In this section of AA's "Priority Areas at COP31" file, the situation in the world and in Türkiye was discussed under the title of "Clean energy conversion and electrification", one of the 10 priority themes of the COP31 Action Agenda.
Clean energy transformation and electrification are among the important topics of the climate agenda before the United Nations Climate Summit (COP31), which Türkiye will host between 9-20 November.
Announcing the 6 global implementation targets of the COP31 Action Agenda, COP31 President and Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum announced that the first of these targets is electrification.
The institution said, "We aim to reach a 35 percent electrification rate by 2035. This target will be one of the main priorities of our COP31 Presidency. We will work to create a strong global coalition by COP31 in Antalya." he said.
Answering the questions of the AA reporter, Middle East Technical University (METU) Department of Economics Faculty Member and Solar Energy Application and Research Center (GÜNAM) Chief Researcher Prof. Dr. Pınar Derin Güre said that electrification means the realization of processes carried out with coal, oil and natural gas using electricity and is at the center of energy transformation.
Stating that the clean energy transformation was accelerating around the world before COP31, solar and wind energy investments reached record levels, but energy demand and fossil fuel use continued to increase, Güre shared his determination that current policies are not fully compatible with the goal of limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees.
Stating that Türkiye has made significant progress especially in solar and wind energy in recent years, Güre said, "As of May 2026, the total electricity installed power reached 125 thousand 598 megawatts, approximately 62.6 percent of which is from renewable sources. Within the scope of Türkiye's National Energy Plan, it is aimed to increase the solar and wind installed power to approximately 120 gigawatts by 2035. In the next period, in addition to the capacity increase, storage systems and network infrastructure need to be strengthened. The main issue is that this capacity is increased." "It will be how quickly it is integrated into the grid, how much it can be supported by storage systems, and to what extent end users can participate in the transformation." he said.
"Carbon emissions can be significantly reduced"
Güre, who is also a Board Member of METU Climate Center, explained that carbon emissions can be significantly reduced if electricity is produced from renewable sources, and that electric vehicles in transportation, heat pumps in buildings and electric production processes in industry are among the basic elements of this transformation.
Stating that Türkiye meets approximately 70 percent of its energy needs through imports and that its energy import bill has been over 60 billion dollars in recent years, Güre noted that electrification, which stands out on the COP31 agenda, is one of the most important components of the energy transformation, but should not be seen as the only solution.
Güre made the following evaluations:
"Producing heat directly from renewable sources in countries with high sunshine hours and strong geothermal resources, such as Turkey, offers important opportunities. It is necessary to evaluate energy transformation not only as increasing the share of electricity, but also as introducing the most appropriate technologies that will reduce the use of fossil fuels in all forms of energy. The main question before Türkiye is no longer whether we can install more renewable energy, but how quickly and comprehensively we can carry out this transformation."
"Clean energy is growing, but fossil fuels are not leaving the system at the same pace."
Yıldız Technical University Clean Energy Technologies Institute Deputy Director Assoc. Dr. Ali Rıfat Boynueğri said that the concept of clean energy should not be limited to solar and wind power plants.
Stating that clean energy is a broader transformation approach that includes energy efficiency, electric transportation, energy storage, smart grids and low-emission industrial technologies, Boynueğri emphasized that life cycle effects should also be taken into account in sustainable energy assessments.
Boynueğri stated that, according to International Energy Agency data, global renewable energy capacity increase in 2025 broke a record with 800 gigawatts, and approximately 75 percent of this came from solar energy.
Stating that low-emission energy sources meet approximately 60 percent of the growth in global energy demand, Boynueğri noted that, despite this, global energy-related carbon emissions increased by approximately 0.4 percent in the same period.
Boynueğri continued as follows:
"Electricity production from wind and solar energy increased by 16.3 percent on a global scale in the last year. The share of these sources in total electricity production increased from 13.3 percent to 14.8 percent. In the same period, this rate increased from 26.7 percent to 28.4 percent in the European Union and from 17 percent to 19 percent in Türkiye. The share of electricity produced from low-emission sources in global production increased from 36.6 percent to 14.8 percent. "On the other hand, fossil fuels maintain their weight in the energy system. Electricity production from fossil fuels increased by 1.9 percent on a global scale, and the increase in fossil energy supply was 1.5 percent during the period when the world's total energy supply grew by 2.1 percent."
Underlining that Türkiye has made significant progress in the field of renewable energy, Boynueğri stated that as of March 2026, the solar energy installed power reached 26 thousand 478 megawatts and the wind energy installed power reached 15 thousand 39 megawatts.
Boynueğri said, "Clean energy is growing, but fossil fuels are not leaving the system at the same pace. Therefore, it would be more accurate to define the process we are experiencing today as a period of adding clean capacity to the energy system rather than a complete energy transformation." he said.
"One in every 4 vehicles sold is electric"
Stating that electrification has ushered in a new era in global electricity demand, Boynueğri mentioned that by 2025, worldwide electric car sales will increase by more than 20 percent every year, reaching a total of 21 million units, and one in every 4 vehicles sold will now be an electric car.
Stating that the production time and consumption time of solar and wind energy do not coincide, making storage technologies critical, Boynueğri concluded his words as follows:
"According to International Energy Agency data, 108 gigawatts of new battery storage capacity was commissioned worldwide in 2025, making it the world's fastest growing energy technology. Clean energy transformation is not just about building more solar and wind power plants, but also about building a smarter energy system."
