A short walk from the Eiffel Tower, Fatih Birol oversees the world's energy watchdog, whose analyses of fuel demand have long been viewed as the gold standard by government officials, energy executives and investors.

But now the Turkish economist and the International Energy Agency are facing mounting pressure from groups concerned about climate change — including investors, scientists and former United Nations diplomats — over the IEA's widely watched annual outlook.

The newly released World Energy Outlook shapes expectations among governments, companies and investors over the future use of coal, oil and gas.