Advancing a just energy transition in Brazil

Context

In the Brazilian Amazon, around three million people are not connected to the national electricity grid and depend entirely on fossil fuels for their energy supply. As this region is extremely sensitive to climate impacts, together with the global demand to reduce emissions, this fact illustrates the need to further increase the share of renewable energies for a cleaner and more resilient grid.

Another challenge in energy supplies lies in diversity and inclusion, as only 20 per cent of employees in the industry are women. Given that increasing the share of renewable energy is likely to create 46,000 to 260,000 new jobs by 2030, there is a major opportunity to increase female participation and drive gender equality in renewable energy.

Objective

The Brazilian government is implementing a national strategy for a just and ecologically balanced energy transition.

Approach

The project supports the country in developing public policies, programmes, and regulations that promote a socially just energy transition. The measures aim to

• Promote gender equality
• Provide training cycles directed to specialists, managers and technicians, including women and members of vulnerable groups, to implement a technical master plan for grid integration of variable renewable energies (vRE);
• Develop concepts, models and tools for decarbonising isolated energy systems in the Amazon. Moreover, the project advises the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) on setting up a national programme to promote energy efficiency, renewable energies and a just energy transition nationwide.

Last update: March 2025