At the Bonn Climate Change Conference, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) highlighted the growing global push toward large-scale electrification as a central strategy for accelerating the energy transition.Speaking at the conference, IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera welcomed the proposal from the COP31 President-Designate, Murat Kurum, who called for a global target to reach 35% electrification of final energy consumption by 2035.
La Camera noted that IRENA has been working closely with the incoming COP31 presidency and described the proposal as a strong and forward-looking step for global climate action.He explained that under IRENA’s updated 1.5°C climate scenario, the share of electricity in global final energy use is expected to rise from about 23% today to around 35% by 2035, eventually exceeding 50% by 2050.
In this pathway, electricity becomes the dominant energy carrier worldwide, replacing a large portion of direct fossil fuel use across sectors.La Camera also emphasized that international cooperation will be essential to achieve this transition at the required pace. He stated that IRENA is prepared to use its global membership network to support the COP31 Action Agenda and help coordinate efforts among countries to accelerate electrification and renewable energy deployment.
According to IRENA, electrification supported by renewable energy expansion, stronger power grids, and improved energy efficiency is a highly reliable strategy for decarbonization. It is often described as a “no-regret” option because it delivers multiple benefits at the same time, including lower emissions, improved energy security, greater affordability, and enhanced industrial competitiveness through cleaner production systems.
The agency’s recent roadmap reinforces the view that electrification is one of the most practical and cost-effective solutions currently available. As global energy demand continues to grow across sectors such as transport, industry, buildings, and digital infrastructure, the energy transition is increasingly shifting toward replacing fossil fuel-based energy use with direct electricity consumption.
The discussion was further reinforced during a side event titled “The Electrification Imperative: Winning the Demand-Side Race,” co-hosted by IRENA along with the Energy Efficiency Council of Australia, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Global Renewables Alliance.
The event brought together representatives from governments, including Türkiye and Australia, as well as industry leaders and energy transition stakeholders.Overall, the message from IRENA at the Bonn conference highlighted electrification as a central pillar of the global energy transition, with renewable power and international collaboration playing key roles in achieving long-term climate and energy goals.
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