The IEA and the COP31 Presidency today convened the second in a series of High-Level Energy Transition Dialogues taking place ahead of the COP31 summit in Antalya, Türkiye in November.
Taking place during London Climate Action Week, the event brought together government ministers from around the world, as well as a broad range of other high-level stakeholders, including leaders from five previous COP Presidencies, private sector executives and civil society figures. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol opened the event, followed by keynote remarks from COP31 President-Designate Murat Kurum, who also serves as Türkiye's Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. Chris Bowen, the COP31 President of Negotiations and Australia's Minister for Climate Change and Energy, delivered a video address.
Other high-level participants included Colombia's Minister of Environment Irene Vélez Torres; COP32 President-Designate and Ethiopia's Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos; European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen; the Netherlands' Minister of Climate Policy and Green Growth Stientje van Veldhoven; Norway's Minister of Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Eriksen; Türkiye's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar; and UK Minister for Climate Alan Whitehead.
The discussions focused on where decision makers should direct their attention in the near term to deliver strong gains in energy security, affordability and emissions reductions - especially as they respond to the energy crisis stemming from the war in the Middle East. They also shared views on the goals laid out by the COP31 Presidency earlier this month in Bonn, Germany, including how to meet 35% of final energy consumption with electricity by 2035, a key milestone identified by the IEA in a 2024 report on pathways for implementing the outcomes of COP28, which took place in Dubai under the Presidency of the United Arab Emirates.
Additionally, participants spoke about the importance of zero-waste approaches and methane abatement for addressing emissions and supporting energy system resilience - including the potential benefits of halving the growth of global waste. They also discussed how governments, industry and the financial sector can work together to expand access to electricity and clean cooking by tackling key barriers such as the cost of capital and infrastructure investment.
"Amid the current energy crisis, governments around the world are rethinking their energy strategies - and this dialogue provided an important opportunity for decision makers to share views on approaches to improve energy security, affordability and sustainability in tandem," said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. "As the strategic partner to the COP31 Presidency working closely with Türkiye and Australia, the IEA is very pleased to be supporting the Presidency's Action Agenda, including with new analysis. We hope that our upcoming special reports on electrification and waste will further support dialogues among countries ahead of the Antalya summit."
"Armed with insights from the IEA, we have set electrification and waste targets to focus global efforts at COP31. But analysing the data is only the first step. Now we need to deliver the political will to follow the numbers to their logical conclusions," said COP31 President-Designate Murat Kurum. "London Climate Action Week is therefore an essential milestone on the road to COP31 in Antalya. Moving in lockstep with our strategic partners from the IEA, we are building momentum and agreement on the practical steps we need to reduce waste and electrify transport, buildings and industry. This is essential to halving the growth in global waste, electrifying 35% of energy consumption, and delivering a successful COP31."
"We've had oil crises before, but now we have more ways to respond. Our long-term policy responses are not limited to finding more fuel. Real, lasting progress can be achieved with measures to use our energy more efficiently and expand renewable energy generation to diversify supply," Australia's Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said in his remarks. "A clear priority for COP31 has emerged to electrify the global economy, backed by modern grids and energy storage, whether it be by electrifying industry in an industrial powerhouse like Germany, clean electrical stoves in African communities or enabling solar to replace diesel in the Pacific."
