IEA suggests work from home, avoid air travel amid rising energy costs

Agency outlines measures such as remote work, reduced travel and public transport use to ease demand as oil prices surge amid West Asia conflict

The International Energy Agency (IEA) on Friday recommended a set of measures such as working from home, avoiding air travel, and shifting to public transportation to ease the economic impact of rising energy prices.

 

Earlier in the month, the IEA had released 400 million barrels of crude oil from strategic reserves to ease oil prices and ensure energy availability amid the ongoing war in West Asia.

 

The IEA suggested ten measures to navigate the current energy crisis, including working from home where possible, lowering highway speed limits by at least 10 kilometres per hour, and a shift from private cars to public transport, alongside measures such as alternating private vehicle access in large cities.

 

“These actions focus primarily on road transport, which accounts for around 45 per cent of global oil demand, but also cover aviation, cooking and industry. Widespread adoption, where possible, would amplify their global impact and help cushion the shock,” said the IEA in a report.

 

A reduction in air travel where alternatives exist can significantly lower demand for jet fuel, while shifting LPG use away from transport and towards essential applications, such as cooking, can help protect vulnerable households, it added.

 

At the same time, encouraging the uptake of alternative clean cooking solutions where feasible can reduce reliance on LPG and avoid a return to more polluting fuels that harm people’s health.

 

“Experience from previous crises shows that well-targeted support mechanisms are more effective and fiscally sustainable than broad-based subsidies,” said the IEA.