In recent weeks, São Paulo has been spotlighted as the most polluted metropolis in the world, a title that underscores the urgent environmental crisis facing this vibrant city of 11.4 million residents. The oppressive haze swathing the city is fueled both by the smoke from uncontrolled wildfires devastating vast swathes of the Brazilian countryside and the ongoing atmospheric pollution generated by urban activities. In this alarming scenario, exacerbated by the chilling rise in climate migrants fleeing their homes due to environmental degradation, the imperative for alternative, sustainable energy sources becomes more pressing than ever. Poliana Dallabrida reports.
Credits: Mariana Greif/Repórter Brasil.
Brazil emerges as a dynamic hotspot for investments targeting energy transition projects. In 2023, it was ranked sixth among the top 10 economies for such investments, following powerhouses like China, the United States, Germany, the UK, and France. The nation witnessed an impressive influx of USD 34.8 billion into renewable energy projects, according to a comprehensive analysis by Bloomberg NFE, indicating a robust commitment toward green energy initiatives. Last week, the company’s global head of energy transition hailed Brazil as the ‘golden girl’ of the global energy transition, signifying its strategic importance and potential in the shift toward sustainability.
In the inaugural year of his third term, President Lula da Silva made a significant announcement regarding investments of R$ 50 billion, aimed at launching the country’s most extensive energy transition programme. This initiative is set to revolve around the establishment of state-of-the-art wind and solar energy parks predominantly in Brazil’s northeast. Benefiting from abundant wind and sunshine throughout the year, this vital region contributes to a staggering 83% of the country’s energy production sourced from wind and solar technologies.
The northeast is also characterized by having the largest share of Brazil’s impoverished population, comprising states with the lowest Human Development Index among the 27 federal units. In light of these socio-economic challenges, advancement in wind and solar projects is generally met with approval from policymakers seeking to leverage economic growth through sustainable energy development.
However, the myriad social and environmental repercussions tied to this energy transition often remain eclipsed in governmental and corporate assessments. The adverse impacts on local biodiversity, rising land conflicts, threats to indigenous and traditional lifestyles, and disruptions to water resources have already surfaced in communities neighboring such energy ventures.
Abusive and irregular contract clauses
In March, an investigation led by the NGO Repórter Brasil uncovered that a consortium of 46 wind energy companies, including 19 international entities, now oversees the control of 226,000 hectares across Rio Grande do Norte, one of Brazil’s northeastern states. This control is exercised through lease agreements that have been made with residents.
José Bernardo Sobrinho, an illiterate local farmer, is among those affected. He unwittingly signed a contract that allocated part of his land for a remarkable 37 years, with an option for 22 more upon renewal. The plight of Severina Rodrigues da Silva, a widow and farmer, highlights the harsh realities many face; she has been banned from cultivating beans on her land, now scarred by the presence of a nearby wind turbine that towers ominously just 220 meters from her home.
A recent technical report published by the Institute of Socioeconomic Studies (Inesc) in October 2023 scrutinized 50 contracts signed by wind energy companies operating in Brazil’s northeast. The report identified numerous clauses that are not only disadvantageous but also irregular and abusive towards local communities. Provisions included long-term contracts with automatic renewals, hefty penalties reaching up to R$ 5 million for farmers wishing to terminate the lease, meager compensation rates, and variable monthly rent payments contingent on the companies’ profit margins.
‘In summary, the actions of companies to install wind energy generation projects in the region, with the support and participation of public authorities, reproduce the exclusion of populations directly affected by the ventures, suppressing their right to participation and distancing them from decision-making processes,’ states the report, calling attention to the glaring inequities in the energy transition narrative.
Risk to water springs
Another revealing investigation by Repórter Brasil has brought to light concerning plans for building the nation’s largest wind and solar energy complex, which appear to neglect potential negative consequences on local water supplies, including the threat of water springs being buried.
In Bahia, another northeastern state of Brazil, an ambitious renewable energy initiative is set to erect 405 colossal wind turbines—each towering three times the height of Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue—alongside 476,000 solar panels. This colossal energy park is anticipated to produce an astounding amount of electricity, equating to one-quarter of what is generated by Brazil’s Itaipu hydroelectric plant, renowned for being the largest in the nation and the second largest globally.
A study in progress, conducted by researchers from the Federal University of Vale do São Francisco in collaboration with the municipal government of Jaguarari—one of the regions impacted by this megaproject— has uncovered 63 water springs in the vicinity. In contrast, the technical documentation that justified the issuance of the project’s license only acknowledges three springs, a claim that has been challenged by local environmental authorities.
Researchers interviewed by Repórter Brasil caution that the installation of wind turbines could lead to the deforestation of crucial hilltops and pose significant risks to the surrounding water springs. Moreover, there are fears that watercourses might be obstructed during the construction of expansive access roads necessary for transporting the vast components of the turbines. The project timeline indicates a launch in 2027, with plans to develop 446 kilometers of internal roads, each requiring a minimum width of 11 meters.
Socioenvironmental safeguards for renewable energy
Dissatisfaction among local populations and subsequent protests have spurred the formation of various organizations focused on addressing the impacts of large-scale projects. One notable initiative is the Movement of Those Affected by Renewables (MAR), which was established in October 2023. ‘We aim to build a network not intended to oppose renewable energies, but rather to advocate for alternative models and a just energy transition in which local populations are integral participants,’ remarked Francisco Adilson da Silva in an interview with Terra. Silva serves as the coordinator of the Rural and Urban Assistance Service of Rio Grande do Norte, one of the proponents of the MAR manifesto.
In January of this year, 30 civil society organizations, alongside research groups and communities impacted by renewable energy initiatives in the northeast, collectively released the document ‘Socioenvironmental Safeguards for Renewable Energy.’ This comprehensive document delineates 100 legal measures aimed at alleviating socio-environmental impacts within Brazil’s wind and solar sectors.
As noted by the news portal Nexo, the safeguards seek to remedy challenges presented by current projects while averting the recurrence of these dilemmas in future initiatives. Furthermore, the organizations behind this document stress that these recommendations can be voluntarily implemented by companies engaged in the wind and solar sectors, including stakeholders financing such projects.
Among the critical recommendations, it is proposed that projects should only be executed with explicit community consent and not on lands used for food production or water access. Regarding the siting of wind turbines, the proposed safeguards emphasize maintaining a minimum distance of two kilometers from residential properties. ‘If the energy transition is merely about energy, it will hardly enhance the quality of life for local populations,’ the document cautions.
The recurrent problems associated with renewable energy projects throughout various regions in Brazil indicate that the “side effects” of these energy transitions are both foreseeable and alarming. Under the guise of curtailing fossil fuel dependence and generating “clean” energy, new sacrifice zones are being established, resulting in irreparable environmental damage and displacing entire communities and their traditional lifestyles.
Communities, often the marginalized side of lucrative investment ventures, are raising their voices for the protection of their fundamental rights. There is a pressing need for global discussions to include these vulnerable populations, ensuring that the future does not introduce a new category to the global climate crisis narrative: the energy transition migrants.
Ições-de-proteção-ambiental-que-a-civil-sociedade-desenvolveu-para-as-energias-renováveis”>noted by Nexo Jornal, these proposals emphasize the need for transparency, community involvement, and environmental stewardship in the planning and execution of renewable energy projects. They advocate for the adoption of fair contracting practices that protect the rights of local populations and promote sustainable land use.
while the transition towards renewable energy in Brazil’s northeast presents opportunities for economic development and resource diversification, it is vital to address the social, environmental, and contractual challenges faced by local communities. Ensuring a just energy transition requires genuine engagement with affected populations, stringent oversight of project implementations, and robust legal frameworks that safeguard their rights and resources.