Mexico's government estimates that 33% of Mexico's population lives in moderate poverty and 9% lives in extreme poverty. Energy consumption has a strong social impact, not only due to the absolute amount of energy consumed but also due to the quality of the energy consumed. Improving the efficiency of the Mexican oil & gas industry will result in an improvement of the Mexican economy. Energy needs worldwide will increase yearly, but at the same time it is clear that the carbon emissions must be reduced. This dilemma can be solved only if the proper technology is ready to improve the use of renewable energy sources but also if we are able to optimize the energy efficiency obtained from hydrocarbons.

Different studies suggest that major advances in poverty alleviation can be achieved with relatively small inputs of energy. Consider the following: if all developing countries achieved a level of energy services comparable to that of Western Europe in the 1970s, and if they deployed the most efficient energy technologies and energy carriers available in the 1980s, what would be the per capita energy consumption corresponding to this vastly improved standard of living? The answer is: provided that the most energy-efficient technologies and energy carriers available are implemented, a mere 1 Kilowatt per capita—that is, a 10% increase in today’s energy per capita—would be required for the populations of developing countries to enjoy a standard of living as high as that of Western Europe in the 1970s. In other words, dramatic increases in living standards in developing countries can theoretically be achieved with small inputs of energy.