Fatih Birol, IEA executive director
IEA’s Birol sees role for oil and gas as part of ‘orderly’ energy transition
Tackling both the energy security crisis and the climate crisis means clean energy push must be secure and affordable
Energy security and energy sustainability do not always make the most comfortable of bedfellows. Concerns over sufficient oil and gas, stemming partly from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have raised questions over the pace, cost and practicality of climate goals. But for the Paris-based IEA—the global energy authority—security of supply, environmental sustainability and increased energy cooperation around the world make up its triple-headed mission. Petroleum Economist sat down at the IEA’s headquarters with its executive director, Fatih Birol, to discuss the big energy issues facing the world. How has the IEA’s mission evolved from a focus on energy security to a focus also on energy sust
Also in this section
5 March 2026
Gas is a central pillar of Colombia’s energy system, but declining production poses a significant challenge, and LNG will be increasingly needed as a stopgap. A recent major offshore gas discovery offers hope, but policy improvements are also required, Camilo Morales, secretary general of Naturgas, the Colombian gas association, tells Petroleum Economist
4 March 2026
The continent’s inventories were already depleted before conflict erupted in the Middle East, causing prices to spike ahead of the crucial summer refilling season
4 March 2026
The US president has repeatedly promised to lower gasoline prices, but this ambition conflicts with his parallel aim to increase drilling and could be upended by his war against Iran
4 March 2026
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed following US-Israel strikes and Iran’s retaliatory escalation, Fujairah has become the region’s critical pressure release valve—and is now under serious threat
