Dr Fatih Birol Executive Director International Energy Agency

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Dr Fatih Birol Executive Director International Energy Agency Dr Fatih Birol Executive Director International Energy Agency Dr Fatih Birol has served as Executive Director of the International Energy Agency since 2015. Under his leadership, the IEA has moved to the forefront of global efforts to reach international climate goals while ensuring that the social and economic impacts of clean energy transitions are at the heart of policy-making and energy security is safeguarded. After taking office, Dr Birol led the IEA in its first comprehensive modernisation programme since its creation in 1974. These efforts focused on “opening the doors” of the IEA to major emerging economies including Brazil, China, India and South Africa; making the IEA the global hub for clean energy transitions; and broadening the IEA’s energy security mandate beyond oil to also cover electricity, natural gas, renewables and the critical minerals needed in many of today’s clean energy technologies. With new governments joining the IEA, under his tenure the Agency’s share of global energy demand has risen from 40% to 75%. Dr Birol took up his current positon after rising through the ranks of the IEA over two decades. He joined as a junior analyst in the mid-1990s and rose to the position of Chief Economist responsible for the IEA’s flagship World Energy Outlook. Dr Birol has been named by Forbes as one of the most influential people in the world of energy and by the Financial Times as the Energy Personality of the Year. He chairs the World Economic Forum’s (Davos) Energy Advisory Board. He is the recipient of numerous state decorations, including the Japanese Emperor’s Order of the Rising Sun, the Order of the Polar Star from the King of Sweden and the highest Presidential decorations from Austria, Germany and Italy. Before the IEA, Dr Birol worked at the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna for six years. He earned a BSc degree in power engineering from the Technical University of Istanbul and received an MSc and PhD in energy economics from the Technical University of Vienna. Dr Birol was awarded a Doctorate of Science honoris causa from Imperial College London in 2013. He is an honorary life member of Galatasaray Football Club. .
Recommended publications
  • BETD Gabriel and Zypries Open the Third Berlin Energy Transition
    Gabriel and Zypries open the third Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue Berlin, 20 March 2017. Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel and Minister for Economic Affairs Brigitte Zypries are opening the third Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin today. Numerous ministers, including from Argentina, China, Cuba, Denmark and the United Arab Emirates, as well as high-ranking delegations, business representatives and guests from more than 93 countries are expected. The Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue is being hosted by the Federal Government together with the German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE), the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar), the consultancy firm eclareon and the German Energy Agency (dena) and is being accompanied by an extensive side events. On the second day of the conference tomorrow, Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks will speak on behalf of the Federal Government. The objective of the conference is to generate new ideas for the German Government’s energy agenda in the G20 process. The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) will present their study “Perspectives for the Energy Transition: Investment Needs for a Low Carbon Energy System” at the conference. This study was carried out with support from the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy and looks into which investments are necessary in order to achieve the Paris climate goals and how misguided investments in energy technologies that are harmful to the environment can be avoided. Foreign Minister Gabriel issued the following statement on this: “The energy transition has long ceased to be a national project. It is a global task and a mission for all of us, as well as a way to ensure a future of prosperity and stability.
    [Show full text]
  • National Security Strategy (Third Review) Written and Corrected Oral Evidence
    p JOINT- COMMITTEE ON THE NATIONAL SECURITY S T R AT E G Y The National Security Strategy (Third Review) Written and corrected oral evidence Contents Dr Fatih Birol – oral evidence (QQ 50-67) ............................................................................... 2 Cabinet Office – written evidence ........................................................................................... 17 Professor Mike Clarke, Sir Stewart Eldon and Dr Robin Niblett – oral evidence (QQ 14-30) .................................................................................................................................................. 18 Professor Robert Cooper CMG – written evidence .............................................................. 37 Professor Michael Cox, Xenia Dormandy and Professor Anatol Lieven – oral evidence (QQ 31-49) ....................................................................................................................................... 39 Major General (retired) Vincent Desportes – written evidence ............................................ 62 Xenia Dormandy, Chatham House – written evidence .......................................................... 64 Xenia Dormandy, Professor Michael Cox and Professor Anatol Lieven – oral evidence (QQ 31-49) ....................................................................................................................................... 68 Sir Stewart Eldon, Professor Mike Clarke and Dr Robin Niblett – oral evidence (QQ 14-30) .................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • World Energy Outlook 2007
    WORLD ENERGY OUTLOOK 2007 10:00 am – 11:3 0 am Friday, November 16, 2007 CSIS B1 Conference Level 1800 K Street, NW, Washington DC Nobuo Tanaka Executive Director, International Energy Agency Nobuo Tanaka commenced duties as IEA Executive Director on 1 S eptember 2007. Prior to that, he had been Director for Science, Technology and Ind ustry at the Paris -based Organiz ation for Economic Co -operation and Development (OECD). Mr. Tanaka began his career in 1973 in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (ME TI) in Tokyo. He has extensive national government and international experience within METI, the Embassy of Japan in Washington D.C. and the OECD. Mr. Tanaka first joined the OECD in 1989 as Deputy Director of the Directorate for Science, Technology and In dustry, and was promoted to Director in 1992. In 1995, he returned to METI and served in a number of high ranking positions, the most recent being Director -General, Multilateral Trade System Department, Trade Policy Bureau. In this role he led many trade n egotiat ions for the World Trade Organiz ation (WTO). In the energy field, Mr. Tanaka has covered a variety of experiences. He was responsible for Japan's involvement with the IEA and the G8 Energy Ministers' Meeting during the second oil crisis. In the late 1980s he participated in establishing the comprehensive energy policy of Japan and he also oversaw the implementation of Japan's international nuclear energy policy and led negotiations of bilateral nuclear agreements. Mr. Tanaka worked on formulating int ernational strategy as well as coordinating domestic environment policy and energy policy in the Kyoto COP3 negotiation.
    [Show full text]
  • Dr Fatih Birol Executive Director International Energy Agency
    Dr Fatih Birol Executive Director International Energy Agency Dr Fatih Birol has served as Executive Director of the International Energy Agency since September 2015. He was re-elected in January 2018 for a second four-year term, which will begin in September 2019. Under his leadership, the IEA has undertaken its first comprehensive modernisation programme since its creation in 1974. This effort focuses on three pillars: opening the doors of the IEA to include major emerging countries, such as Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa who have joined the IEA Family, thus increasing its share of global energy demand from 38% to almost 75%; broadening the IEA’s security mandate to natural gas and electricity as well as oil; and making the IEA the global hub for clean energy technologies and energy efficiency. Prior to his nomination as Executive Director, Dr Birol spent over 20 years at the IEA, rising through the ranks to the position of Chief Economist responsible for the flagship World Energy Outlook publication. He is also the founder and chair of the IEA Energy Business Council, one of the world’s most active industry advisory groups in energy. Dr Birol has been named by Forbes Magazine among the most influential people on the world’s energy scene and was recognised by the Financial Times in 2017 as Energy Personality of the Year. He chairs the World Economic Forum’s (Davos) Energy Advisory Board and serves on the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on ‘Sustainable Energy for All’. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Japanese Emperor’s Order of the Rising Sun, the Order of the Polar Star from the King of Sweden and the highest Presidential decorations from Austria, Germany and Italy.
    [Show full text]
  • 03/March/2021 Dr. Fatih Birol International Energy Agency 9 Rue
    Climate Action Network-International [email protected] www.climatenetwork.org 03/March/2021 Dr. Fatih Birol International Energy Agency 9 rue de la Fédération 75739 Paris Cedex 15 France Including a 1.5ºC-aligned net-zero scenario in the World Energy Outlook 2021 Dear Dr. Birol, I write on behalf of Climate Action Network (CAN) and its more than 1,500 member organizations in over 120 countries, to urge you to put the Paris Agreement’s 1.5ºC target at the heart of the World Energy Outlook (WEO) in 2021 and beyond. The International Energy Agency (IEA) announcement in January that it will publish a Special Report containing a “comprehensive roadmap to net zero emissions” in May 2021 is very welcome. CAN and its member organizations see the Net Zero Emissions 2050 (NZE2050) case included in WEO 2020 as a critical step forward. In particular, science tells us that we need early, deep, ambitious and sustainable energy options prioritizing clean renewables and energy efficiency/conservation to address climate change as the key solutions in this decade until 2030. The IPCC suggested in its 1.5°C landmark report a reduction of CO2 emissions equivalent to about 50% by 2030 compared to 2019. CAN hopes to see the new, fully developed 1.5ºC-aligned scenario at the centre of WEO 2021. It is not enough to only publish this as a one-off special report, but then return to business-as-usual in the WEO. As you know, the IEA has previously published scenarios in special reports and not included them in the WEO, limiting their impact considerably.
    [Show full text]
  • The Potential Role of Turkey in a Globalising Gas Market
    The Potential Role of Turkey in a Globalising Gas Market Mehmet Doğan Üçok December 2013 POLICY BRIEF 09 The Potential Role of Turkey in a Globalising Gas Market Mehmet Doğan Üçok* been comparable to the annual gas exports of Russia in 2012.1 As Executive Summary John Deutch of MIT remarks, “A United States hopelessly dependent on imported oil and natural gas is a thing of the past. Most energy In a changing global energy landscape, Turkey and the EU could experts now project that North America will have the capacity to be have more opportunities to enhance their energy security, benefiting a net exporter of oil and natural gas by the end of this decade.”2 And from the developments in the global LNG scenario and of the energy as Robert Cekuta puts it, “If someone had suggested that just five fields in Shah Deniz, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Iraq. Especially years ago, they probably would have been laughed at.”3 The most the recent TANAP agreements show that Turkey is starting to play a significant question that still remains unanswered is the possible significant role in the transportation of the region’s resources to the global geopolitical reach of this silent revolution and its implications. west, and become a “geographically natural” gas bridge, or a possible energy hub. To facilitate this further, Turkey’s main policy objective in In addition to the excess in the US, supply could be further extended the governance of natural gas should be the formation of a transparent, by producing shale gas in Europe or China, if several difficulties such liberal and competitive gas market.
    [Show full text]
  • Virtual High-Level Dialogue
    Virtual High-Level Dialogue Wednesday, 31 March 2021 12:00 – 15:00 CEST iea.li/netzerosummit 12h00 – Opening – A Grand Coalition to Achieve Global Net Zero 12h10 MC: Katherine Dixon, Chief Counsellor, Transitions and Partnerships, IEA CEST • Co-Chair of Summit, Fatih Birol, Executive Director, IEA • Co-Chair of Summit, Alok Sharma, COP26 President-Designate, United Kingdom This session will set the scene for the Summit by outlining the IEA’s forthcoming Net Zero Roadmap. The roadmap is a vital foundation for ensuring the world can turn ambitious targets into ambitious, near- term action. Commissioned by the UK COP Presidency, the unprecedented IEA analysis will set out in detail what needs to happen across the global economy to put emissions on a firm path to Net Zero, and in a timescale consistent with keeping the temperature rise below 1.5 degrees. The UK will then set out their agenda for enhancing international collaboration through their COP26 Presidency and beyond. 12h10 – IEA’s Net Zero Roadmap: report highlights 12h15 • Laura Cozzi, Chief Energy Modeller, IEA CEST 12h15 – Conversation between Major Economies 13h00 Moderators: Fatih Birol, Executive Director, IEA and Alok Sharma, COP26 President-Designate, UK CEST • Zhang Jianhua, Minister of Energy, China • Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President, European Commission • Raj Kumar Singh, Minister of Power, New and Renewable Energy, India • John Kerry, Presidential Special Envoy for Climate, USA • Amani Abou-Zeid, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, African Union Commission • Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, World Trade Organisation A discussion among the world’s major economies on achieving global Net Zero, especially how the world can collaborate more effectively.
    [Show full text]
  • Opportunities for Clean Hydrogen to Drive the Sustainable Recovery and Clean Energy Transitions in a Post-COVID World
    11th Clean Energy Ministerial Meeting Pre-Event Opportunities for clean hydrogen to drive the sustainable recovery and clean energy transitions in a post-COVID world Thursday 17 September 2020, 13:00 – 14:00 (CEST) EVENT OVERVIEW Clean hydrogen has the potential to become a cornerstone in the transition to a clean energy future. Hydrogen has a strong momentum and a growing number of governments and companies have adopted ambitious hydrogen strategies as part of their energy and sustainability efforts. Many governments have also included hydrogen in their economic recovery packages to boost economic growth and job creation. The successful delivery of these plans requires strong collaboration and strategic international partnerships. Since its launch at CEM 10 a year ago, the CEM Hydrogen Initiative (H2I) has established itself as the platform where these partnerships among governments and industry can be realized. H2I global actions complement those already undertaken by other organisations such as IPHE, Mission Innovation, World Economic Forum, Hydrogen Council and the Hydrogen Energy Ministerial (HEM). This event will bring together government and industry leaders to showcase how the strategic partnerships, enabled by H2I, can contribute to accelerate the deployment of hydrogen technologies as outlined in the Global Action Agenda on Hydrogen, while realising domestic hydrogen strategies. This event will be the start of a series of international hydrogen events, which highlight the essential role of hydrogen in the energy transitions under the context of post-COVID economic recovery, and which will culminate in the HEM in Japan in October 2020. CONTACT: Dr. Jose Miguel Bermudez, [email protected] AGENDA Opening remarks: 13:00 Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Vienna Conference Overview
    Fourth Quarter 2017 International Association for Energy Economics Vienna Conference Overview The 15th IAEE European Conference was organized by TU Vienna, Energy Economics Group in cooperation with Austrian Association for Energy Economics from 3rd to 6th September 2017. Held at Hofburg Congress Center, Vienna, Austria. The conference title “Heading Towards Sustainable Energy Systems: Evolution or Revolution?” and topics discussed dur- ing the conference reflected the changes and challenges currently under way in the energy systems of many countries. The conference focused on new developments of energy conversion technologies, energy policies and their effects on individual countries as well as at a global level, the efficient use of different types of primary energy resources and possible solutions to stop global warming. Speakers also discussed which new technologies are required and which role they may play in a future supply system consisting of decentralised and central supply units (power plants, refineries, pipelines ...). The main question of this conference was: In heading towards sustainability - is an evolutionary continuous development possible or is a revolution necessary? The conference was well attended with more than 400 participants. The Conference’s opening address was given by Fatih Birol from IEA and was aimed at global energy markets in transition and the implications for the economy, environ- ment and geopolitics. Conference presentations were scheduled within the eight plenary sessions (including opening and closing plenary ses- sions), 64 concurrent sessions and two poster sessions. Conference also included special activities for young researchers, such as a PhD Day/Presentation Workshop and Student Happy Hour at Café “Das Möbel” which created the opportunity not only to presents their research, but also to exchange opinions, and last but not least to do networking as the basis for potential future cooperation.
    [Show full text]
  • IEA Informal Brainstorming Meeting
    1 IEA workshop on FUELLING THE FUTURE WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY Tokyo, Japan, 10 May 2012 Supported by Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry BACKGROUND The World Energy Outlook, the IEA’s flagship publication, presents a rigorous analytical framework for energy industry and policy makers by providing updated comprehensive energy projections by fuel, sector, region and scenario. Following on from previous special focuses on gas, renewable, this year’s edition will include a special in-depth analysis on energy efficiency. The most important contribution to reaching energy security and climate goals comes from energy efficiency, the energy that we do not consume. Improving energy efficiency is common energy agenda for all governments. However, in the year 2009 and 2010, for the first time, we see two consecutive years a worsening of energy efficiency globally. This implies that energy efficiency measures make a difference, but much more is required. In World Energy Outlook’s central scenario (New Policies Scenario), energy efficiency needs to improve at a rate twice as high as that seen over the last two-and-a- half decades, stimulated by tighter standards across all sectors and a partial phase-out of subsidies to fossil fuels. To achieve more sustainable path in terms of climate change (450 Scenario), we need to achieve an even higher pace of change, with efficiency improvements accounting for half of the additional reduction in emissions. Organized by the IEA and supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, the workshop aims to seek insight from high-level international experts in industry, government and academia on: • Estimating potentials by sector.
    [Show full text]
  • November 18, 2019 Fatih Birol Executive Director International Energy Agency 9 Rue De La Fédération 75739 Paris Cedex 15 France
    November 18, 2019 Fatih Birol Executive Director International Energy Agency 9 rue de la Fédération 75739 Paris Cedex 15 France Dear Fatih, So much has happened since we wrote to you earlier this year, asking the IEA to prioritize a 1.5ºC pathway in this year’s World Energy Outlook (WEO). We have just witnessed 11,000 scientists declare that we are now in an emergency state with climate change. The unprecedented public protests we see on our streets has made clear that people will no longer tolerate inaction or delay from businesses and governments when it comes to the climate crisis. We welcome the improvements the IEA has made to the latest WEO, including renaming the New Policies Scenario to the more accurately entitled ‘Stated Policies Scenario’, extending the Sustainable Development Scenario to 2050, and reintroducing some discussion of the critical 1.5ºC warming limit. Such minor improvements are very welcome, but should not be mistaken for delivering upon urgently needed substantial changes. We urge you to do better. We fully understand that the IEA does not intend to define policy or investment decisions, but the fact is that the WEO is the globally authoritative publication on energy and energy infrastructure and it is used to inform significant investment and political decisions worldwide. As the WEO can become a self fulfilling prophecy, it carries a major responsibility that goes way beyond that of other publications that are merely descriptive. The IEA cannot be derelict of this responsibility. The mainstream scenario in this year’s WEO leads to at least 2.7ºC of warming.
    [Show full text]
  • Turkey 2021 Energy Policy Review Turkey 2021 Energy Policy Review INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY
    Turkey 2021 Energy Policy Review Turkey 2021 Energy Policy Review INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY The IEA examines the IEA member IEA association full spectrum countries: countries: of energy issues including oil, gas and Australia Brazil coal supply and Austria China demand, renewable Belgium India energy technologies, Canada Indonesia electricity markets, Czech Republic Morocco energy efficiency, Denmark Singapore access to energy, Estonia South Africa demand side Finland Thailand management and France much more. Through Germany its work, the IEA Greece advocates policies Hungary that will enhance the reliability, affordability Ireland and sustainability of Italy energy in its Japan 30 member countries, Korea 8 association Luxembourg countries and beyond. Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Norway Poland Portugal Please note that this Slovak Republic publication is subject to Spain specific restrictions that limit Sweden its use and distribution. The terms and conditions are Switzerland available online at Turkey www.iea.org/t&c/ United Kingdom United States This publication and any The European map included herein are without prejudice to the Commission also status of or sovereignty over participates in the any territory, to the work of the IEA delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area. Source: IEA. All rights reserved. International Energy Agency Website: www.iea.org Foreword The International Energy Agency (IEA) has conducted in-depth peer reviews of its member countries’ energy policies since 1976. This process supports energy policy development and encourages the exchange of and learning from international best practices. By seeing what has worked – or not – in the “real world”, these reviews help to identify policies that deliver concrete results.
    [Show full text]