Türkiye has unveiled ambitious climate goals aimed at accelerating the global transition to cleaner energy, including a proposal to increase the share of global energy demand met by electricity from just over 20 per cent to 35 per cent by 2035.
The proposal was announced by COP31 President-designate and Türkiye’s Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, Murat Kurum, during the UN June Climate Meetings in Bonn, Germany, ahead of the COP31 Climate Conference scheduled to hold in Antalya, Türkiye, in November.
Kurum said the COP31 presidency plans to build an international coalition to achieve the target.
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Other key goals include reducing the growth of global waste by half by 2035 and cutting energy consumption intensity in the building sector by at least 25 per cent within the same period.
He highlighted that food waste contributes about 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, mainly through methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas.
Meanwhile, UN climate chief Simon Stiell urged countries to accelerate implementation of their existing climate commitments, warning that continued dependence on fossil fuels threatens economic stability and increases climate risks for vulnerable populations.
Stiell emphasised the need for faster action on renewable energy, adaptation, climate finance, food security and resilient cities, stressing that countries must move beyond debates and deliver on promises made under the Paris Agreement.
The Bonn climate meetings, which serve as preparations for upcoming COP negotiations, will focus on advancing global climate solutions amid rising concerns over extreme weather, energy challenges and economic uncertainty.
NAN
