An target to increase the share of electricity in global energy consumption to 35% by 2035 may not, by itself, constitute progress in decarbonization. The warning comes from Helena Freitas, a full professor in Biodiversity and Ecology at the University of Coimbra, who draws attention to the absence of a requirement for electricity to be produced from clean sources in the proposal under discussion at COP31 in Antalya.
In a comment posted on social media about the negotiations of the climate conference, the researcher points to a contradiction in the proposal to raise the share of electricity from the current 23% to 35% of global energy consumption. While the target may seem ambitious, it does not specify that the additional electricity must be produced from renewable sources or from other low-carbon sources.
In Helena Freitas’s view, this absence could turn an apparently positive commitment into a factor that prolongs dependence on fossil fuels, rather than contributing to an effective reduction in emissions.
“The energy transition cannot be limited to replacing technologies. It must transform the way we produce and consume energy, effectively reducing emissions,” argues the professor at the University of Coimbra.
The position arises in a context of divergences about the future of the energy transition at COP31 and highlights a central issue in the negotiations: it is not enough to increase the electrification of consumption; it is also necessary to ensure that the energy used is produced in a manner compatible with climate goals.
