“Being data driven doesn’t mean we don’t take sides” IEA chief says as US threatens exit
US energy secretary Chris Wright has threatened to exit the IEA if the agency continues what he believes is a divergence from its focus on energy security and data collection.
Speaking at a conference in Paris yesterday, Wright outlined conditions upon which America's continued membership of the agency depends.
“We’re not done but if they insist that it [IEA] is so dominated and infused with climate stuff then we are out”, he said.
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Responding to a question about US alignment with the IEA, Wright referred to it as the ‘53rd climate advocacy organisation’ before adding, “if they want to be another one [climate advocacy organisation], cut that part off. Take that out of a serious energy group and focus on energy security”.
Wright recalled the IEA’s founding mission of energy security and lauded its role in gathering critical energy-related data. The agency’s climate-related efforts, he said were ‘left-wing big government fantasies’ that do not align with the IEA’s mission.
The US energy secretary referred to the IEA’s past identity as a ‘fabulous international data recording agency’.
Taking sides
His comments set the tone for the IEA 2026 ministerial meeting which kicked off today. In his opening remarks, IEA executive director Fatih Birol appeared to pick up on the secretary’s comments, although he did not refer directly to Wright’s speech.
“Being data driven doesn’t mean we don’t take sides. We take the side of secure energy. We take the side of affordable energy. We take the side of sustainable energy”, he proclaimed.
Birol, who agrees that the agency’s core mandate is energy security, also outlined strategic priorities in the years ahead. Among them was the ‘uptake of new technologies’ which he said includes solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower and nuclear energy.
“Countries are choosing these technologies”, he noted.
The IEA executive director concluded by noting the politically heated context within which his agency now operates. As the threat of a US exit looms, the IEA is expected to welcome four new members: Columbia, Brazil, India and Vietnam.
“We are a data driven organisation. We are a non-political organisation, but we are determined to lead the global energy journey towards the betterment of humanity”, Birol affirmed.
