That changed in 2020, when INMETRO, the federal agency responsible for appliance labeling, introduced a more rigorous classification system with a wider range of performance tiers.

Today, more than 60% of consumers report relying on appliance labels to guide their purchasing decisions. What’s more, 85% of the ACs sold in Brazil use inverter technology, which is more efficient than non-inverter alternatives.

“This shows that consumers have already understood that the most efficient equipment is also the best choice for everyday use,” says Hercules Souza, head of INMETRO’s regulatory division.

But labels alone didn’t drive this transformation. Brazil also aligned energy labeling, appliance efficiency standards, and endorsement programs (in which efficient units are recognized with a government seal) into a coherent policy package that accelerated the shift to more efficient technologies.

As Alexandra Albuquerque Marciel, an energy efficiency projects coordinator at Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy, puts it, the key was “straight dialogue between the different agencies in charge of these policies.”

The government also enlisted the support of international appliance efficiency policy experts at CLASP. Our staff worked alongside Brazilian policymakers throughout this process, providing data, global insights, and technical analysis to inform policy design and align new regulations with global best practice while ensuring they reflected local market realities.

Industry was part of the solution

Policymakers often fear that strengthening appliance efficiency standards will have negative impacts on local industry. Brazil, home to the largest AC manufacturing sector in Latin America and the Caribbean, shows the opposite: Well-designed policies can actually strengthen domestic manufacturing.

From the outset, policymakers worked closely with manufacturers to set clear timelines, incorporate feedback, and allow time for transition. “Dialogue is super important,” Hercules Souza emphasizes. “Don’t do anything hastily . . . the [manufacturing] sector must be part of the discussion.” Without industry buy-in, he notes, policies risk being unrealistic or hard to implement, undermining progress.

Moreover, producing more efficient appliances allows manufacturers to compete globally. “Industry also has an international market to fulfill,” Alexandra Albuquerque Marciel says.

A model for other countries

The results of these efforts speak for themselves. The standards currently in place are expected to save 8 million megawatt-hours of electricity annually while avoiding 4 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

A planned revision in 2028 is projected to expand these impacts dramatically, achieving electricity savings of 284 million megawatt-hours—nearly four times the amount of electricity Itaipu, one of the world’s most productive hydroelectric plants, supplies to Brazil each year. This will reduce grid stress, lower costs for consumers, and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

In Brazil, energy costs are skyrocketing while renewable capacity struggles to keep pace with increasing demand. During this unprecedented challenge, appliance and equipment energy efficiency stands out as an essential tool for managing energy demand and cutting costs.

In 2025, CLASP and Bori trained local journalists on the impacts and opportunities of appliance efficiency in Brazil, connecting the topic to real-world challenges faced by Brazilians, like increasing demand for space cooling. The program enabled reporters to deliver compelling and nuanced efficiency coverage to the public through mainstream media as Brazil geared up to host COP30 and interest in climate solutions peaked.

The impact was broad and immediate: Over 750 media stories on appliance efficiency were published in Brazilian media from the start of 2025 to COP30. Combined with CLASP’s other efforts, the initiative helped elevate efficiency at COP30, spotlighting it as a key climate solution at the year’s most important climate talks.

CLASP and Bori’s InfoEnergia Mentorship nurtured a new era of energy journalism in Brazil. The program aimed to equip local media with the training and contacts needed to integrate efficiency stories into regular reporting beats.

In many markets, journalists may lack the background needed to cover climate and energy topics and their impact. Regular reporting about the connection between appliance efficiency and key issues like cooling access, grid reliability, and cost of living is critical for building public awareness and political will.

A cohort of 25 participants, selected from a pool of 100 applicants, participated in the six-week, eight-session workshop. The sessions featured speakers from across the efficiency sector, from policymakers and technical experts to private sector leaders and academics. Journalists learned about the energy efficiency policymaking process in Brazil and heard first-hand insights about the economic, environmental, and livelihood impacts of efficient appliances within the national context, with specialized conversations on topics like cooling and energy equity in the Amazon.

Participants boasted bylines in dozens of Brazil’s most prominent media outlets—including Amazônia Vox, O Povo, and O Estado de São Paulo —and ranged from early career reporters to deeply established experts in the climate and energy reporting space. Nearly 70% of participants identified as women.

Each journalist published a final story that was submitted for the InfoEnergia Award, an accolade recognizing excellence in energy efficiency reporting. Journalist Cley Medeiros of Jornal A Critica was honored with the top award for his piece “Energy efficiency is ignored in 76% of air conditioning bids in the Amazon.” Reflecting on his experience in the program, Medeiros said, “For a long time, I’ve wanted to understand why the public sector has been unable to drive the energy transition we need here in the Amazon, so I am very happy for this opportunity. I want to thank my colleagues from InfoEnergia who were part of this journey. Thank you for being drivers of transformation in journalism!” [translated from Portuguese].

In recent years, Brazil has taken initial steps toward a more sustainable future powered by energy efficiency. As the host of COP30, held in Belém in November, Brazil put a spotlight on this smart climate solution for the world to see.

The country is already a global leader in sustainable energy, generating 89% of its electricity with renewables. However, rapidly rising energy demand and decreased hydropower capacity are forcing policymakers and utilities to reevaluate the current energy mix.

Global warming and Brazil’s deep income inequality further complicate this challenge. For example, Brazil’s summers are growing hotter; in 2023, the country hit a new record temperature of 112.6° F (44.8° C). As a result, air conditioning, once considered a luxury, is becoming necessary for health and productivity. But today, air conditioning is found in only 20% of all homes, concentrated mainly in higher-income households.

The challenges lower-income Brazilians face in accessing energy services like air conditioning are reflected in the fact that almost half of the lowest-income Brazilians spend more than half of their household income on electricity and gas.