Dr. Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), has warned that energy is increasingly being used as a geopolitical weapon. In a stark assessment of current global trends, Birol cautioned that the strategic use of energy supplies and infrastructure for political ends is becoming more common and carries broad implications for countries and markets worldwide.
The IEA chief said the politicisation of energy can amplify volatility in global energy markets and undermine confidence among consumers and investors. When energy flows or access to fuels and power infrastructure are leveraged to achieve political objectives, the predictability that markets and governments rely on is weakened, with potential knock-on effects for prices, investment and economic stability.
Beyond immediate market consequences, Birol’s warning touches on wider strategic concerns. The use of energy as leverage can exacerbate diplomatic tensions, heighten national security risks for dependent states, and complicate international efforts to coordinate policy responses. It also presents a potential obstacle to the pace and cost of the global transition toward low-carbon energy systems.
As head of the IEA, Birol’s observations come from an agency that tracks energy supply, demand and policy across major economies. His warning underscores a growing debate about how governments and industry should respond to the intertwining of energy and geopolitics, including measures to strengthen supply diversification, resilience and international cooperation.
Observers say the trend places renewed emphasis on policies that reduce vulnerability to politically driven supply disruptions and on multilateral engagement to prevent the weaponisation of energy. The IEA’s assessment is likely to feed into discussions among policymakers and energy companies about how best to safeguard markets and advance an orderly energy transition in an increasingly fraught geopolitical environment.