Turkey Hosts COP While Coal Still Dominates Its Energy Mix

Turkey is hosting the UN climate conference in Antalya, proposing to increase electricity's share of global final energy consumption to 35 percent by 2035, while the country itself still relies heavily on coal. COP President and Environment Minister Murat Kurum is pushing the electrification goal, though environmental groups stress the electricity must come from renewables, not fossil fuels. Coal remains Turkey's primary energy source at one-third of generation, with experts citing a lack of political will to phase it out. Turkey published a non-binding energy plan days before the COP, targeting 77 percent renewable energy and 36 percent electrification by 2040. Critics, including Greenpeace Türkiye, demand a coal exit and an end to plastic waste imports, while rights groups worry about protest restrictions during the conference.