On September 29, World Petroleum Day is celebrated, in recognition of the importance of fossil fuel in the economy of nations. In fact, looking back on the facilities of modern life, today, it is unimaginable to conceive of social life without this energy source.

Imagine, for a moment, the world without automobiles, without paraffin, asphalt, makeup, solar panels (yes, there is oil there ...), the wind power generation towers (idem!), Without polyester, the crayons, the fertilizer, the aspirin, the pantyhose and, believe it or not, without the gum.

It is true that there is much discussion, and rightly so, about the risk of environmental impact from the use of oil. Which leads us to the debate on how to continue promoting human development and, at the same time, care for and control emissions and accidents.

If it is a fair tribute, to remind society of how much this input has contributed to world development, even better could be said of natural gas, which, however, does not (yet) have a date to call its own.

Environmentally, gas is the transition fuel, towards the demands of a society desirous of low-carbon activities.

In addition, gas is also the solution fuel for the use of environmentally neutral and renewable sources such as wind and solar energy. This is because such energies cannot produce, continuously, over the days and nights. If the wind stops and it gets dark, there is no energy generated. Then the gas comes in to offer the solution, supplying energy to society when nature cannot. Ultimately, it is gas that enables the large-scale production of these renewable and intermittent sources.

Natural gas has always been relegated to the background in Brazil. Historically, it occupied a subordinate position in the Brazilian energy matrix. For a long time, in fact, it was considered a by-product, somewhat unwanted, as gas is often produced in association with oil, being underutilized due to historical deficiencies in the infrastructure for delivery to the Brazilian population.

It is worth remembering that in some industrial sectors, natural gas meets more than 80% of the energy needs of companies, with great weight in their total costs. Studies indicate that a 50% reduction in the price of natural gas could stimulate investments in the order of R $ 10 billion and increase the revenues of energy-intensive companies by about 40% in 2030.

A new regulatory framework for gas is under discussion in the Senate, having already been approved by the Chamber of Deputies. This milestone recognizes that the modernization of the natural gas sector is too relevant to make national products more competitive, leaving behind the current reality, of deficit in infrastructure and prices above the world average. This is because the industry makes intensive use of natural gas and, having access to the most competitive input, can enter a new investment cycle and positively impact the Brazilian trade balance.

In Espírito Santo, the new regulatory framework for the sector is already a reality! This is because, constitutionally, it is up to the States to establish the rules for the distribution of piped gas on its soil. Thus, Governor Renato Casagrande promptly chose to grant the concessionaire ES Gás a modern concession contract, fully adhering to the best global practices in the sector. And even more categorically, in order to provide legal certainty to the sector, it sent a bill instituting the Free Gas Market in the State, already approved by the Legislative Assembly and in the process of being sanctioned.

With the improvement of federal and state laws, Brazil is approaching to make the potential of gas viable as an accessible and strategic input, and to provide Brazilian entrepreneurs with a safe, competitive and low environmental impact energy source. The new regulatory framework is necessary to take advantage of the discoveries of natural gas in the pre-salt layer, the potential for onshore production and the repositioning of Petrobras in the sector.

The new regulatory framework that is being designed in the near future and the structuring of the gas industry in order to increase the competitiveness of this energy matrix and promote a new cycle of industrialization in Brazil makes us believe that it is more than fair that natural gas, like the date that celebrates the importance of oil, have a day on the calendar to greet its economic relevance and low environmental impact. Who knows, the approval of the regulatory framework in the Senate may not be the day we hope to remember a wish that will finally be realized?