With the ongoing war in West Asia causing the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has urged governments, businesses, and households
to adopt remote work, use public transport, and cut energy demand to ease price pressure, especially in developing countries.
The fuel crisis continues to deepen as the supply through the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries around 20% of global oil consumption has been reduced to a trickle. Around 20 million barrels per day of crude oil and oil products typically transit the Strait, and the loss of these flows has tightened markets, pushing crude oil prices above $100 per barrel and driving even sharper increases in refined products such as diesel, jet fuel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), the agency stated.
“We have recently launched the largest ever release of IEA emergency oil stocks. But in the absence of a swift resolution, the impacts on energy markets and economies are set to become more and more severe. The measures in these challenging times can help to preserve fuels for essential uses until normal flows resume,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol.
WORK FROM HOME, PUBLIC TRANSPORT
In its urgent briefing, the IEA outlined ten immediate measures spanning road transport, which accounts for around 45% of global oil demand, to aviation, cooking and industry to help cushion the shock. The report recommends remote work where possible to displace oil use from commuting, reducing highway speed limits by at least 10 km/h since lower speeds reduce fuel use for passenger cars, vans and trucks.
It urged the governments to encourage public transport, and consider measures like alternate-day car use, such as number-plate rotation, car-pooling to reduce congestion and reduce fuel consumption, especially in countries like India, where even diesel use is affected. Additionally, it recommends a reduction in air travel where alternatives exist can significantly lower demand for jet fuel.
PRIORITISE LPG FOR HOUSEHOLDS, ENCOURAGE ELECTRIC COOKING
Amid potential LPG shortage in near-future, the agency also urged governments, industries to shift LPG use away from transport and towards essential applications, such as cooking, which can help protect vulnerable households. “Where possible, switch to other modern cooking solutions, and encourage electric cooking and other modern options to reduce reliance on LPG,” it stated.
The urgent report also outlined industry’s role in easing LPG crisis in countries like India where LPG supplies are under pressure, and recommended facilities to switch from LPG to alternative feedstocks such as naphtha to free up LPG supply for urgent uses. “Governments can lead by example through public sector measures, regulatory action and targeted incentives while ensuring that support for consumers is timed appropriately and focused on those most in need,” as per the report.
On 11 March, IEA member countries agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves – the largest stock draw in the Agency’s history. However, the agency highlighted that the supply-side measures alone cannot fully offset the scale of the disruption, and addressing demand will be critical to reduce pressure on consumers by improving affordability and supporting energy security.
