A study published by the International Energy Agency (IEA), entitled "The Contribution of Natural Gas Vehicles to Sustainable Transport", discusses the enormous benefits (economic, social and environmental) of natural gas use in the transportation sector. It points out what many experts have said: the natural gas will have a key role in significantly reducing emissions to the environment with a very low cost and will be part of strategies to progressively decarbonise energy consumption and reduce pollution.

   Among many other things, states that "the natural gas vehicles technology and fuel is widely available and relatively affordable, especially compared with other alternative fuel vehicles (AFV)", "improving air quality is one of the strongest drivers of natural gas" and "equipment for the development of fuel distribution stations are widely available and technology continues to improve."

   The study indicates that natural gas vehicles have great benefits, including improved air quality, noise reduction in urban areas, reducing oil consumption, improving energy security (and economic), the reduction in public spending, reducing the costs of public and private transport, stimulating economic growth and competitiveness.

   In other words, it significantly improves the environment while at the same time the country, businesses and individuals save lots of money and drive economic growth and social progress. In addition, natural gas is abundant and high-octane, is rapidly scalable to reduce consumption of imported petroleum products and is the fastest growing fuel in the world.

   The study also indicates that this fuel "should be part of plans to move towards sustainable transport." Another study of the organization, entitled "Climate Change Policy and Practice", states that "natural gas vehicles can have significant benefits in air quality and noise, energy security, and (...) also offer big CO2 savings compared to many other alternatives."

   Many countries in the world have already begun this evolution to the transformational change that is causing the natural gas in the XXI Century. In Latin America, countries that have the leadership in the use of natural gas are Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia and Dominican Republic. It is imperative to begin to introduce natural gas in the domestic energy market, especially when there is significant potential in our country, as ascertained by examinations by Recope with the support of ICE and other entities such as Pemex, PetroCanada, the World Bank and several universities.

By Roberto Dobles, Former Minister of Environment, Energy and Telecommunications of Costa Rica.

Periódico La República

February 6, 2012