COP31: Australia strengthens global energy transition

As Australia prepares for COP31 as President of Negotiations, the country will take a leading role in shaping the global climate agenda.

Australia’s role in COP31

Australia will serve as the President of Negotiations for COP31, a process where countries collaborate and negotiate on targets, rules, and the ambition needed to drive global action on climate change.¹

It will join other countries by focussing on delivery – turning commitments from the Paris Agreement into practical outcomes.

It is already playing a leading role in setting the global agenda as a driving force behind the 35-by-35 global electrification pledge.

35-by-35 – the global electrification pledge

Both Türkiye and Australia along with the UN Climate Change body have announced a joint pledge to increase global electrification to speed up action on climate change.

They will seek endorsement from countries at COP31 to raise the global share of final energy demand met by electricity from just over 20% today to 35% by 2035.²

Australia’s priorities at COP31

Speeding up the global shift to clean energy

Boosting finance and investment

Growing the green economy

Elevating Pacific priorities

References

1 Australian Government | United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Stakeholder Engagement Hub

2 IEA, Electrification report, 22 September 2026

Why electrification matters

Greater energy security

Increasing domestic electrification increases energy security in an age of heightened volatility in global energy markets.

Reduction in energy cost

Greater electrification could cut the world’s energy import bills by more than USD $500 billion every year.

Tackling energy poverty

Greater access to energy for the world’s population, particularly for people who lack basic access to adequate sources of power.

Emissions reductions

Together with emission reductions from electricity, the electrification of energy intensive industries is vital for meeting climate targets.

Australia – a renewable energy leader

Renewable energy accelerating

With an abundance of sun, wind and land, Australia’s renewable energy generation has more than doubled in the past decade. Around one in three homes have rooftop solar, and renewable energy supplied over half of electricity generation at the end of 2025.

This rapid transformation requires innovation and digitalization >>

A leader in battery energy storage

Australia is the third largest global market for utility scale battery storage and households are installing home batteries in record numbers. This helps add firming capacity, reduce curtailment and drive downwards pressure on wholesale energy prices.

Hitachi Energy delivers the digital brains for the Waratah Super Battery >>

Grid transformation for energy security

The Australian Energy Market Operator estimates that 6,000km+ of new transmission infrastructure will be required to support the transformation of its energy systems, expanding the network by 14% over the next 15 years.

Hitachi Energy’s grid-forming HVDC technology drives Australian renewable energy superhighway >>

Hitachi Energy @ COP31

COP31 is the moment to turn ambition into implementation. Hitachi Energy is helping advance the Age of Electricity by accelerating the grid infrastructure, electrification and interconnections needed for a secure, sustainable and affordable energy future.

Learn more

Insights and perspectives

Why COP31’s electrification push must put interconnection at its core

COP31 must treat interconnection with the importance it deserves, writes Niklas Persson, CEO, Grid Integration, Hitachi Energy in Backchannel.

Australia needs to recognise the electricity grid as our new national strategic asset

Australia is quietly setting records for renewable energy generation. Will a transmission network essentially built for last century’s be up to the challenge, asks Bernard Norton, Managing Director, Hitachi Energy in Australia.

Report: Australia's Electricity Grid in Transition

Australia’s energy transition is entering a decisive delivery phase, with the electricity system undergoing simultaneous transformation on both the supply and demand sides. Author Global Transmissions Research

Hitachi Energy in Australia

Hitachi Energy is one of the leading technology partners for the energy industry in Australia. With a strong national presence including dedicated R&D and manufacturing and a strong local engineering and service workforce, Hitachi Energy enables greater flexibility, efficiency, and safety as Australia’s energy system is rapidly transforming.