Paris, France — US Energy Secretary Chris Wright renewed on Thursday the administration’s warning that the United States may withdraw from the International Energy Agency (IEA) if the organization does not abandon its net-zero emissions agenda.
Speaking on the final day of the IEA ministerial meeting in Paris, Wright emphasized that Washington wants the 52-year-old energy body to return to its founding mission of energy security and supply reliability rather than focusing on climate goals.
“The US will use all the pressure we have to get the IEA to eventually, in the next year or so, move away from this agenda,” Wright said, calling the net-zero target a “destructive illusion.”
“But if the IEA is not able to bring itself back to focusing on the mission of energy honesty, energy access, and energy security, then sadly we would become an ex-member of the IEA.”
Criticism of IEA’s Climate Focus
The IEA was established in 1974 to coordinate responses to major oil disruptions, but in recent years has incorporated a climate agenda, including the goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement.
Wright, a former fracking executive, dismissed these efforts, claiming there is “0.0 percent chance” of net-zero targets being met. He praised IEA chief Fatih Birol for reinstating a Current Policies Scenario in last year’s World Energy Outlook, projecting continued growth in oil and gas demand, but criticized the agency for retaining net-zero pathways.
“We care about the mission much more than the individual leaders,” Wright said when asked about IEA leadership. “If Birol can make the agency get out of politics and anti-energy policies, that’s great by us.”
Global Reactions
The IEA, with over 30 member nations, produces influential monthly reports on oil demand, renewable energy growth, and global energy outlooks. Birol described the agency as “data-driven” and “nonpolitical.”
Not all member states align with the US stance. British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband announced the UK would contribute an additional £12 million ($16 million) to the IEA’s Clean Energy Transitions Programme, emphasizing that “the age of electricity is unstoppable.”
What’s Next
The US has previously threatened withdrawal if the IEA does not reform. Wright indicated that Washington would continue pressing for an agency that prioritizes energy access, security, and market transparency over climate mandates, raising questions about the future of US engagement with global energy governance.
