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The International Energy Agency has rolled out a set of quick measures to bring down global oil demand, focusing on everyday changes that could ease pressure on energy markets hit by the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.
The agency proposed that governments encourage people to work from home more, drive slower, fly less, use public transport or car sharing, shift LPG to essential uses, and improve efficiency in industry.
Transport sits at the center of the plan, making up around 45% of global oil use, with the agency pointing to remote work and lower speed limits as quick ways to cut fuel use without new infrastructure.
The agency pointed to simple shifts in daily behavior, such as choosing buses or trains over private cars, sharing rides, and improving driving habits to use less fuel. The report highlighted aviation as another area where quick savings are possible, urging a reduction in air travel where other options exist to ease demand for jet fuel.
It also called for redirecting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) away from transport and toward essential uses like cooking, especially in markets where supply is tight.
The agency said governments should support these shifts through regulation, incentives, and targeted financial support, particularly for vulnerable groups, rather than broad subsidies.
While these measures cannot fully replace lost supply, the IEA said they can help reduce strain on markets and keep costs in check until normal oil flows resume.
Crude prices have climbed above $100 per barrel after shipments through the Strait of Hormuz—a route that typically carries around 20% of global oil consumption, or roughly 20 million barrels per day—dropped sharply, tightening supply and pushing up costs for refined fuels such as diesel, jet fuel, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
In response to the supply shock, IEA member countries agreed on March 11 to release 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves, marking the largest coordinated stock draw in the agency’s history.
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