‘Work from home,’ encourages the world’s energy watchdog | The Verge

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‘Work from home,’ encourages the world’s energy watchdog

The IEA is recommending measures to alleviate impending fuel shortages amid the war in Iran.

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Many organizations have called employees back to offices following Covid-related lockdowns, but the Iran war and ensuing energy crisis may quickly see workers returning to work from home.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) — an energy watchdog established to help safeguard global power supplies following the 1970s oil crisis — is pushing for governments, businesses, and households to adopt recommendations that aim to curb energy demands amid supply disruptions triggered by the conflict. The list of ten suggested actions identified in the IEA’s report includes encouraging people to work from home and/or drive slower to reduce fuel usage, and even switch from using gas hobs to electric cooking options.

Here are all of the “immediate actions” being recommended by the IEA:

Work from home where possible: displaces oil use from commuting, particularly where jobs are suitable for remote work.2. Reduce highway speed limits by at least 10 km/h: lower speeds reduce fuel use for passenger cars, vans and trucks.3. Encourage public transport: a shift from private cars to buses and trains can quickly reduce oil demand.4. Alternate private car access to roads in large cities on different days: number-plate rotation schemes can reduce congestion and fuel-intensive driving.5. Increase car sharing and adopt efficient driving practices: higher car occupancy and eco-driving can lower fuel consumption quickly.6. Efficient driving for road commercial vehicles and delivery of goods: better driving practices, vehicle maintenance and load optimisation can cut diesel use.7. Divert LPG use from transport: shifting bi-fuel and converted vehicles from LPG to gasoline can preserve LPG for cooking and other essential needs.8. Avoid air travel where alternative options exist: reducing business flights can quickly ease pressure on jet fuel markets.9. Where possible, switch to other modern cooking solutions: encouraging electric cooking and other modern options can reduce reliance on LPG.10. Leverage flexibility with petrochemical feedstocks and implement short-term efficiency and maintenance measures: industry can help free up LPG for essential uses while reducing oil consumption through quick operational improvements.
Work from home where possible: displaces oil use from commuting, particularly where jobs are suitable for remote work.
Reduce highway speed limits by at least 10 km/h: lower speeds reduce fuel use for passenger cars, vans and trucks.
Encourage public transport: a shift from private cars to buses and trains can quickly reduce oil demand.
Alternate private car access to roads in large cities on different days: number-plate rotation schemes can reduce congestion and fuel-intensive driving.
Increase car sharing and adopt efficient driving practices: higher car occupancy and eco-driving can lower fuel consumption quickly.
Efficient driving for road commercial vehicles and delivery of goods: better driving practices, vehicle maintenance and load optimisation can cut diesel use.
Divert LPG use from transport: shifting bi-fuel and converted vehicles from LPG to gasoline can preserve LPG for cooking and other essential needs.
Avoid air travel where alternative options exist: reducing business flights can quickly ease pressure on jet fuel markets.
Where possible, switch to other modern cooking solutions: encouraging electric cooking and other modern options can reduce reliance on LPG.
Leverage flexibility with petrochemical feedstocks and implement short-term efficiency and maintenance measures: industry can help free up LPG for essential uses while reducing oil consumption through quick operational improvements.

These actions primarily focus on reducing road transport, which the IEA reports accounts for around 45 percent of global oil demand. Gas prices surged in the US after the Trump administration and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28th, and the impact of prolonged military engagement is expected to make energy markets “more and more severe,” according to IEA executive director Fatih Birol.

“We have recently launched the largest ever release of IEA emergency oil stocks – and I am in close contact with key governments around the world, including major energy producers and consumers, as part of our international energy diplomacy,” Birol said in a statement. “However, supply-side measures alone cannot fully offset the scale of the disruption. Addressing demand is a critical and immediate tool to reduce pressure consumers by improving affordability and supporting energy security.”

The measures being pushed by the IEA are voluntary, so it’s up to global governments and companies to decide whether to heed such advice. Some countries have already implemented measures to reduce oil demand, but so far, not many of us have been ordered to return to working from our couches and kitchen counters.

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