COP31 Host Turkiye Pushes New Electrification Target As Key Leaders Skip Summit

UPDATE - follow-up to World leaders take stage at COP31 but big names missing: Turkiye is pushing a voluntary plan at COP31 to raise electricity's share of global energy use to 35% by 2035, covering transport, buildings, and industry. The two-week UN climate summit in Antalya runs from November 9 to 20, 2026, with Australia handling negotiations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are among the leaders speaking during the high-level segment on Wednesday and Thursday.

Missing Leaders

Several major world figures are absent from the summit. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham is the only leader from a G7 country on the speaking list. European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen is attending, but French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi are not present. The French government stated Mr. Macron is missing the event because November 11 is World War I Armistice Day and he is attending an EU summit in Ireland on Thursday. U.S. President Donald Trump is also absent, and Chinese President Xi Jinping is represented by Vice President Han Zheng.

Reactions

Cosima Cassel, a climate diplomacy expert at the think-tank E3G, called the absence of bigger European leaders a shame. Wopke Hoekstra, the EU's top climate official, stated the absences were not completely atypical due to practical reasons, though he noted expectations for the conference are not high. Chiara Martinelli, director of Climate Action Network Europe, warned that top leaders need to show up to influence the global energy transition. Meanwhile, climate campaigners welcomed the presence of Brazilian President Mr. Lula after his recent election victory over Flavio Bolsonaro.

Context

Turkiye's new electrification proposal aims to speed up the shift away from fossil fuels, which remain the main driver of global warming. However, the EU insists that this increased electrification must rely on clean energy sources, setting up potential debates over the role of oil, gas, and coal.