Organisers of this year’s Conference of the Parties (COP31) climate summit placed electrification at the centre of a new Action Agenda unveiled at the Bonn Climate Change Conference last week.

The proposal aims to increase the role of electricity across the global economy and forms part of a broader package of measures ahead of the November 2026 summit in Antalya, Türkiye (Turkey).

COP31 organisers said greater electrification would strengthen energy security and support economic development. They also argued that wider use of electricity, alongside continued growth in clean power generation, would help reduce dependence on fossil fuels and support climate goals.

The initiative comes as electricity demand continues to rise, driven by growing use of electric vehicles and expanding digital infrastructure.

Electrification is one of several priorities included in the Action Agenda. Other goals include improving energy efficiency in buildings, cutting food loss and waste, and strengthening the resilience of cities.

However, achieving higher levels of electrification will require substantial investment across power systems. Networks will need to expand, while growing demand will require additional generation and storage capacity.

To support the initiative, COP31 organisers have commissioned the International Energy Agency (IEA) to develop ways of achieving the target and identify measures that could accelerate electrification.

The IEA is expected to publish a special report examining how countries could achieve higher levels of electrification while strengthening energy security.

Jessica Isaacs, Global Impact Director at the World Resources Institute (WRI) Polsky Center for the Global Energy Transition, said the proposal sent a strong signal that clean power must become ‘the bedrock of the global energy transition’.

She said no country would achieve electrification at the scale and speed required without supportive policies and investment in electricity infrastructure. Isaacs also highlighted the need to extend access to modern energy services, noting that hundreds of millions of people worldwide still lack access to electricity and clean cooking.

Environmental organisations broadly welcomed the announcement but argued that electrification alone would not be sufficient to meet climate goals. Greenpeace said the proposal should be accompanied by stronger commitments to phase out fossil fuels and accelerate the deployment of renewable energy.

COP31 organisers have said they intend to build an international coalition to support the target ahead of the Antalya summit. The electrification goal is expected to become one of the presidency’s central energy priorities in the run-up to the conference.