Founded in 1974, the International Energy Agency (IEA) was initially designed to help countries co-ordinate a collective response to major disruptions in the supply of oil, such as the crisis of 1973/4.  

• Members : Presently it has 30 member countries.
• Headquarters (Secretariat) : Paris, France. 
• Only OECD member states can become members of the IEA.
• Except for Chile, Iceland, Israel, Latvia, Slovenia all OECD member states are members of the IEA. 
• Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Singapore and Thailand are the associate members of IEA.
• IEA member countries are required to maintain total oil stock levels equivalent to at least 90 days of the previous year’s net imports.
• Publications : World Energy Outlook report, Global Energy & CO2 Status Report, World Energy Investment Report and  Key World Energy Statistics.
  

The four main areas of International Energy Agency

• Energy Security : Promoting diversity, efficiency, flexibility and reliability for all fuels and energy sources; 
• Economic Development : Supporting free markets to foster economic growth and eliminate energy poverty; 
• Environmental Awareness : Analysing policy options to offset the impact of energy production and use on the environment, especially for tackling climate change and air pollution;
• Engagement Worldwide : World Energy Balances, Working closely with partner countries, especially major emerging economies, to find solutions to shared energy and environmental concerns.

Functions:

• The IEA examines the full spectrum of energy issues including oil, gas and coal supply and demand, renewable energy technologies, electricity markets, energy  efficiency, access to energy, demand side management and much more. 
• The IEA advocates policies that will enhance the reliability, affordability and sustainability of energy in its member countries and beyond.

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