Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday the United States may leave the International Energy Agency if it cannot align with the agency on climate issues, though his strong preference is to reform the Paris-based body rather than withdraw.
The IEA has provided industrialized governments with research and data on energy security, supply and investment for more than 50 years. The United States supplies about a quarter of its funding. In recent years, the agency expanded its work to include clean energy as member governments sought guidance on Paris climate goals and moving away from fossil fuels.
The Trump administration and oil industry have criticized the IEA’s attention to climate change and called for it to focus primarily on oil, gas and coal. Wright said he wants the agency to return to its core mission and avoid scenarios he described as more politically popular.
