The European Union’s energy commissioner is asking people within the bloc to drive less, earn a living from home and implement other measures to lower the demand for oil and gas because the Iran war strains energy supplies.
The EU is asking its member states to implement the International Energy Agency’s 10-point plan to cut back global oil demand, said Dan Jørgensen, the EU’s energy commissioner, during a press conference on Tuesday.
“For the reason that starting of the conflict within the Middle East, prices within the EU have risen by around 70 per cent for gas and by 60 per cent for oil,” he said.
“We needs to be under no illusion that the implications of this crisis for the energy markets shall be short-lived. Because they won’t,” he added.
Jørgensen listed a few of the 10 measures that the IEA, of which Canada can be a member, is asking members to implement.
For one, the IEA recommendations ask people to “earn a living from home where possible.”
Member states are also being asked to “reduce highway speed limits by not less than 10 km/h.”
This measure harkens back to the 1973 oil price shock, when the U.S. imposed a national speed limit of 89 km/h (55 mph) on all highways in 1974, a limit that was not lifted until 1995.
Driving at higher speeds burns more gasoline, while driving slower uses less.
IEA member states are being asked to encourage public transport, alternate private automobile access to roads in large cities on different days, increase automobile sharing and adopt efficient driving practices.
Get breaking National news
Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox because it happens so you will not miss a trending story.
The IEA also urges switching to “modern cooking solutions” resembling electric cooking to cut back reliance on cooking gas.
The recommendations can’t be “one-size-fits all,” Jørgensen said, adding that the EU doesn’t “expect all member states to implement all 10 demand reduction tools.”
“Nevertheless it is a excellent toolbox and we very much recommend that each country take a look at which possibilities they’ve,” he added.
The EU must “avoid fragmented national responses,” he said, pushing for a co-ordinated approach.
The energy-saving measures wouldn’t be short-term, he said, adding that the energy infrastructure near the Persian Gulf was “ruined” by the Iran war.
“Even when that peace is here tomorrow, still we is not going to return to normal within the foreseeable future,” he said.
In Canada, the BC General Employees Union is asking the province to “allow provincially regulated employees, where possible, to earn a living from home full time” because the Iran crisis rages on.
“The increasing price of gas places an undue burden on employees across the province” said BCGEU president Paul Finch.
“The provincial government has a possibility to assist alleviate that burden by allowing employees the flexibleness to earn a living from home. Along with lessening the pain employees are feeling on the pump, this move would help reduce emissions and congestion,” he added.
How Asian countries are responding
Earlier this month, several Asian nations which are heavily reliant on imported energy put in place energy-saving measures as their oil and gas supply was hit, raising costs.
In Thailand, an order for civil servants to earn a living from home for the foreseeable future got here with one other request, as well — the Thai prime minister also ordered measures including suspending overseas trips and using stairs as a substitute of elevators.
Pakistan has mandated a four-day work week, work-from-home measures for a big swathe of its public service and ordered that every one universities hold classes online, citing “resource conservation.”
Vietnam’s government has asked private firms to contemplate letting their employees earn a living from home, while India has asked liquefied petroleum gas consumers to avoid panic buying.
Sri Lanka introduced fuel rationing on Sunday to increase the lifetime of its supplies. Under the brand new system, motorcycles shall be allocated five litres, cars 15 litres and buses 60 litres of fuel per week.
The island nation has secured fuel shipments until the top of April, authorities on the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation told reporters in Colombo, adding that police shall be deployed to cut back lines and minimize hoarding.
– With files from Reuters
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.