Erdoğan to push world toward electricity as power plants swing back to coal
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is bringing more than 70 world leaders to Antalya with a pitch to shift the globe toward electricity. But the Hormuz crisis has driven up gas prices, pushing some power producers back to coal and putting Ankara's showcase goal in question on day one.
RastinewsTurkey is staging its first UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) with an ambitious target in hand. At the leaders' summit opening today in Antalya, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will ask for backing to raise electricity's share of global energy consumption to 35 percent by 2035. That figure stands at around 20 percent today.
The war in Iran is casting a shadow over the push. Disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have driven up natural gas prices, prompting some power producers to turn back to coal.
The conference opened Monday in Antalya and runs through November 20. More than 72 heads of state and government are expected at the leaders' summit Erdoğan will host Wednesday and Thursday. The guest list includes leaders from some of the region's major energy-producing nations. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Iraqi President Nizar Amedi are reported to be attending. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman arrived in Antalya on Tuesday. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa also arrived in the city today.
The prime ministers of Algeria, Lebanon, Libya and Yemen are scheduled to address the summit on Thursday. Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates are expected to send senior officials.
According to Al-Monitor, the shock the war has delivered to energy markets is calling into question Ankara's central proposal at the summit.