Korea Backs '35 by 35' Global Electrification Pledge at COP31

Korea has endorsed a pledge to raise electricity's share of global final energy consumption to 35% by 2035. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced the position on November 11 at COP31 in Antalya, Turkey. The conference runs from November 9 to 20.

The commitment is Turkey's proposal, not a binding treaty. Ankara asked participating countries to submit their electrification policies and implementation plans under the framework. Seoul's support signals intent, and the ministry has not yet published a domestic implementation roadmap tied to the 35% figure.

Who carries the message for Seoul?

Ambassador for Global Climate and Environment Kang Kum-sil will attend the High-Level Dialogue on Clean Energy Transition and Electrification as presidential special envoy. She will state Korea's support for the pledge, according to the ministry.

Kang plans to stress electrification as a core tool for carbon neutrality, the ministry said, and to convey Korea's willingness to join international efforts. No quantified national target accompanied the announcement.

What policies does Korea bring to the table?

Seoul will present three domestic frameworks announced this year:

• the Energy Grand Transition Promotion Plan
• the First Renewable Energy Basic Plan
• the Power Grid Innovation Strategy

The ministry said Korea will pursue electrification of industrial processes alongside wider deployment of electric vehicles and heat pumps. The stated aim pairs expanded electrification with greenhouse gas cuts. Neither the pledge announcement nor the ministry statement specified investment amounts, capacity figures or interim milestones.

For international cooperation, the ministry said Korea will draw on its accumulated technology and experience in batteries and electric vehicles to help other countries build electrification infrastructure and shift to clean energy. That claim positions Korean suppliers as beneficiaries of any global electrification push, though the announcement names no contracts, programs or partner countries.

What happens next?

The ministry said the endorsement will accelerate Korea's domestic electrification and power-sector decarbonization, with policy experience and technical capability shared internationally to support global carbon neutrality. Each of those commitments lacks a deadline or budget line.

COP31 closes November 20 in Antalya. Watch whether Seoul attaches numbers to its support — a national electrification share, a sector-by-sector timeline, or funding for the battery and EV export cooperation it promises — before the talks end.