Fatih Birol

Fatih Birol
Shoulders and face of a man wearing a suit
Birol in 2019
Executive director of the International Energy Agency
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 September 2015
DeputyMary Burce Warlick
Preceded byMaria van der Hoeven
Personal details
Alma materIstanbul Technical University
Vienna University of Technology

Fatih Birol is a Turkish economist and energy expert, who has served as the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) since 1 September 2015. During his time in charge of the IEA, he has taken a series of steps to modernise the Paris-based international organisation, including strengthening ties with emerging economies like India[1] and China and stepping up work on the clean energy transition and international efforts to reach net zero emissions.[2]

Birol was on the Time 100 list of the world's most influential people in 2021,[3] has been named by Forbes magazine among the most influential people on the world's energy scene[4] and recognised by the Financial Times in 2017 as Energy Personality of the Year.[5] Birol is the chairman of the World Economic Forum (Davos) Energy Advisory Board. He is a frequent contributor to print and electronic media and delivers numerous speeches each year at major international summits and conferences.[6]

  1. ^ "India inks MoU with International Energy Agency for global energy security, sustainability". The Hindu. 27 January 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Paris climate agreement at risk of failure, says energy chief". The Telegraph. 25 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.(Subscription required.)
  3. ^ "Fatih Birol: The 100 Most Influential People of 2021". Time. 15 September 2021.
  4. ^ "T. Boone Pickens Picks The World's Seven Most Powerful In Energy". Forbes. 11 November 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2009.
  5. ^ "Energy personality of the year: Fatih Birol, IEA". The Sunday Times. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.(Subscription required.)
  6. ^ "Climate commitments are 'not enough', says Birol". World Nuclear News. 22 April 2021.