At the 8th edition of the London Climate Action Week, with the backing of the European Commission, important international milestones were reached on expanding electrification and reducing methane emissions.
Electrify now
This international event also hosted the launch of ‘Electrify Now’, a global platform bringing together like-minded partners to accelerate electrification. The initiative focuses in particular on transport, industry and buildings – sectors that still largely depend on fossil fuels. It is championed by the European Union, the COP30 Presidency (Brazil), the COP31 Presidency (Australia, Türkiye), the COP32 Presidency (Ethiopia), Canada, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, the International Energy Agency and the International Renewable Energy Agency, together with businesses and financial institutions and is open to others to join.
‘Electrify Now’ will be a vehicle to advance on the COP31 Presidency’s new global target: raising electrification to 35% of final energy demand by 2035. To achieve this, it will focus largely on:
- Electrifying key sectors (industry, buildings, transport);
- Modernising grids and increasing storage;
- Developing resilient supply chains in the generation of clean power.
Dan Jørgensen, Commissioner for Energy and Housing, representing the Commission at the event, said,
“Now it is clearer than ever: clean electrification is one of the most powerful tools we have to build a sustainable future. We can cut emissions while strengthening our energy security and creating economic opportunities. By powering our homes, industries, and transport systems with clean electricity, we can make our economies and societies more resilient and avoid future shocks driven by volatile fossil fuels. By bringing together governments, business and other allies, our Electrify Now initiative can be a real driver of progress and change, bringing us closer to a future where our energy security and prices are no longer at the mercy of unstable geopolitics.”
United Nations Secretary-General’s Call to Action on methane
The European Union and Canada, co-convenor of the Global Methane Pledge (GMP), welcomed the new call to action on methane announced by UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, and calls on others to join the global effort to reduce methane emissions.
Methane is the second largest contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide. Reducing these harmful emissions is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to limit global warming. It will also have other powerful results: improving air quality and its impact on health and economic development. The initiative puts methane reduction front and centre of the global political drive to substantially reduce methane emissions.
The Call to Action is aligned with the Global Methane Pledge launched at the COP26 to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% (from 2020 levels) by 2030. 159 countries, together with the European Union, have signed up the pledge.
Reducing methane emissions in the energy sector
The past five years have shown the urgency to act on methane emissions in the energy sector, particularly at the high cost of wasted gas. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in 2024 alone, over 350 billion cubic metres of gas were lost globally due to flaring, venting and leaks.
Yesterday, the European Union alongside the United Kingdom, and Canada reaffirmed their commitment to move faster to reduce methane emissions in the energy sector. This is crucial as reducing methane leaks and ending routine venting and flaring can directly expand gas supply, reduce price volatility, and make energy systems more resilient.
