The US could withdraw from the International Energy Agency (IEA) if the organization fails to align with Washington’s priorities on climate policy, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on September 23.

Speaking at a Wall Street Journal event in New York, Wright said the US would seek to reform the Paris-based agency but could consider leaving if those efforts fail.

The IEA has provided energy research, data, and analysis to industrialized governments for more than five decades, supporting policymaking on energy security, supply, and investment. The US is one of the agency’s largest financial contributors, accounting for around a quarter of its funding.

The agency has expanded its focus in recent years to include clean energy and the global transition away from fossil fuels, reflecting member governments’ efforts to meet commitments under the Paris Agreement.

However, the Trump administration and parts of the US oil industry have criticized the IEA’s growing focus on climate change and the energy transition. They have called for the agency to place greater emphasis on oil, natural gas, and coal, as well as its traditional energy security mandate.

Wright said the administration’s preferred approach is to reform the IEA so that it concentrates on its core mission and provides energy analysis based on its mandate rather than scenarios viewed as politically driven.

The potential US withdrawal could have significant implications for the IEA, given Washington’s financial contribution and longstanding role in the agency’s work on global energy security and markets.