Login — or — register

Open access

How can oil consumption be reduced in 4 months and policies made more efficient in the long term?

In the face of the emerging global energy crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the International Energy Agency (IEA) proposes 10 actions that can be put in place to reduce oil demand with immediate impact — and provides recommendations on how these actions can help pave the way to put oil demand on a more sustainable path in the long term.

Immediate actions such as these in advanced economies can cut oil demand by 2.7 million barrels a day in four months — and are useful to both government agencies and individual people.

Infographic on the IEA's 10 points to cut oil use
Infographic on the IEA's 10 points to cut oil use
  1. Reduce speed limits on highways by at least 10 km/h
    Around 290 kb/d of oil use can be saved in the short term through a speed limit reduction of just 10 km/h on motorways for cars. A further 140 kb/d (predominantly diesel) can be saved if heavy trucks reduce their speed by 10 km/h.
  2. Work from home up to three days a week where possible
    One day of working from home can avoid around 170 kb/d of oil use. Three days of working from home avoids around 500 kb/d in the short term.
  3. Car-free Sundays in cities
    Avoids around 380 kb/d of oil use in the short term if implemented in large cities every Sunday. If only one Sunday per month, the amount drops to 95 kb/d.
  4. Make the use of public transport cheaper and incentivise micro-mobility, walking and cycling
    Short-term measures where feasible and culturally acceptable can avoid around 330 kb/d of oil use.
  5. Alternate private car access to roads in large cities
    A reduction of around 210 kb/d of oil in the short term if alternate car access is applied on two days per week in large cities with good public transport options.
  6. Increase car sharing and adopt practices to reduce fuel use
    An increase of around 50% in the average car occupancy across advanced economies in 1-in-10 trips and adopting best-practices to decrease car fuel use can save around 470 kb/d of oil in the short term.
  7. Promote efficient driving for freight trucks and delivery of goods
    These measures can avoid around 320 kb/d of oil use in the short term.
  8. Using high- speed and night trains instead of planes where possible
    Avoids around 40 kb/d oil use in the short term.
  9. Avoid business air travel where alternative options exist
    Avoids 260 kb/d of oil use in the short term.
  10. Reinforce the adoption of electric and more efficient vehicles
    Avoids more than 100 kb/d of oil use in the short term, building on expected sales of electric and more fuel-efficient cars over the next four months. Sustained action on supply chains and policy support can help secure further savings.

When combined with structural measures, these 10 points can also bring benefits in the long term. Specifically, the key actions can be summarised as:

  • Prioritise support to electric vehicles and unblock supply chains
  • Significantl y raising the ambition of fuel economy standards for road vehicles
  • Boosting the supply of alternative fuels
  • Accelerate the replacement of oil boilers with heat pumps and ban installation of new ones
  • Increase plastic waste collection, re-use and recycling

The complete and detailed official report is available on the IEA website.

SDGs involved:

7 - Affordable and clean energy, 12 - Responsible consumption and production, 13 - Climate action, 15 - Life on land

Questo contenuto appartiene alla serie:

Venipedia Virtuosa, Capire la sostenibilità

This is an Open Access content, but you can get more.

Take full advantage of the content and quality of Venipedia, contribute to creating a better future thanks to Venipedia Virtuosa. You can unsubscribe whenever you want. Subscribe to the quality of Venipedia, € 7,99 per month, or € 59 per year

Forever yours,
the Venipedian Masters

Subscribe

Do you want to have a taste?
You're right, better to deepen: you can do it with our Open Access contents and touch with hand, or with a full 7 days access at €1,99.

Get the best, make the future better. Actively.
Your subscription helps us to support deserving realities and contributes to creating a better future for everyone, thanks to Venipedia Virtuosa: together with us, you contribute to the constant planting of new trees in the Amazon and to the development of new carbon removal technologies.

No constraints required, you can cancel whenever you want.
Your payment system will be charged automatically, in advance. All subscriptions renew automatically. You can cancel whenever you want before the next renewal. Renewed subscriptions are non-refundable. In case of cancellation after the renewal date, you will have access for the entire active period until the next renewal date, after which you will no longer have access and no further amount will be charged. Offers and prices are subject to change without notice.