Gas for People: Where Sustainability Meets Security and Accessibility. The Structural Impact of Brazilian Clean Cooking Programme by Aurelio Ferreira, Advisor, Ultragaz
True leadership in the energy transition and in building the future requires more than climate ambitions; it demands a legacy of innovation and the ability to execute at scale. Eighty-eight years ago, Ultragaz embodied this premise by leading Brazil’s first major energy transition, spearheading the replacement of wood and charcoal burning with Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). This historically innovative essence shaped a sector that is now monumental: a market that moves seven million tons annually and ensures the daily food security of around 200 million users. The ongoing efficiency of this value chain has built a unique logistics infrastructure capable of serving 100% of Brazilian localities, including the most remote, with an impressive average delivery time of just 15 minutes.
However, such complex engineering cannot stand without solid foundations. For corporate innovation and leadership in the energy transition to continue advancing, regulatory stability must serve as a non-negotiable cornerstone. It is the robust regulatory framework, grounded in strict respect for branded cylinder recirculation model, the rigor of legislation that restricts predatory and unsafe practices such as partial filling, and the requirement of high levels of consumer safety, that enables distributors to make heavy investments in the integrity of the distribution system.
It is precisely on this mature legal foundation that the sector is able to respond swiftly to the call to combat energy poverty in the country, structuring unprecedented social-impact initiatives such as the Gás do Povo Program (Brazilian Clean Cooking Programme), announced during Liquid Gas Week 2025. The challenge posed by this initiative required the expertise of those who understand supply and impact: reaching approximately 56 million vulnerable users across the entire national territory. The response proved that innovation is the key to efficient access policies. In a landmark display of agility, implementation took place at a record pace of just four months, accrediting approximately 25,000 points of sale in all municipalities across the country.
To ensure governance on such a vast scale, the programme, managed at the governmental level by the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), adopted a fully digital solutions architecture operated by Caixa Econômica Federal. The absence of physical cash transactions not only mitigates fraud but also provides full control over the process. This entire distribution ecosystem has been supported by intense, targeted communication with beneficiaries, ranging from local signage and cylinder identification to location apps, centralised registry management, and direct messaging to users.
The results of this logistics engineering translate into what it truly means to lead the energy transition and energy security agenda in Brazilian society. With a projected distribution of 68 million cylinders in a single year, the program goes beyond operational metrics to deliver human and environmental value. On the social front, continuous access to clean cooking translates into significant improvements in respiratory health and the recovery of productive time, especially for women, structurally combating inequality at the base of the pyramid. On the climate front, the initiative is expected to avoid more than 5 million tons of CO emissions.
Taking the lead in this movement rea rms our historic role of viewing energy as a primary driver of development and well-being. When the innovative DNA of a company and an entire sector meets safe regulatory environment, leadership in the energy transition ceases to be an abstract concept and becomes an accessible and inclusive reality capable of structurally transforming society.
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