by Emilio Lebre La Rovere

The barriers and how to overcome them.

Taking advantage of the country's large endowment of natural resources, more than half of Brazilian primary energy consumption is supplied by renewable energy sources. Over 90% of electricity needs are covered by hydropower plants. Ethanol from sugar cane, sugar cane bagasse and charcoal give also considerable contributions to the energy supply.

This successful renewable energy strategy explains why present greenhouse gas emissions from Brazilian energy system are limited to around 70 mililon tons of carbon/year (only 1% of global emissions).

However, disruptive social and ecological impacts at the local and regional levels result from the building of huge hydropower dams, large sugar cane plantations and ethanol distilleries, woodfuel and charcoal production by ineffecient technology based upon deforestation or, at a lesser extent, extensive homogeneous eucalyptus forests.

A large number of unused technological alternatives for small-scale renewable energy production and rational energy use exists. Among them can be highlighted:

• An important energy conservation potential remains untapped.

• Co-generation schemes can maximize the power surplus generated in alcohol distilleries using sugar cane bagasse fuelled boilers.

• Small hydropower can foster regional development while playing a complementary role in energy supply policy.

• A wide spectrum of renewable energy technologies already available deserving further development and demonstration: biodigestion, high efficiency kilns for charcoal, wood gasifiers, wind power turbines a.o.

But the adoption of a sustainable energy strategy in Brazil is hampered by several obstacles, including: the energy pricing policy; the lack of appropriate credit lines and financial Incentives to the adoption of new equipment; poor institutional support; and the insufficient amount of resources allocated to scientific and technological development. Un doubtly only a strong political will can move government policies towards increased social and ecological sustainability of Brazilian energy strategy. In its achievement NGOs can play an Important role through the promotion of demonstration programmes of appropriate technology, illustrating the potential and the requirements for overcoming these barriers.

Further information by: Instituto de Ecologia e Desenvolvimento, Rua Erasmo Braga, 277/503, Rio de Janeiro Brasil, att. Emilio Lebre La Rovere, ph: +55-21-242 4951

SERO Energihushållning (Energy saving)

Blästadsg 126,582 62 Unkoping ph +46-(0)13-161578

SERO/SRF Small Hydro Power

Owners Association

Känsligrand 6C, 803 23 Gavle att Christer Söderberg ph +46-(0)26-111411 fax +46-(0)26-127127

SEROs Värmepumpesektion

(Heat Pump Section)

Solhyddan Ledberg, 585 99 Unkoping ph +46-(0)13-95051

Småkraftverkens Riksförening

SRF (Soc. ot Small Powerplants)

Member of SERO.

Köhlby Gård, 388 00 Ljungbyholm ph +46-(0)480-30017

Statens Energiverk

Governmental, the Swedish Energy

Agency, energy conservation

117 87 Stockholm att Hans Nielsson ph +46-(0)8-7449195 fax +46-(0)8-7440939

Svenska Biogasföreningen

(Swedish Biogas Association)

Member of SERO.

IVL, Box 21060, 100 31 Stockholm ph +46-(0)8-7020210

Svenska solanergiföreningen

SEAS (Swedish Solar Energy

Association) c/o SERC, Forskargatan 6, Box

10044, 781 10 Börlange ph +46-(0)243-73757 fax +46-(0)243-73750

Svenska Vindkraftförening SVIF

(Wind Power Ass.)

Member of SERO.

Erihstorp PI 7480, 533 92 Lundsbrunn att Lennart Blomgren ph +46-(0)511-57474

WISE - Stockholm c/o Box 1633, 742 91 Östhammar att Miles Goldstick ph +46-(0)173-70271 fax +46-(0)8-6422829

Switzeeland

Arbeltegemeluschatt Swissaid

NGO, political advocacy and public awareness raising on environmental and development issues conceming 3rd world.

Monbijoustrasse 31, Posffach 1686, 3001 Bern att K. Spichiger ph +41-(0)31-261232 fax +41-(0)31-262205

Energy Efficiency 2000 Project International Trade Center

54-56 rue de Montbrilliant, 1202 Geneva 10 ph +41-22-7343300/7300590 fax +41-22-7343285

Network '92 The Centre tor Our Common Future

Newsletter, towards UNCED'92.

Palais Wilson, 52 Rue de Paquis, 1201 Geneva ph +41-(0)22-7327117 fax +41-(0)22-7385046

OIKOS Umweltökonomische Studenteninitiative

Hochschule St. Gallen, Dufourstrasse 50, 9000 St. Gallen ph +41-(0)71-252142

Sustainable Development Project Rocheteller Foundation c/o M. Stiefel, 9 Avenue des Arpillieres, 1224 Geneve-Chene Bougeries att Rob Lichtman ph +41-(0)22498493 fax +41-(0)22498493

Swiss Center for Appropriate Technology (SKAT)

Tigerbergstrasse 2, 9000 St. Gallen att Silvia Ndiaye ph +41-(0)71-302585 fax +41-(0)71-Z4656

Swiss Solar Energy Ass.

Organizing public RE movement, cooperates with CLER (France).

Belpstrasse 69, 3000 Bern 14 att Gerber Beat ph +41-31458000

World Meteorological Organization

41 Ave. Giuseppe-Motta, 1211 Geneva 2 att Dr. Sylvia Broere-Moore ph +41-(0)Z-7308315 fax +41-(0)22-7401439/7342326

Zentrum für angepassle Technolog. und Sozlalokologle Langenbruck

Active and passive solar energy, wind energy, combined heat-power plants, decentralized power supply, solar architecture.

Ökozentrum, Schwengistr.12, 4438 Langenbruck ph + 41 -62-601460

Ukraine

National contact:

Zelonij Svit (Green World)

One of the largest environmental movements in USSR, anti-nuclear. ul. Kirov 5a, 2s2021 Kiev att Sergey Kurykin fax +7 0442286992 (Zelonij Svit)

Green Help ul Malozhitomirskaya 13, kv.16, 252001 Kiev att Natalie Karpan

Yugoslavia

Centre for Socio Eco Research and Documentatlon

11000 Beograd, Rige od Fere 4 att Snjezana Milivojevic ph +38 (0)11 638081

Environmental Division of Federal Secr. for Dovelopment

11070 Novi Beograd, Omlandinskih

Brigada 1 att Sofija Vujanac-Borovnica ph + 38-(0) 11 -199128 fax +38-(0)11-2222 909

Green Party

Yoguslav Chamber of Economy

11000 Belgrade, Terazije 23 att Deyan Dimov ph +38-(0)11-336232/339461 fax + 38-(0) 11 -326691

Yugoslav Union ot Solar Energy Society

UL Knesa Milosa 9, P.O. Box 356,

11000 Beograd