22 Sep 2026
The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has welcomed the COP31 Presidency’s new global push to accelerate electrification, saying Australia is well placed to turn the transition to clean electricity into lower energy costs, more resilient buildings and a stronger economy.
Türkiye’s COP31 Presidency has today announced its 35-by-35 Global Electrification Pledge, which aims to increase electricity’s share of global final energy consumption to 35% by 2035.
The pledge is backed by initiatives spanning buildings, transport and industry, including a commitment to reduce energy-use intensity in buildings by at least 25% by 2035.
GBCA CEO Davina Rooney said the announcement reinforced the growing international recognition that electrification is not only a climate opportunity, but an economic one.
“Electrification is no longer just a climate conversation. It’s an economic one,” Ms Rooney said.
“Australia has abundant renewable energy. Electrification gives us the opportunity to put more of that home-grown energy to work in our own economy, while reducing our exposure to volatile global fuel prices.
“And buildings are one of the places where Australians can see and feel the benefits most directly. Efficient, all-electric homes and workplaces can mean lower running costs, healthier and more comfortable places, and greater resilience as our energy system changes.”
The COP31 announcement comes just a week after the launch of Electrify Australia, a coalition of businesses and organisations calling for Australia to embrace electrification across the economy and support the global goal of reaching at least 35% electrification by 2035.
GBCA is supporting the campaign with a particular focus on the enormous opportunity presented by Australia’s buildings.
“Our buildings use more than half of Australia’s electricity, so what we do in the built environment matters enormously. Green Star has been driving the shift to highly efficient, all-electric buildings and precincts for years, as Australia’s electricity grid has become cleaner,” Ms Rooney said.
“The technology is already here. We can build highly efficient, all-electric buildings today, and leading Australian projects are already showing what is possible.
“The next step is to make this standard practice. That means ensuring the buildings we design today are ready for an electric future, making it easier to move existing buildings away from gas, and designing in the infrastructure we will increasingly need, including EV charging.
“We also need to make sure the benefits of electrification are available to everyone, including people who rent, live in apartments or cannot afford significant upfront investment.
“The global direction is becoming increasingly clear. Australia has the renewable energy resources, technology and expertise to be at the front of this shift. The opportunity now is to turn that advantage into lower costs and better buildings for Australians.”
GBCA also welcomed the COP31 Presidency’s focus on the energy demands of artificial intelligence and data centres, including calls for greater transparency around energy use and for operations to be powered by clean energy.
“Australia needs data centres, and their growth will support an increasingly digital economy. The question is how we make this extraordinary wave of investment work for Australia,” Ms Rooney said.
“As electricity demand grows, we need to be thoughtful about where that demand comes from, how efficiently energy is used and how new investment can support the transition to a cleaner and more resilient electricity system.