U.S. Energy Secretary Accuses IEA of Threatening to "Withdraw"

According to Xinhua News Agency, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wirth stated on the 17th that the United States is dissatisfied with the progress of reforms at the International Energy Agency and threatened that if this organization continues to be dominated by climate change issues, the U.S. may consider withdrawing. Wirth made the remarks at an energy conference organized by the French Institute of International Relations in Paris. He claimed that the U.S. does not need the “absurd” “net-zero emissions scenario,” and if the IEA insists on its work being “dominated and infiltrated by climate-related content,” the U.S. will choose to withdraw. The IEA was established in 1974, headquartered in Paris, France. It was originally an intergovernmental organization set up by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to respond to the oil crisis. It currently has 32 member countries, including the U.S. Its initial purpose was to coordinate energy policies among members and ensure oil supply security. Now, it mainly provides policy advice, analysis, and data on global energy affairs. On the 12th, the Trump administration announced the revocation of a scientific determination made in a 2009 EPA report, which stated that greenhouse gas emissions harm public health and welfare. Public opinion pointed out that this move overturned a key climate regulation framework, marking a significant reversal of U.S. federal climate policy, and has sparked widespread controversy in the fields of science, law, and public health. Its impact may continue to ferment in the judicial, energy, and even international climate governance spheres.