esn-brazil-seforal-bbffadd647309723.pdf

The report evaluates Brazil's energy safety nets, finding that while Luz para Todos has nearly achieved universal rural electricity access and Tarifa Social supports basic consumption for the poorest, both require modifications to support higher energy needs. Bolsa Família's support for LPG is deemed inadequate due to non-earmarked funds and rising fuel costs, leading to a recent increase in traditional biomass use for cooking.

• The Luz para Todos (Light for All) program, launched in 2003, has been broadly effective in expanding electricity access in rural and remote areas of Brazil. By December 2018, the program had invested BRL 26 billion (over USD 7.1 billion), resulting in approximately 3.4 million new connections since 2004 and benefiting 16.4 million people, which represents 7 percent of the total population.
• The Tarifa Social (Social Tariff) program, launched in 2010, provides discounted electricity bills to households enrolled in the Cadastro Único (CAD). While it has insulated very low-consuming poor households from economic downturns, it is insufficient for poor households needing more than basic electricity for appliances like computers and washing machines. Data shows residential consumption among low-income households decreased from 18.849 GWh/year in 2014 to 13.329 GWh/year in 2016.
• Bolsa Família, an integrated cash transfer program launched in 2003, includes support for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for cooking. However, the program is poorly designed for modern cooking energy access because the energy component is non-earmarked, allowing funds to be used for other services during economic hardship.
• The affordability of LPG for poor households has declined significantly as prices have risen faster than the Bolsa Família cash transfers. In 2015, a 13kg LPG cylinder cost 58 percent of the monthly Bolsa Família transfer, but this increased to 79 percent by 2019.
• There is evidence of a recent increase in the use of traditional biomass for cooking among low-income populations in Brazil, likely linked to the economic recession since 2014 and rising LPG prices. IBGE data indicated that households using firewood for cooking increased from 16.1 percent in 2016 to 17.6 percent in 2017.
• Lack of awareness regarding social protection programs like Bolsa Família may hinder their impact, particularly in the northern region of Brazil. This region has the lowest energy access rate, which limits access to electronic communication and makes households dependent on local intermediaries and village representatives who may fail to convey information systemically.
• While the Ministry of Mines and Energy claims a correlation between Luz para Todos and increased women's safety, education, and economic activity—citing 245,000 women starting productive activities—the report notes a lack of evidence regarding actual impacts on gender equality and warns that increased economic activity can lead to increased time poverty for women.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (n.d.). esn-brazil-seforal-bbffadd647309723.pdf. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2020-03/ESN-Brazil-SEforAL.pdf

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. esn-brazil-seforal-bbffadd647309723.pdf. n.d. https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2020-03/ESN-Brazil-SEforAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=esn-brazil-seforal-bbffadd647309723.pdf |url=https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2020-03/ESN-Brazil-SEforAL.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sustainableenergyforallndesnbrazilseforalbbffadd647309723pdf, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, title = {{esn-brazil-seforal-bbffadd647309723.pdf}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, url = {https://www.seforall.org/system/files/2020-03/ESN-Brazil-SEforAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }