Wind Industry Pushes for 4 TW by 2035
A five-principle declaration backed by major utilities and turbine makers asks COP31 to deliver on implementation.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Energy
The Global Wind Energy Council published a five-principle wind industry declaration at the COP31 climate summit in Turkey. The declaration is backed by Iberdrola, Orsted, SSE, Goldwind, Vestas and Envision; it is a policy statement, not a technology or product, so no capability is shipped or demonstrated by it.
Why it matters
The declaration responds to calls from world leaders to make COP31 the Implementation COP and to criticism that climate summits produce talk rather than action. It arrives as the global wind sector reports record installation growth, placing a coordinated industry position directly into the summit's implementation debate.
The figures come from the Global Wind Energy Council's own sector tally: almost 1.3 TW of installed global capacity and a record 165 GW added last year. The 4 TW figure is a 2035 projection, not a measured outcome, and the source does not describe the modelling behind it.
The players
Global Wind Energy Council
The global trade body representing the wind power industry, which initiated the declaration and tracks sector-wide capacity growth.
Iberdrola
A Spanish utility with a major wind generation portfolio and one of the declaration's named backers.
Orsted
A Danish offshore wind developer and one of the declaration's named backers.
Vestas
A Danish wind turbine manufacturer and one of the declaration's named backers.
Goldwind
A Chinese wind turbine manufacturer and one of the declaration's named backers.
The details
The declaration was an initiative of the Global Wind Energy Council and the Turkish Wind Energy Association, and it lays out five guiding principles for accelerating global wind power development. Its backers include utilities and manufacturers such as Iberdrola, Orsted, SSE, Vestas, Goldwind and Envision. The document is a coordinated statement of industry priorities rather than a binding commitment, and the source does not detail its specific provisions.
Timeline
November 13, 2026: Global Wind Energy Council publishes the declaration at COP31.
Last year (2025): Global wind industry adds a record 165 GW of capacity.
2035: Target for global wind capacity to grow beyond 4 TW.
The Tech Race
The declaration positions the wind sector as a collective industry voice alongside its largest manufacturers and utilities at a multilateral summit. The sector's record 165 GW annual build is the competitive backdrop against which these backers are pressing for accelerated deployment.
The declaration is a policy statement and does not change electricity prices, availability or supply for consumers today. Its practical effect depends on whether the listed governments and backers act on its five principles over the coming years.
The takeaway
The declaration signals that major wind developers and manufacturers are seeking to convert summit rhetoric into deployment commitments. Watch whether the Global Wind Energy Council reports annual capacity additions in the coming years against the 4 TW 2035 trajectory it has set.
Further reading
For more on how wind and other generation sources are scaling, explore our Energy coverage.
