Welcome to Carbon Brief’s Cropped.
We handpick and explain the most important stories at the intersection of climate, land, food and nature over the past fortnight.
This is an online version of Carbon Brief’s fortnightly Cropped email newsletter. Subscribe for free here.
Key developments
COP16 comes to a close
ABRUPT END: COP16 nature talks in Cali “ended in disarray on Saturday” after nearly 12 hours of overtime, “with some breakthroughs”, but without consensus on key issues such as nature funding and how this decade’s targets would be monitored, the Guardian reported. Many developing country delegations “were forced to leave the talks early”, it added, due to the 14-hour over run. Those delegations “expressed fury” at how the talks were organised, leaving “crucial issues undecided at the final hour”. Those issues – and COP16 itself – will have to be picked up “next year at an interim meeting in Bangkok”. For a full breakdown of events, read Carbon Brief’s detailed summary of COP16’s key outcomes and watch back the wrap-up webinar where Cropped journalists explained what happened in Cali and answered audience questions.
‘CALI FUND’: One of the “breakthroughs” that countries managed to agree on was a “global levy on products made using genetic data from nature”, the Guardian said. Pharmaceutical, cosmetics and agricultural technology companies that “presently enjoy free and extensive access to this data” now “should contribute” 1% of their profits or 0.1% revenue to the new “Cali Fund”, the Financial Times explained. While this “would essentially be voluntary contributions by companies, rather than [a] mandatory levy”, the decision “could create significant moral and reputational pressure on companies to comply”, it added. Global pharmaceutical industry bodies quoted in the outlet “hit out at the decision” that could have raised a “$67m payment last year from Switzerland’s Roche…alone”. At least half of the money is “meant to support Indigenous people and local communities, especially in low-income parts of the world”, Vox reported.
NO NEW FUND: A key issue on which “no common ground was found” was “how to close the gap in biodiversity finance”, Climate Home News reported. While “unlocking” new and additional finance was a key challenge for COP16, “very little fresh cash was forthcoming” in the two-week summit, the outlet wrote, observers calling $163m in new pledges a “drop in the ocean”. It added that African countries, Brazil and Bolivia “demanded a new fund”, while “Canada, Switzerland, Japan, New Zealand and the EU opposed it, instead offering an assessment of the current set-up by COP18”. Wealthy nations “appeared to hit a limit with how much they are willing to pay” to protect nature at COP16, Reuters wrote, “instead shifting their focus” towards “private money filling the funding gap”.
Indigenous recognition at COP16
A PERMANENT HOME: In one of the historic wins at COP16, negotiators agreed to “establish a subsidiary body that will include Indigenous peoples in future decisions on nature conservation”, the Associated Press said. The outlet explained that the subsidiary body “recognises and protects” Indigenous knowledge and practices for the “benefit of global and national biodiversity management”. According to the text adopted by the COP, the subsidiary body will have two co-chairs: one nominated by Indigenous representatives and one nominated by parties within a rotating UN regional grouping. The Jakarta Post noted that Indonesia “eventually supported” the creation of the subsidiary body “following an initial rejection”.
‘WATERSHED MOMENT’: Agence-France Presse reported that Indigenous representatives at the summit, “many in traditional dress and headgear, broke out in cheers and chants” upon the adoption of the decision. The newswire quoted Camila Romero, an Indigenous representative from Chile, who said: “This is an unprecedented moment in the history of multilateral agreements on the environment.” Earth.org called the decision a “watershed moment” and added it “builds on a growing movement to recognise the role of Indigenous peoples in protecting land and helping combat climate change”.
EXPLICIT RECOGNITION: In a separate decision, the COP “finally explicitly recognised the role played by the Afro-descendant population in the care and preservation of biodiversity”, Colombia’s El Espectador reported. The Spanish-language daily said that the issue “had cost [delegates] several hours of negotiations”, as Colombia’s proposal – backed by Brazil – was strongly opposed by the African Group. The newspaper noted: “In practice, this recognition also means that they will be able, in the future, to access funds related to the protection of biodiversity.” On Twitter, Colombian vice-president Francia Márquez wrote: “This is a historic event, an act of ethnic-racial justice.”
Farms hit by ‘deadly’ Valencia floods
VALENCIA DOWNPOUR: Floods that killed more than 200 people in Valencia, Spain, hit farms and left fields waterlogged, Reuters reported. One fruit farmer told the news agency that he was about to harvest oranges and persimmons before the intense rain: “Now the fruit is going to rot. Even the trees can die because they have been under water for 36 hours.” The floods affected “thousands of hectares of farmland”, agricultural groups and farmers told Reuters. Climate change made the extreme rain heavier and more likely to occur, according to a rapid analysis covered by the Associated Press.
SMALL FARMS LOSE OUT: Meanwhile, several companies owned by billionaires received “generous” farm subsidies from the EU over 2018-21, the Guardian reported. Based on analysis of “official, but opaque, data”, the newspaper found that billionaires were the “ultimate beneficiaries” tied to £2.76bn of EU farm payments during this time. This included companies owned by the former Czech Republic prime minister Andrej Babiš and “British vacuum cleaner tycoon” James Dyson. Another Guardian piece found that the “income gap” between Europe’s biggest and smallest farms doubled in the past 15 years. Over this time, “the number of small farms has collapsed”, the newspaper’s analysis of agricultural income data found.
CLINCHER: Smallholder farmers around the world “remain mixed” on the EU’s proposal to delay its anti-deforestation law ahead of a key vote, Mongabay reported. A European parliament vote in mid-November will decide whether the law aiming to stop the sale of goods produced on deforested land will be postponed. An oil palm and cacao farmer in Nigeria told Mongabay that the delay would give “breathing room” for compliance, but added: “It also means that I might lose the momentum I have built up in terms of making these critical changes.” Meanwhile, the European Commission is set to approve Christophe Hansen as the new agriculture commissioner, Euronews reported. Hansen was a key figure in forming the anti-deforestation regulation.
News and views
‘HUNGER HOTSPOTS’: A new report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme found that “severe food crises” are putting hundreds of thousands of people at risk in 22 “hunger hotspots”, including Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti and Mali, the Associated Press reported. The newswire noted that “conflicts, economic instability and climate shocks” are all fuelling the “alarming levels” of food insecurity. Meanwhile, a joint UN-Nigeria report found that the country is facing “one of its worst hunger crises” as the country is “grappling” with the cost of living, Reuters said. It added: “Flooding and insecurity in northern states [has] continued to hit agriculture, further driving up food prices beyond the reach of many families.”
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY: JBS – the world’s largest producer of beef – purchased cattle from a farm that had previously been sanctioned and fined for illegal deforestation in Brazil, apparently “in direct contravention of its promises to keep its supply chain clean”, an Unearthed investigation revealed. JBS told Unearthed that “acquisitions followed JBS purchasing policy according to the available information at the time”. Meanwhile, Brazilian authorities told Reuters that they “are preparing to remove illegal gold miners from an Indigenous reservation in the Amazon rainforest”. The reservation in question “has the second-most illegal mining in Brazil”. Illegal mining causes deforestation, contaminates rivers with mercury and has “triggered public health crises on Indigenous reservations”, the newswire added.
CUTTING CORNERS: Verra, the world’s largest certifier of carbon credits, has announced that it will review projects more quickly despite workforce reductions, Climate Home News reported. Verra has introduced a new “risk-based approach” that uses algorithms and staff judgement to categorise offset projects by how risky they are. Projects deemed high-risk will be checked more thoroughly than low-risk ones. Experts told Climate Home News that the new approach risks further undermining Verra’s credibility following allegations of malpractice (which Verra disputes). In response, a spokesperson for Verra told the publication that the approach had been in development for “some time” and would “help mitigate the impact of the reduction in [staff] forces, but that is not the purpose of it”.
VIRAL MIXING: The US Department of Agriculture announced that a pig on a farm in Oregon was infected with H5N1, the highly contagious avian influenza virus that has been circulating since 2020. NPR wrote that “finding bird flu in a pig raises worries that the virus may be hitting a stepping stone to becoming a bigger threat to people”, adding that swine are an intermediary that “can play a role in making bird viruses better adapted to humans”. In the Conversation, Prof Ed Hutchinson from University of Glasgow explained: “Pig cells can be infected by both bird flu and human flu, making pigs a potential ‘mixing vessel’ in which influenza viruses with pandemic potential could be brewed.”
Watch, read, listen
PARADISE LOST: A Hakai Magazine story reflected on how it took “millions of years” for the Mediterranean to heal from a “massive environmental calamity”.
‘COSMO BIOCENTRIC’: The Economics for Rebels podcast talked to Dr Jocelyne Sze about Indigenous stewardship of global ecosystems.
SEEDS OF DOUBT: Yale Environment 360 interviewed a microbial biologist about “how reforestation efforts can go awry if done poorly, reducing biodiversity and harming local populations”.
POST-COP ANALYSIS: The BBC World Service Newshour programme covered COP16’s key outcomes, speaking to a member of the Sámi Indigenous peoples and Carbon Brief’s Orla Dwyer.
New science
- A global area the size of Mexico has the potential for natural forest restoration, a Nature study said. The authors calculated that restoring this area of forest could absorb 23.4bn tonnes of carbon over 30 years.
- A slowdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could “exert a systemic impact on the Amazon” by causing northern forests to dry out, according to a Nature Geosciences study. The research used ancient pollen and micro-charcoal data to reconstruct how a past slowdown of the large-scale ocean current system caused hotter and drier conditions in the northern Amazon, suggesting this could happen this century because of climate change.
- Intense marine heatwaves reduce catches of lobster, sea urchin and sea cucumber for small-scale Mexican fishing communities by as much as 58%, a Communications Earth and Environment study found. The scientists noted impacts were larger “for operations in areas of high historical environmental variation and low historical variation in fisheries production”.
In the diary
- 7 November: Launch of UNEP Adaptation Gap report | Online
- 11-22 November: COP29 UNFCCC climate conference | Baku, Azerbaijan
- 18-19 November: G20 Summit | Rio de Janeiro
Cropped is researched and written by Dr Giuliana Viglione, Aruna Chandrasekhar, Daisy Dunne, Orla Dwyer and Yanine Quiroz. Please send tips and feedback to cropped@carbonbrief.org.
The post Cropped 6 November 2024: COP16 concludes; Recognition for Indigenous peoples; Spain’s farms hit by ‘deadly floods’ 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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