Birol urges electrification push as Europe faces fuel supply risks
The International Energy Agency chief wants electricity to account for 35 per cent of global final energy consumption by 2035.
Governments should speed up electrification to curb dependence on imported fossil fuels, International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol said ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Turkey. He urged Europe to expand domestic electricity generation as it faces further risks to fuel supplies.
Birol called for greater use of solar, wind, nuclear and hydropower, alongside faster adoption of electric vehicles and heat pumps. Leaders gathering for the summit are expected to agree on a goal of increasing electricity’s share of global final energy consumption to 35 per cent by 2035.
He warned that an extended closure of the Strait of Hormuz could seriously affect both Europe and the wider global economy. According to European Commission estimates, disruptions associated with the strait have increased the EU’s energy import bill by €127 billion since the US-Israeli war against Iran began.
Birol said a possible easing of US restrictions on Russian diesel exports could provide limited relief, but would not resolve the shortage. He pointed to lost Middle Eastern deliveries of refined fuels and shrinking EU refining capacity, warning that fuel availability could become a problem if current conditions persist.
The Commission has separately proposed an indicative EU electrification rate of 46 per cent by 2040, against a level of 23 per cent that has barely changed over the past decade. Negotiations over energy rules beyond 2030 could make that goal binding. A senior Commission official identified the Czech Republic as one of the countries sceptical of the global proposal.
