Energy boss Birol urges governments to accelerate global electrification at COP31
In an exclusive interview, Fatih Birol urged governments to accelerate the electrification of the global economy, as the COP31 gets underway.
International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol has urged governments to accelerate the global shift towards electricity as a primary energy source, in an effort to reduce dependence on fossil fuels ahead of COP31. Birol, speaking to Euronews, urged leaders at the climate summit in Turkey to prioritize electrification, particularly in the EU, which remains vulnerable to energy market volatility despite diversification efforts.
He warned that a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz could have serious consequences for Europe and the global economy, and urged governments to prepare for a difficult winter as demand for fuels rises. Birol also played down hopes that a possible US decision to ease restrictions on Russian diesel exports would provide significant relief to European markets, emphasizing that additional Russian supplies would not address the structural shortage.
He argued that the answer to Europe's recurring exposure to energy shocks lies in accelerating the shift towards domestically generated electricity, calling for a faster rollout of electric vehicles and heat pumps.
Brief written by urgent.news from Euronews's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
