UN climate summit's new electrification goal faces steep hurdles

The UN climate summit in Antalya, hosted by Turkey and Australia, proposes a new global goal to increase electricity's share of energy use from 23 percent to 35 percent by 2035, a target deemed critical for limiting warming to 1.5 degrees. Australian Climate Minister Chris Bowen says the world needs to quadruple the pace of electrification to meet this "35 by 35" goal. Experts like Peter Newell call it achievable, noting countries like China, Japan, and South Korea are already close, though cutting fossil fuel production remains a harder, equally vital challenge. Chalmers professor Filip Johnsson says the target is technically feasible, as solar and wind are cheapest, but doubts success where carbon emissions are cheap or unregulated. Concerns include China's market dominance, financing for African grids, and the goal's lack of a renewable energy requirement.