Natural gas is the fossil fuel with the lowest environmental impact because, due to its characteristics, it allows efficient combustion, which contributes to the improvement of air quality, with low NOx, SO2 and solid particle emissions.
These characteristics have allowed it to be proposed as a key fuel in the process of progressive decarbonisation of the energy sector. In addition, natural gas provides a flexible energy reserve which supports the intermittent character of renewable energies, and it helps to guarantee competitiveness, efficiency and energy security.
It is also an important asset for the development of new technologies that mitigate the effects of climate change. Therefore, it has become a key resource for the development of a long-term energy policy in the European Union.