Producing renewable electricity is not enough to accelerate Europe's energy transition if businesses and municipalities cannot access the infrastructure needed to use it. This was the message delivered by Åsa Ågren Wikström (SE/EPP), member of Västerbotten Regional Council and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), during a COP31 side event on accelerating electrification in Antalya, Türkiye.
Drawing on the experience of Västerbotten in northern Sweden, Ågren Wikström explained that the region produces more than twice as much renewable electricity as it consumes. Yet companies seeking to establish new industries and municipalities planning to electrify public transport continue to face difficulties accessing the electricity grid.
"We have the electricity – but not always the infrastructure to deliver it where it's needed," she said.
Speaking at the event Accelerating Electrification to Achieve the Climate Goals: Enabling Conditions and Opportunities on 10 November, Ågren Wikström stressed that electrification is not only essential for reducing emissions but also for strengthening European competitiveness, attracting investment, creating jobs and improving energy security.
With the COP31 Presidency aiming to achieve 35% global electrification by 2035, she called for concrete measures to turn international commitments into results on the ground.
Her proposals focused on modernising electricity grids, expanding capacity and energy storage, accelerating permitting procedures and ensuring affordable and predictable energy prices. She also highlighted the importance of mobilising private investment through cooperation between governments, regions, businesses and universities.
"To businesses, my advice is: Invest, innovate and be part of the solution. Electrification is not just a climate responsibility – it is a business opportunity," she said, adding that governments must remove barriers and create predictable conditions for long-term investment.
Ågren Wikström also called for stronger involvement of local and regional authorities in shaping climate and energy policies, arguing that their knowledge of territorial needs and industrial ecosystems is essential to successful implementation.
"Cities and regions must be partners in the transition – not simply implementers of decisions made elsewhere," she underlined.
Concluding her intervention, she stressed that the success of electrification must be judged by tangible outcomes rather than political commitments.
"The success of electrification will not be measured by the targets we announce here. It will be measured by the investments we enable, the industries we transform and the results we deliver on the ground."
Background
Åsa Ågren Wikström is part of the European Committee of the Regions delegation to the UNFCCC COP31, taking place in Antalya from 9 to 20 November 2026. The delegation is led by Kostas Bakoyannis (EL/EPP), Chair of the CoR's Commission for the Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE).
The CoR is advocating for stronger recognition of cities and regions in international climate negotiations, improved access to climate finance and greater support for implementing climate commitments at local and regional level.