US Energy Secretary Urges IEA to Abandon Climate Focus, Recommit to Energy Security
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Wednesday pressed the International Energy Agency (IEA) to scale back its climate-related work and return to what he described as its core mission of ensuring global energy security. Addressing ministers at an IEA meeting in Paris on February 18, 2026, Wright said the agency had drifted from the purpose for which it was created following the 1973 oil crisis — coordinating responses to major supply disruptions and safeguarding energy supplies.
“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.” He warned that the United States could reconsider its participation in the Paris-based organisation if reforms were not implemented. Wright urged member countries to support efforts to move the agency away from climate policy work, which he characterised as political.
“We need to push the IEA to drop the climate. That’s political stuff,” he said, adding that the agency had been influenced by what he termed a “climate cult” promoting “energy subtraction.” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol rejected the criticism, saying the organisation remains neutral and guided by data.
“We are a nonpolitical organisation. We are data-driven,” Birol said.
The IEA produces regular assessments of global oil markets and publishes its annual World Energy Outlook, which includes projections on fossil fuel demand as well as renewable energy growth such as solar and wind power. Wright, however, welcomed the return of an outlook scenario assessing oil and gas demand growth — analysis that had been removed from IEA reports in 2020 — describing it as a positive step.
In an interview with AFP, he said the agency had taken “first steps” toward reform but still had “a long way to go.” The comments reflect the broader stance of President Donald Trump’s administration, which has withdrawn the United States from major international climate commitments and rolled back domestic climate regulations. Wright questioned the urgency of climate warnings.
“Nothing in the climate data supports the claim of catastrophic damage today,” he said.
European climate agencies, however, report that the past three years have been the hottest on record globally, linking the trend primarily to rising greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists have warned that global warming is increasing the frequency and severity of heatwaves, floods, storms, droughts and wildfires.
Not all IEA members supported Wright’s position. British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the United Kingdom would contribute an additional £12 million ($16 million) to the IEA’s Clean Energy Transitions Programme. “The age of electricity is unstoppable,” Miliband said, arguing that clean energy offers the most secure and affordable path to meeting growing global demand. He also praised the IEA’s leadership, saying the agency treats member nations “equally and fairly.”
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