According to NIGC, Saeid Tavakoli made the remarks at a joint meeting with Esmaeil Seqab-Esfahani, vice president and head of the Organization for Energy Efficiency and Strategic Management. Referring to the memorandum of understanding signed between the two bodies on managing consumption and improving efficiency in gas and petroleum products, he stressed the need to turn this cooperation into practical, effective programs.

Tavakoli said NIGC has set three core priorities since the start of the Iranian year 1405: rebuilding and restoring damaged facilities, consumption management and efficiency, and energy diplomacy. "These are the company's three main priorities this year," he said. "The first two will be pursued by drawing on the company's operational capacities and the cooperation of the relevant agencies."

Referring to a proposal to use provincial gas companies as energy operators (karvars), the NIGC chief called it one avenue worth exploring for cooperation between the two bodies. "Making use of existing capacities, dividing responsibilities clearly and avoiding duplication can help advance efficiency and consumption management programs effectively," he said.

Tavakoli stressed that gas and its consumption management are more than a purely operational or economic issue. "Given gas's considerable share in the country's energy mix and NIGC's place in the energy supply chain, managing this sector requires a national outlook, coordination among the responsible agencies and the participation of all stakeholders," he said. "While respecting the duties and authority of each body, we should therefore use the existing legal and executive capacities to achieve shared goals."

He called public awareness-building one of the key pillars of consumption management and stressed that efforts in this area must be effective. "Awareness-building should not be limited to advertising and one-off measures," he said. "It must be accompanied by an understanding of consumer behavior, stronger infrastructure, reformed mechanisms and economic incentives."

Emphasizing the need to separate missions and avoid duplication, the NIGC chief said: "Policymaking, planning and implementation must be pursued within each body's mandate, and we should draw on the capacity of skilled, experienced personnel in joint working groups. These working groups must have clear objectives, responsibilities, timelines and deliverables, and every individual and body must be accountable in proportion to its share and responsibility."

Tavakoli added that effective, evidence-based awareness-building cannot be achieved through advertising and media tools alone. "A major part of these programs' success depends on infrastructure and operational measures," he said. "Resources and capacities should therefore be spent where they have the greatest impact."

He said expanding cooperation with specialized organizations and drawing on the capacity of energy operators could help shape this approach and support the implementation of targeted programs.

The NIGC chief noted that Iran does not lack upstream energy laws and policy documents; the main challenge, he said, lies in implementing them accurately and effectively. "If the capacity of the laws, upstream documents and approved programs is properly put into practice, we can prevent significant energy waste through reforming consumption patterns and implementing efficiency projects, and achieve substantial savings in the country's resources," he said.

Tavakoli concluded: "Getting past the current situation requires, more than new documents, a clear operational plan, defined responsibilities and consistent follow-up on results."