Dozens of countries have lowered energy taxes or taken other policy steps in response to Iran war

More than 100 countries have taken policy steps to address rising energy costs and other effects of the conflict in the Middle East, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). As of the IEA’s most recent update on June 12, a total of 113 countries – as well as the European Commission, the main executive body of the European Union – have made at least one such policy change in response to the war: | Policy type | Number of countries | Group | |---|---|---| | Consumer support | 92 | Consumer support | | Taxation | 55 | Consumer support | | Fuel subsidies | 32 | Consumer support | | Price caps | 23 | Consumer support | | Other | 41 | Consumer support | | Energy conservation | 58 | Energy conservation | | Campaign | 40 | Energy conservation | | Transport | 25 | Energy conservation | | Government travel | 20 | Energy conservation | | Work from home | 17 | Energy conservation | | Cooling | 8 | Energy conservation | | Schools and universities | 7 | Energy conservation | | Structural policies | 28 | Structural policies | | Electrification | 19 | Structural policies | | Energy efficiency | 12 | Structural policies | | Other | 10 | Structural policies | - The most common of these has been adjusting taxes, a step taken by 55 countries. Turkey, for instance, lowered its fuel tax on oil. - 40 countries have launched public awareness campaigns, asking or requiring people to limit their energy use. In Ireland and Japan, for example, the government has encouraged energy conservation, while the Philippines and other countries have declared national energy emergencies. - 32 countries have added new fuel subsidies or expanded existing ones. Fiji, for example, instated a diesel rebate for its main electricity provider. In Mozambique, the government began subsidizing public transit. - 28 countries have pursued structural policies focused on long-term change, related to improving energy efficiency or reducing fossil fuel dependency. For example, the Netherlands accelerated the trade-in of internal combustion engine vehicles for electric vehicles and the replacement of at-home gas boilers with heat pumps. Related: Worldwide, a quarter of new car sales are electric vehicles or hybrids Many countries – predominantly in Asia – have responded with more than one of these initiatives. Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam have enacted at least six types of energy-focused policy changes to address effects of the Iran war. Laos has enacted nine types of policies, more than any other country. The United States is not among the countries that made nationwide energy policy changes in response to the war, though President Donald Trump in May floated the idea of suspending the federal gas tax. Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky and Utah have provided some form of relief from state gas taxes. Related: What to know about U.S. oil production and consumption in 6 charts Asia, Europe stand out for policy responses Energy policy responses to the Iran war have been most common in the Asia-Pacific region, where 29 countries have enacted 124 such changes (counted once per occurrence per category). In Bangladesh, for example, lawmakers have made four types of policy changes: limiting air conditioning temperatures, closing public and private universities, asking people and businesses to save energy, and capping fuel purchases for vehicles plus promoting public transportation. In Europe, 30 countries and the European Commission have enacted 86 energy policy changes. For example, Sweden made four types of changes: halving the price of public transport passes, extending reductions on gas taxes, accelerating the electrification of public vehicles like police cars, and providing crisis support for the farming and fishing industries and assistance for electricity bill payments. | Country/Region | ISO | Number of policies | |---|---|---| | Albania | 8 | 1 | | Argentina | 32 | 2 | | Australia | 36 | 5 | | Austria | 40 | 2 | | Bangladesh | 50 | 4 | | Barbados | 52 | 3 | | Belgium | 56 | 4 | | Belize | 84 | 3 | | Botswana | 72 | 2 | | Brazil | 76 | 2 | | Brunei | 96 | 1 | | Bulgaria | 100 | 2 | | Cabo Verde | 132 | 2 | | Cambodia | 116 | 7 | | Canada | 124 | 2 | | Chile | 152 | 5 | | China | 156 | 1 | | Colombia | 170 | 1 | | Comoros | 174 | 1 | | Croatia | 191 | 4 | | Cyprus | 196 | 2 | | Czech Republic | 203 | 2 | | Dominican Republic | 214 | 2 | | DR Congo | 180 | 1 | | East Timor | 626 | 2 | | Ecuador | 218 | 2 | | Egypt | 818 | 6 | | Estonia | 233 | 1 | | Ethiopia | 231 | 3 | | European Commission | 3 | | | Fiji | 242 | 3 | | France | 250 | 3 | | Gambia | 270 | 3 | | Germany | 276 | 2 | | Ghana | 288 | 1 | | Greece | 300 | 2 | | Grenada | 308 | 2 | | Guatemala | 320 | 1 | | Guinea-Bissau | 624 | 1 | | Guyana | 328 | 2 | | Haiti | 332 | 1 | | Honduras | 340 | 1 | | Hungary | 348 | 2 | | Iceland | 352 | 3 | | India | 356 | 8 | | Indonesia | 360 | 8 | | Iran | 364 | 1 | | Ireland | 372 | 5 | | Italy | 380 | 2 | | Ivory Coast | 384 | 1 | | Jamaica | 388 | 1 | | Japan | 392 | 3 | | Jordan | 400 | 3 | | Kenya | 404 | 3 | | Kuwait | 414 | 1 | | Laos | 418 | 9 | | Latvia | 428 | 1 | | Lithuania | 440 | 3 | | Luxembourg | 442 | 6 | | Madagascar | 450 | 1 | | Malaysia | 458 | 7 | | Maldives | 462 | 1 | | Marshall Islands | 584 | 2 | | Mauritania | 478 | 2 | | Mauritius | 480 | 1 | | Mexico | 484 | 2 | | Montenegro | 499 | 2 | | Morocco | 504 | 1 | | Mozambique | 508 | 2 | | Myanmar | 104 | 3 | | Namibia | 516 | 1 | | Nauru | 520 | 1 | | Nepal | 524 | 5 | | Netherlands | 528 | 6 | | New Zealand | 554 | 1 | | Nigeria | 566 | 1 | | Norway | 578 | 1 | | Pakistan | 586 | 6 | | Panama | 591 | 2 | | Papua New Guinea | 598 | 1 | | Peru | 604 | 2 | | Philippines | 608 | 8 | | Poland | 616 | 3 | | Portugal | 620 | 2 | | Romania | 642 | 2 | | Rwanda | 646 | 2 | | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 659 | 2 | | Saint Lucia | 662 | 2 | | Sao Tome and Principe | 678 | 1 | | Senegal | 686 | 1 | | Serbia | 688 | 2 | | Seychelles | 690 | 4 | | Sierra Leone | 694 | 1 | | Singapore | 702 | 6 | | Slovakia | 703 | 1 | | Slovenia | 705 | 2 | | Solomon Islands | 90 | 1 | | South Africa | 710 | 1 | | South Korea | 410 | 7 | | South Sudan | 728 | 1 | | Spain | 724 | 5 | | Sri Lanka | 144 | 7 | | Suriname | 740 | 2 | | Sweden | 752 | 4 | | Tanzania | 834 | 2 | | Thailand | 764 | 7 | | Turkey | 792 | 1 | | Tuvalu | 798 | 1 | | United Kingdom | 826 | 6 | | Uruguay | 858 | 2 | | Vanuatu | 548 | 1 | | Vietnam | 704 | 8 | | Zambia | 894 | 1 | | Zimbabwe | 716 | 1 |