Prospect of Transition into Sustainable Energy in Developing Countries: An Analysis of Brazilian Public Programs
| Autor | Ana Maria de Oliveira - Lívia Regina Batista |
| Cargo | Professor of Environmental Law, Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de São Paulo - Graduate Student in Environmental Law, Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de São Paulo |
| Páginas | 1-29 |
REVISTA CATALANA DE DRET AMBIENTAL Vol. VI Núm. 1 (2015): 1 – 29
-Estudi-
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PROSPECT OF TRANSITION INTO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY: AN
ANALYSIS OF BRAZILIAN ENERGY PROGRAMS
ANA MARIA DE OLIVEIRA NUSDEO
Professor of Environmental Law
Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de São Paulo
ananusdeo@usp.br
—
LÍVIA REGINA BATISTA
Graduate Student in Environmental Law
Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de São Paulo
liviarebatista@gmail.com
Received: April 1st 2015 / Accepted: May 15th 2015
ABSTRACT: The cause of many environmental problems currently discussed may be
imputed to current standard of production and consumption of energy, which is not
consistent to the sustainable development’s concept. On the other hand, energy is a key
element of modern society and, without an adequate supply, its development will be
limited. Thus, it is clear that the demand for energy, particularly in development
countries, shall grow in coming years; so it is up to policy makers to develop
mechanisms and encourage a transition into renewable (or sustainable) energy sources.
At that point, the Environmental Law must operate along with the policy makers, by
coordinating the necessary means to achieve predetermined goals, through public
policies and programs – which are generically composed of command and control
instruments and economic instruments. This study aims to illustrate those challenges
with the discussion of two public programs implemented in Brazil for those purposes:
“Light for All” and “Program of Incentives for Alternative Energy Sources” –
PROINFRA.
A.M. Nusdeo & L.R. Batista RCDA Vol. VI Núm. 1 (2015)
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KEY WORDS: Transition — Sustainable Energy — Developing Countries — “Light
for All” — PROINFA.
SUMMARY: 1. Introduction. 2. Social and economic development and energy use increase. 3. The
evolution of the discussion at the international level and 2012 as the International Year of Sustainable
Energy for All. 4. The energy issue in Brazil: an integrated reading of the Light for All and PROINFA. 5.
Conclusion. 6. Bibliography.
1. INTRODUCTION
Energy is usually seen as a central issue to modern societies, especially regarding their
development process. Even though it is not an end in itself, the services provided by an
adequate supply of energy can be translated into lighting, heating, cooling,
communication and transportation, among other services that highly improve life
conditions. Education and health are better provided with energy availability. Likewise,
it is recognized that an adequate supply of energy is essential for industrial growth, and
encourages economic activities of higher added value, both in urban and rural areas, that
produce higher income and create better jobs1.
Still, it is estimated that currently 1.3 billion people around the world have no access to
electricity and 2.6 billion people rely on traditional biomass to basic activities, such as
cooking2.
In Brazil, in 2012, exceeding the estimates of the government itself, a survey carried out
by the Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency (ANEEL) pointed out that one million
homes still had no access to electricity3.
That means the energy consumption tends to increase significantly, especially in
developing countries. It is estimated a growth of 35% in the consumption in order that
people meet their basic human needs by 20404, and also improve their life standards.
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1 WEHAB Working Group. (2002, August) A Framework for Action on Energy. Retrieved 19 June 2014,
in <http://www.un.org/jsummit/html/documents/summit_docs/wehab_papers/wehab_energy.pdf>.
2 International Energy Agency. (2013) World Energy Outlook. Retrieved 17 June 2014, in
<http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/WEO2013_Executive_Summary_Portugue
se.pdf>.
3 AMATO, Fábio. O Globo. (16 December 2012) Brasil tem mais de 1 milhão de residências sem luz, diz
ANEEL. Retrieved 18 June 2014 in <http://g1.globo.com/economia/noticia/2012/12/brasil-tem-mais-de-
1-milhao-de-residencias-sem-luz-diz-aneel.html>.
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