The International Energy Agency released its report, Options for Immediate Actions to Reduce Oil Consumption, on March 20, setting out 10 emergency measures aimed at easing consumer pain from surging fuel prices and supply disruptions tied to rising conflict in the Middle East. The agency centered its response on road transport, which accounts for about 45% of global oil demand.
Road transport sits at the center of the plan
The IEA said governments, businesses and households could act at once by changing daily behavior. Its recommendations include working from home where possible, cutting highway speed limits by at least 10 kilometers per hour, shifting more trips from private cars to public transport, imposing alternate-day private car access in major cities, and promoting car sharing alongside fuel-efficient driving habits.
The report also targets commercial and freight fleets, calling for better driving practices, improved vehicle maintenance and load optimization to reduce diesel use. On liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, the agency urged countries to move supply away from transport uses and preserve it for essential household needs such as cooking. In aviation, it called for fewer non-essential business flights where substitutes are available.
Demand restraint moves to the forefront
Beyond transport, the IEA included cooking and industrial activity in its short-term response list. It encouraged wider use of electric cooking options and short-cycle maintenance and efficiency actions in industry. The message from the report is clear: with supply-side conditions constrained by geopolitics and producer decisions, curbing demand has become a direct policy lever.
Before issuing the new guidance, the IEA had already released what the source described as the largest emergency oil stock draw in its history. This latest package extends the response from reserve releases to coordinated reductions in consumption, with the stated goal of easing inflation pressure on consumers as energy costs climb.