Africa: Africa Seeks Terms For Backing COP31's Global Electrification Push

What the report says

African governments are weighing how to respond to a COP31 proposal that would lift electricity’s share of global final energy use to 35% by 2035. The initiative, backed by the Turkish COP31 presidency, is meant to speed electrification across transport, industry, buildings and other sectors. But, as reported by Bird Story Agency through AllAfrica, African negotiators want clearer terms on financing and want the plan to account for the continent’s development needs and industrial ambitions.

The article says the debate is being shaped by Africa’s large power gap and the cost of expanding grids and generating capacity. The International Energy Agency estimates that about 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa still lacked electricity in 2024. Officials and advocates say unreliable supply, expensive backup generators and underbuilt networks continue to hold back growth, even as governments seek more power for manufacturing, mineral processing, agriculture and urban expansion.

COP31 President Murat Kurum has promoted the target as a global electrification goal linked to energy security and growth, while COP31 negotiations chair Chris Bowen has stressed that ambition must be matched by investment and infrastructure. African campaigners, including Kapwani Kavenuke of Power Shift Africa, argue that support should prioritize access in underserved communities and rely more on grants than loans.

The story also places the pledge alongside other financing efforts, including Mission 300 by the African Development Bank and World Bank and a newly launched Electrify Now Finance Coalition. Its significance for Africa will depend on whether climate diplomacy delivers affordable finance, technology and implementation support that can expand access while also enabling industrial development.