US Energy Secretary Presses IEA to Refocus on Energy Security, Drop Climate Emphasis
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Wednesday called on the International Energy Agency (IEA) to abandon what he described as an excessive focus on climate policy and return to its original mandate of safeguarding global energy security.
Speaking at an IEA ministerial meeting in Paris on February 18, 2026, Wright said the agency must prioritise protecting global energy supplies — the core mission for which it was created in the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis.
“The IEA was created to focus on energy security,” Wright said. “That mission is beyond critical. We need to keep the agency’s focus on this life-changing, world-changing objective.”
Wright reiterated that Washington could reconsider its participation in the Paris-based body unless it undertakes what he termed “operational reforms.” He urged member states to support a shift away from climate-related work, arguing that such issues fall outside the agency’s core remit.
“We need to push the IEA to drop the climate. That’s political stuff,” Wright said, adding that the organisation had been influenced by what he called a “climate cult” promoting “energy subtraction.” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol firmly rejected the criticism, stressing that the agency remains neutral and evidence-driven.
“We are a nonpolitical organisation. We are data-driven,” Birol said. The IEA publishes regular assessments of global oil demand and supply, as well as its annual World Energy Outlook, which examines long-term trends including renewable energy expansion in solar and wind.
Wright nevertheless welcomed the reinstatement of an oil and gas demand growth scenario in the agency’s outlook — analysis that had been removed from reports in 2020 — calling it a step toward balance.
In a separate interview with AFP, Wright said the IEA had taken “first steps” toward reform but still had “a long way to go.”
The remarks reflect a broader shift under President Donald Trump’s administration, which has withdrawn the United States from key international climate commitments and rolled back several domestic environmental regulations. Wright echoed that stance, questioning the immediacy of climate risks.
“Nothing in the climate data supports the claim of catastrophic damage today,” he said.
However, European climate authorities report that the past three years have been the hottest on record globally, attributing the trend primarily to rising greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists continue to warn of intensifying heatwaves, floods, storms, droughts and wildfires linked to global warming.
Not all member countries aligned with Washington’s position. British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband announced that the United Kingdom would provide an additional £12 million ($16 million) to the IEA’s Clean Energy Transitions Programme.
“The age of electricity is unstoppable,” Miliband said, describing clean energy as the most secure and affordable way to meet growing global demand. He also praised the agency’s leadership, saying it treats member nations “equally and fairly.”
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