Dr. Hakima El Haité, pour Energy Efficiency Magazine
1. COP31 is entering its preparation phase. What role do you want energy efficiency to play, and what do you concretely expect from the conference?
Energy efficiency must stop being a peripheral topic and become a central pillar of COP31’s Action Agenda, alongside clean energy transition and electrification, two of the ten priority themes already established by the Turkish presidency. COP31’s agenda highlights ten priority themes, including “Powering Climate Action” and “Clean Energy Transition,” which provides a real institutional anchor for efficiency [1].
Concretely, I expect three deliverables from Antalya:
- First, the formal integration of quantified efficiency targets into the next Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs);
- Second, a dedicated financing mechanism articulated with the electrification goal already championed by the presidency, a new global electrification target aiming to increase electricity’s share in final energy demand from 20% today to 35% by 2035 [3];
- Third, a sectoral roadmap (buildings, industry, transport) accompanied by verifiable monitoring indicators. The conference will take place in Antalya from November 9 to 20, 2026 [2].
However, I want to be realistic about the context surrounding this 35% target. The United States withdrew from the Paris Agreement on January 27, 2026, a lasting withdrawal as they will not be bound by it until at least 2029 [22], and Russia has kept its climate commitment virtually unchanged for ten years [23]. Together, these two countries account for approximately 16% of global emissions and are largely absent from multilateral momentum [24]. But a target like electrification has never relied on unanimity: it is a voluntary coalition, comparable to the Global Methane Pledge, led by countries and stakeholders choosing to join: China, the European Union, and the vast majority of the G20 alone account for over 60% of global emissions and remain fully committed [24]. We already saw this during the first U.S. withdrawal between 2017 and 2021: U.S. states, cities, and the private sector largely took over through coalitions like “America Is All In” [25].
It is precisely for this reason that I place more faith in the credibility of verifiable national targets (such as Morocco’s 20% target, backed by concrete instruments) than in a global target that remains merely declarative without a critical mass of genuinely committed countries. Antalya must build its ambition on these coalitions of driving countries, not on a universality that no longer exists.
2. Energy efficiency is often called the “first fuel,” yet it remains underrepresented compared to renewables. What measures do you propose to put it back at the center of the global climate agenda?
The numbers speak for themselves. Of the $3,400 billion in global energy investment expected in 2026, roughly $350 billion per year goes to energy efficiency [4][5], a tiny fraction compared to the volumes invested in energy supply. Yet around twenty countries have introduced new efficiency policies in response to the energy crisis, proving that this leverage can be activated quickly when political will exists [5].
However, we must be honest about the reasons for this lag: it is not a lack of willingness from businesses; it is a financing problem. The IEA identifies three recurring obstacles for industry: limited access to credit, return on investment perceived as too long, and a lack of information on actual consumption [6], and in emerging economies, the cost of capital can be up to four times higher than in advanced economies [6]. Among SMEs, 35% cite administrative complexity and 28% cite upfront cost as their main hurdles [8]. In all international surveys, financing remains the first barrier cited by industrial leaders, ahead of skill shortages or aging infrastructure [9].
That is why I believe the State must act as a catalyst, not just a regulator. Morocco provides concrete and replicable examples: the MorSEFF program, developed with the EBRD, EIB, AFD, and KfW, combines an investment grant of 10% of the loan with free technical assistance: 80% of its beneficiaries are SMEs [11]. The Tatwir Green Growth program goes further with a 30% investment premium on industrial equipment [12]. These are the models—partial subsidies, credit guarantees, free technical guidance to reduce perceived risk for banks—that must be generalized and brought into the Antalya negotiations, particularly for countries in the Global South where the cost of capital remains the true bottleneck [7].
3. What is the current state of COP31 preparations regarding energy efficiency? Working groups, consultations, partnerships, sectoral initiatives?
The preparatory momentum has accelerated since spring. The COP31 Presidency and Bloomberg Philanthropies announced a partnership during London Climate Action Week to support COP31’s Action Agenda by mobilizing finance, the private sector, and implementation. Shortly after, governments, the IEA, IRENA, and industry leaders launched “Electrify Now,” a global platform to accelerate clean electrification, endorsing the 35% by 2035 target as central to COP31 [13].
These initiatives focus mainly on electrification and clean supply; the specific work stream on efficiency (mandatory audits, building labels, dedicated financing) still needs to be consolidated in the coming weeks, particularly during ministerial preparatory consultations. That is precisely where I am focusing my advocacy between now and November: ensuring that efficiency gets its own negotiation track rather than being diluted into the electrification component.
4. Beyond negotiations, what is your vision for an “Energy Efficiency COP31”? Quantified targets, investments, technologies, national policies?
My vision rests on three measurable pillars. First, quantified and verifiable targets, Morocco provides a concrete example: the national goal is to reduce energy demand by 20% by 2030, broken down by sector across four target sectors: transport, which accounts for about 38% of final energy consumption, buildings (33%), industry (21%), and agriculture [14]. This type of sectoral targeting should become the standard in the revised NDCs presented in Antalya.
Second, territorialized investment: Morocco mobilized 48.5 billion dirhams for its regional energy efficiency and decarbonization plans following an unprecedented 18-month local energy diagnosis [15], a model of local implementation that other countries in the Global South could replicate with international support.
Third, a crucial lesson taught by Moroccan experience: an ambitious strategy without dedicated financing instruments or institutional capacity building falls far short of its goals. Between 2016 and 2023, national energy intensity decreased by only 6.3%, far off the trajectory required to reach the 20% target [18], a gap due less to ambition than to the resources actually made available to implementing agencies [16][17]. This is precisely why I advocate for Antalya to pair every numerical target with a dedicated financing mechanism (investment grants, audit funding, technical support), without which targets will remain purely declarative.
Finally, accelerated technological deployment: low-consumption buildings, smart grids, and energy-frugal industry. UN Environment’s findings should alert us: the building sector accounted for about 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2024, and despite some drop in energy intensity, the pace of improvement remains insufficient to meet the required reduction trajectory [19]. This is a direct wake-up call for Antalya.
5. If you were to deliver a clear message today to governments, financial institutions, and the private sector ahead of COP31, what concrete commitment would you ask of them in Antalya?
The message is simple: energy efficiency cannot be decreed, it must be financed and supported. The necessary low-carbon technologies are available [10], the real obstacle is no longer technological, but financial. To governments, I ask for the implementation or strengthening of targeted subsidy mechanisms for industry and SMEs, modeled on Morocco’s MorSEFF or Tatwir Green Growth programs: partial investment subsidies combined with free technical assistance, because without guidance, even a generous grant remains underutilized [7].
To financial institutions, I ask for a significant redirection of climate finance flows toward dedicated efficiency instruments (green loans with reduced risk premiums, energy performance contracts, credit guarantees), with stronger public leverage where the cost of capital is up to four times higher than in advanced economies [6]. International mechanisms already exist to capitalize such instruments through national agencies: the Green Climate Fund, the world’s largest multilateral climate fund with a $13.5 billion portfolio ($51.9 billion with co-financing), allows direct access for countries via Designated National Authorities [20], and the Global Environment Facility demonstrates an average leverage ratio of $6 to $8 in co-financing for every dollar invested [21]. To the private sector, I ask for the voluntary adoption of energy performance standards across supply chains, leveraging the technical support offered by these mechanisms rather than waiting for regulatory mandates.
Time is running out: for a scenario compatible with 2 °C, emissions must fall by 25% by 2030 compared to 2019, and by 40% to stay below 1.5 °C [19]. Energy efficiency is the fastest leverage tool available to us, but only if we solve its financing problem first. Antalya must make it a concrete commitment, not a pious wish.
References
[1] COP31 Türkiye Presidency, « COP31 Türkiye Antalya 2026 UN Climate Change Conference » : Action Agenda and ten priority themes. cop31.tr
[2] Wikipedia, « 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference » : dates (November 9–20, 2026) and location (Antalya Expo Center). en.wikipedia.org
[3] COP31 Türkiye Presidency, News & Announcements : global electrification target of 35% by 2035, announced in Bonn. cop31.tr/news
[4] IEA, « World Energy Investment 2026 » : Executive Summary. iea.org
[5] CEENERGYNEWS, « IEA Energy Investment report: two-thirds of global spending goes to low-emissions sources » : summary of IEA WEI 2026 report ($3,400B total investment, ~$350B/yr in efficiency, 20 countries with new policies). ceenergynews.com
[6] IEA, « Financing Energy Efficiency » : Energy Efficiency Policy Toolkit (cost of capital up to 4x higher in emerging and developing economies). iea.org
[7] IEA, « Unlocking the potential of energy efficiency » : Gaining an Edge (economic, informational, and institutional barriers; subsidized audits). iea.org
[8] IEA, « Unlocking energy efficiency can help small firms build resilience against price shocks » (35% of SMEs cite administrative complexity, 28% initial cost). iea.org
[9] Energy Efficiency Movement, Barriers Report 2025 : financing cited as first barrier by global industrial leaders. energyefficiencymovement.com
[10] IPCC, press release of Working Group III report, Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) : potential to reduce GHG emissions by 40 to 70% by 2050. ipcc.ch
[11] Finances News Hebdo, « L’efficacité énergétique est un facteur de compétitivité économique » [Interview with Saïd Mouline, AMEE DG] : MorSEFF program (10% subsidy, 80% SME beneficiaries). fnh.ma
[12] Finances News Hebdo, « Financement de la décarbonation : encore plus d’efforts pour le secteur bancaire » : Tatwir Green Growth program (30% investment premium). fnh.ma
[13] COP31 Türkiye Presidency, News & Announcements : Bloomberg Philanthropies partnership and launch of « Electrify Now » (London Climate Action Week). cop31.tr/news
[14] Ministry of Energy and Mines of Morocco, « Élaboration du projet de la stratégie nationale de l’efficacité énergétique à l’horizon 2030 » : sectoral energy consumption breakdown (transport 38%, buildings 33%, industry 21%). mem.gov.ma
[15] Le Matin.ma, « Efficacité énergétique et décarbonation : 48,5 milliards DH d’investissements pour les plans régionaux » : PREED and statement by Minister Leila Benali. lematin.ma
[16] Médias24, « Stratégie d’efficacité énergétique : d’importants retards à rattraper (III) » : statements by Saïd Mouline on lack of dedicated fund. medias24.com
[17] Finances News Hebdo, « Efficacité énergétique : L’AMEE souffre d’un manque cruel… d’efficacité » : governance issues, 2015 Court of Auditors report on ADEREE. fnh.ma
[18] Le360.ma, « Efficacité énergétique : des progrès limités huit ans après le lancement de la stratégie nationale » : national energy intensity (14.1 to 13.2 toe/million MAD between 2016 and 2023, i.e., -6.3%). fr.le360.ma
[19] UNEP, « Emissions Gap Report 2025: Off Target » : buildings’ share in global emissions (~6% in 2024) and required reduction trajectories (-25% by 2030 for 2 °C, -40% for 1.5 °C compared to 2019). unep.org
[20] Green Climate Fund, « Access funding for climate actions » ; Wikipedia, « Green Climate Fund » : $13.5B portfolio ($51.9B with co-financing) and direct access via Designated National Authorities. greenclimate.fund
[21] UNDP Climate Promise, « Global Environment Facility / GEF » : average leverage of $6 to $8 co-financing per GEF grant dollar. climatepromise.undp.org
[22] Agence Anadolu, « U.S. withdrawal from Paris Agreement officially takes effect » : effective withdrawal on January 27, 2026. aa.com.tr
[23] Ma COP21, « Russia » : Russian national climate contribution from 2015 (-25 to -30% compared to 1990), renewed since without substantial change. macop21.fr
[24] Touteleurope.eu, « European Union, China, United States… who emits the most greenhouse gases? » : global GHG emission shares (China ~30%, U.S. ~11%, Russia ~5%, EU ~6%). touteleurope.eu
[25] America Is All In, « Our Story » : coalition of U.S. states, cities, and businesses maintaining climate action after the first U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement (2017–2021). americaisallin.com
