Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has dismissed suggestions Australians should work from home or cut back on travel, after the International Energy Agency urged countries to adopt fuel‑saving measures as global supply pressures intensify.

Speaking in Melbourne on Saturday, Albanese rejected the idea that the IEA’s proposals, including driving less, lowering highway speed limits by 10km/h and reducing air travel, were aimed at Australia.

‘They’re not suggestions to us, of course. They’re suggestions to the world,’ he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles supported that view, describing the IEA’s guidance as ‘options’ rather than instructions and stressing that the government remains focused on maintaining supply.

‘Right now, our message to the Australian people is to continue business as usual. To get on with people’s lives,’ he said.

The IEA argues that small behavioural changes could ease pressure on global oil demand as the Middle East conflict continues to disrupt supply chains and elevate prices, noting that road transport accounts for a significant share of consumption.

‘Many of these measures have been implemented in the past and are again being considered in several countries,’ the report said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has dismissed suggestions Australians should work from home or cut back on travel

 It highlights several steps countries could consider, including encouraging people to work from home when possible, cutting highway speed limits, using public transport and carpooling.

‘Working from home where possible reduces fuel demand for commuting, while lowering highway speed limits by at least 10 kilometres per hour cuts fuel use across both passenger vehicles and freight,’ the report said.

It also urges a shift toward public transport and shared travel.

‘Encouraging a shift from private cars to public transport, alongside measures such as alternating private vehicle access in large cities, can further reduce congestion and fuel consumption,’ it said.

‘Additional gains can be achieved through car sharing and more efficient driving practices, as well as improved efficiency in freight and delivery operations.’

IEA executive director Fatih Birol will be in Canberra on Monday to meet with Albanese and address the National Press Club.

Marles later again played down the urgency of the agency’s recommendations, calling them ‘options’ rather than ‘a directive.’

‘Our focus is in respect of supply and getting fuel supplies to where it is needed most, and that is very much in the regions,’ he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles supported that view, describing the IEA’s guidance as ‘options’ rather than instructions and stressing that the government remains focused on maintaining supply

‘What happens as we go forward, depending on how long this conflict ensues, may have implications.’

Energy Minister Chris Bowen also rejected the suggestion that the IEA’s report was directed at Australia when questioned by David Speers on ABC’s Insiders.

Speers pressed Bowen on the agency’s advice.

‘[The IEA] is telling countries that they should look at more work from home… Would you urge businesses, for example, to be more flexible and work from home?’

Bowen replied that working from home was ‘an essential thing’ in many situations and ‘an important part’ of modern working life.

‘I think many people are already looking at ways to minimise their fuel use right now, but for some it’s much harder,’ he told the ABC on Sunday.

He stressed that the IEA’s recommendations were not prescriptive.

‘So I don’t think a one‑size‑fits‑all approach makes sense. The IEA report is really a smorgasbord of options for countries around the world to consider based on their own circumstances.’

The NSW government says it is factoring the IEA’s guidance into its contingency planning and has encouraged people to use public transport where possible.