
Al Gore and Fatih Birol spoke on energy transition and climate responsibility
AI-generated summary
The contribution of domestic industrial infrastructures to energy independence, the role of electrification in energy transformation and domestic clean energy investments were discussed at the event.
Sanem Özyürek Arman - "Noting that governments have established domestic industrial infrastructures centered on energy independence and durability, Koç said that the essence of the energy transformation is the spread of electrification and domestic clean energy investments.
Al Gore joined
Former US Vice President Al Gore, who made the main speech at the event, congratulated Turkey for hosting COP31. Al Gore said, “Tell the future generations that we, who are alive in 2026, took action to fulfill our responsibilities. We have not only technologies, but also proven application models. The only thing some people think is missing is sufficient political will. "But please always remember that political will itself is a renewable resource," he said.
Participating in the panel as a moderator was Dr. President of the International Energy Agency. Fatih Birol said, “Close dialogue between governments and the business world on how to provide affordable and sustainable energy in such a dynamic environment is more important than ever.”

In his statements to CNN TÜRK at COP31, Minister of Energy Alparslan Bayraktar stated 2027 as a critical turning point for oil and natural gas production. He shared that Türkiye has a target of reaching 10 thousand megawatts by 2040 and 20 thousand megawatts by 2050, that Sakarya Gas Field production will double in 2027 and that it plans to bring an electric cable to Cyprus.
İlkay Demirağ, Founder of Energy Shift Capital, stated at the COP 31 Summit that energy has become the backbone of the economy and investments are directed towards energy security.
In his evaluation within the scope of COP31 held in Antalya, GWEC Director Cole stated that Türkiye's renewable energy targets and progress in wind energy set an example for other countries on the path to global leadership.

Türkiye earned approximately $500 million in electricity export revenue between January 2025 and August 2026. Most of the sales went to Iraq and Syria. However, only one seventh of the country's capacity to sell electricity to its neighbors is being used.
Minister of Energy Alparslan Bayraktar announced that a memorandum of understanding was signed with Saudi Arabia for 5 thousand megawatts of renewable energy projects. The projects will be carried out by ACWA Power in two phases.
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar announced the National Energy 2040 plan at COP31, which aims to invest 300 billion dollars in Türkiye's energy sector by 2040 and increase its installed capacity to 281 gigawatts.