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. Carbon 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 sustain