focus global efforts by aligning governments, businesses and investors behind a common benchmark and to send a clear market signal.
CB: Which countries are supporting this target so far?
MK: The reaction so far has been extremely positive and, while we presented our target at the UN June climate meetings in Bonn, our earlier conversations with parties at both the Petersberg and Copenhagen climate dialogues paved the way for this launch.
For example, the EU, UK, and Canada have welcomed the target, as have the Brazilian COP30 and Ethiopian COP32 presidencies. All have confirmed it will be central to discussions at COP31.
This support has been reflected in the business community as well, with polling by the We Mean Business Coalition showing that 90% of businesses expect to have largely electrified their operations by 2035 and that 88% expect electrification will make their business more competitive.
CB: How do you hope and expect to see this taken forward at the COP? Could it be in the formal COP outcomes, or part of the second global stocktake?
MK: We are now taking electrification forward as an “action agenda” initiative to bring actors together and drive progress. The action agenda and the [formal COP] negotiations are separate, but complementary, with different processes and thresholds, and it is too early to say what all countries might be able to agree in the negotiations. That is for parties to determine as the year progresses.
We are focused and determined to use COP31 as a moment to spark a global conversation about electrification.
CB: What are the key priorities for reaching the target?
MK: The critical sectors for reaching the target are buildings, transport and industry, which together account for around 45% of global emissions. Financial support for the developing world and investment in grids and infrastructure is also crucial.
The target also builds on COP28’s target to triple renewable energy capacity and seeks to take advantage of the tumbling cost of renewable power and other technologies critical to the energy transition. This is a journey that Turkey itself is taking ambitious steps on, including our plan to reach 120GW [gigawatts] of renewable capacity by 2035.
This interview was first published in the 10 July 2026 edition of Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed weekly newsletter. Sign up for free.
The post Interview: COP31 president says electrification is ‘surest way to protect citizens’ appeared first on Carbon Brief.
Interview: COP31 president says electrification is ‘surest way to protect citizens’
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