Germany praises new electrification target at Bonn climate meeting

Progress is being made at the climate change conference in Bonn, the German government believes, with a new target on the share of electricity in final energy demand set to be a key theme of the UN's COP31 summit in Antalya later this year. 

Jochen Flasbarth, a junior minister in the German Environment Ministry, said on Friday that the Turkish presidency of the next global climate change summit, set for November, is demonstrating that "it is determined to drive forward the implementation of the Paris Agreement."

Speaking in the western German city, Flasbarth told dpa that he "welcomes" that electrification in the transport, construction and industrial sectors - which he called "the backbone of a successful energy transition" - is increasingly a priority for COP31.

The annual 10-day June Climate Meetings in Bonn, which are due to conclude on June 18, are being attended this year by 6,500 delegates from governments, the scientific community, the business sector and civil society, representing almost all UN member states. 

At the conference, Turkey has announced a new target of raising the global share of final energy demand met by electricity from just over 20% to 35% by 2035.

Other goals include halving growth in global waste by 2035 and increasing the global circular material use rate to at least 15%.

Flasbarth said the negotiations in Bonn show that "there remains a strong global commitment to genuinely curbing global warming."

The electrification proposal "sends a strong signal for investment in grids, renewable energy and modern infrastructure," he added. "It provides global guidance and thus predictability for businesses, investors and governments, and can further accelerate the energy transition."

Environmental organizations have praised the target, with WWF global climate and policy head Fernanda de Carvalho saying the group "welcomes this electrification goal."

"But for it to support delivery of the Paris Agreement, it must clearly accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels," she warned. "More electricity alone is not the answer if it is still powered by coal, oil and gas. Developing countries will also need finance and technology support to make this transition fair and effective."