Fatih Birol’s defining moment was his decision to leave OPEC and join the International Energy Agency. This was the point at which his personal values, professional experiences and his concern about climate change translated into action and ultimately shaped the direction of his career.
Part of this decision can be traced to how he grew up. Birol has spoken about the influence of his father, a doctor who often helped patients who could not afford treatment. Growing up around this environment helped shape his awareness of poverty, inequality and access to basic services. These concerns would later be reflected in Birol’s focus on affordable energy, energy access and the challenges faced by developing countries.
Another important influence came during his early career when he attended a lecture and learned that the majority of greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change came from the energy sector. Birol later described this as an influential realisation, explaining how he saw climate change as a major global challenge and felt compelled to dedicate much of his career to highlighting the issue.
Birol later worked at the OPEC Secretariat in Vienna, where his role focused primarily on oil market analysis and energy economics. This experience provided him with a strong understanding of how global energy markets work and later influenced his technocratic approach to policymaking. However, despite the stability and long-term career opportunities offered by OPEC, Birol increasingly felt constrained by the narrow focus of the organisation. He later explained that he wanted to work on broader global issues, particularly those affecting developing countries.
As a result, Birol made the decision to leave OPEC and accept a short-term contract at the IEA. This decision fundamentally changed his area of influence. At OPEC, Birol was largely analysing energy markets and at the IEA, he entered an institution that helps shape international energy policy, energy security strategies and eventually global climate discussions.
The transition from OPEC to the IEA therefore represents the defining moment in Birol’s career. It marked the point at which his concern for climate change, development and global energy challenges could be translated into action. Rather than simply analysing the energy system, he was now in a position to influence it. At the IEA, Birol was able to shape global energy policy through evidence-based research, policy recommendations, energy security advising and international cooperation. While the work he did at OPEC helped him develop his skills and expertise in energy economics, the IEA provided the platform to apply that expertise to influence governments and groups, contributing directly to international energy policy. As the IEA expanded its scope following Birol’s modernisation agenda in 2015, his influence grew as well. Birol went from working primarily with oil-exporting countries to shaping energy and climate policy across higher and lower income economies worldwide.
IE x RAIA Summer Research Programme:
This article is an excerpt from a report on Fatih Birol produced as part of a RAIA research programme on climate leaders. For a full picture of Birol’s climate leadership, including the sources, read the full report. This project was fully financed by IE University’s School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs and School of Science and Technology.
Authors: Sofia Hession, Alexandra Björkman & Ariadna Alvarenga
Editor: Roxane de Bergevin
Project Lead: Dario Hasenstab
