“If you switch from an internal combustion engine to an electric car, even if you're powering an electric car off a coal-fired grid, you're reducing your emissions by 60%. Now, if you power your car off solar panels, you reduce your emissions by 90%. 90% is a lot better than 60%, but 60 beats the hell out of zero.”
Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast · Climate & Energy · November 2026
Context
In the interview segment, Australia's climate minister was asked about an electrification target set for the COP31 presidency. He explains why electrification is worth pursuing even where the grid still runs on fossil fuels.
Transcript
…people's questions, stroke cynicism that somehow two countries can do this together. And, you know, when this was first announced, I was listening to Outrage and Optimism. And to be very frank, you were pretty skeptical that it could work. And, you know, I understand why you're not. I still am.
So that's why I'm asking you for help. Yeah,
no, no problem. Former Executive Secretary, you know how complicated it is with one presidency. So we've added a degree of complexity. And you're right, it's innovative and it's new. Having said that, it's worked particularly well so far. And I'm very confident in coming weeks it will work well because Australia and Turkey have really developed a very close working relationship. You know, we're talking all the time. We both want a successful COP. You know, it will be physically held in Turkey. It will be remembered as the Turkish COP. So they want a strong result. We want a strong result. So we're working closely together. So this model has enabled us to, frankly, divide the labor. So I can focus entirely on the negotiations. I don't need to worry about the logistics. You know, if we were hosting in Australia, I'd be getting constant briefings on, you know, have we ordered enough Portaloos? Have we got the right amount of fencing? Is the stadium in good shape, you know, etc. I don't have any of those concerns. I can focus entirely on the formal outcome and the substance. And secondly, we've been…
Well, I have to say that you have presented very important arguments. I have a question, and I'm not sure if that's fair to ask you the question, because it's a question that comes out of the current action agenda proposal, which is being led by Minister Kuroum. Listeners may know that the Turkish…
So the world has agreed in Dubai to double energy efficiency and triple renewable energy, but we haven't really done anything about electrification. So doing those things by electricity that can be done by electricity, they're currently done by direct fossil fuels. So think about gas in…
Interesting. So let's talk about that 1.5, Mr. Bowen, because I would say if there's anything different in the science of climate change between the last COP and this one, is the recent studies that say that we are almost now having to say goodbye to 1.5 without overshoot. That would have to be in…
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