Electric motors transform electrical energy into mechanical energy, powering everything from household appliances to equipment in commercial buildings and industrial facilities. They are essential components of electric motor-driven systems (EMDS), which currently account for around 30% of global electricity demand¹.

Industrial motors, in particular, are the main drivers behind increasing global demand for electricity², with approximately 65% of industry’s electricity consumption powering motor-driven systems³. Yet, despite their crucial role, many motors and motor systems are outdated and inefficient. The International Energy Agency reports that low efficiency motors represent two-thirds of the current global stock⁴. This contributes heavily to energy waste and increasing carbon emissions.

Looking ahead, CLASP’s initiatives in China, the European Union, India, and the United States aim to avoid up to nine gigatons of CO₂ emissions by 2050.

Improving the energy efficiency of electric motors and EMDS presents significant potential for reducing electricity demand and curbing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. By partnering with national stakeholders to raise standards, implementing replacement incentive programs, and promoting cross-sector collaboration, CLASP is driving global efforts to unlock this potential.

CLASP’s global efforts to make motors more efficient

In Brazil, a partnership between CLASP and the Ministry of Mines and Energy is paving the way for an ambitious new regulatory agenda. This aims to establish the country’s first-ever efficiency standards for pumps and air compressors by 2027. Setting minimum efficiency standards helps phase out the least efficient models and prevents businesses from getting stuck with outdated, energy-wasting technologies. CLASP will continue working closely with the Ministry to help ensure the timely completion of the regulatory agenda and the implementation of key policies in the next two years.

Meanwhile, China is making significant strides in industrial efficiency and the potential benefits of improving motor efficiency are immense. Motors represent 55% of the country’s total energy consumption and 75% of its industrial energy use⁵. Since 2023, CLASP has supported the China National Institute of Standardization in developing two new efficiency standards for high-voltage induction motors and permanent magnet synchronous motors. These new standards are expected to cut 920 megatons of CO₂ emissions by 2040. They will also position China as the first country to adopt a policy exceeding the world’s most energy-efficient motor standard, IE5, setting a new benchmark for global industrial standards.

Motors account for over 50% of India’s industrial electricity consumption⁶. CLASP is supporting the Bureau of Energy Efficiency in strengthening efficiency standards for three-phase induction motors and providing technical assistance for a new labeling program for single-phase induction motors to meet growing demand. Together, the labeling programs for three-phase and single-phase induction motors are expected to save approximately 30.1 terawatt hours of electricity and reduce 23.83 megatons of CO₂ emissions, contributing significantly to India’s energy efficiency and climate goals.

CLASP, in partnership with SAMA^Verte, is helping build a competitive, sustainable motor industry in Pakistan. Through the Industry Accelerator program, local manufacturers gain access to technical expertise and resources to produce high-efficiency components for electric motors. The program strengthens the local manufacturing sector by reducing dependency on imports and enabling businesses to expand their market share. For industries that rely on these motors, the shift toward high-efficiency components translates into lower energy costs and reduced emissions. By 2050, the program is expected to reduce 12.8 megatons of CO₂ emissions and improve motor efficiency by 10%.

These initiatives, along with CLASP’s upcoming projects in other countries, will help reduce global energy consumption, increase industrial energy efficiency, and support industry in shifting to more environmentally-friendly processes. CLASP collaborates with policymakers, industry leaders, and other experts to create a more sustainable future for people and the planet.

Are you interested in driving industrial innovation in your region? Connect with CLASP to explore collaboration opportunities.

Brazil’s energy demand is growing fast. The national grid is currently being stretched to its limits. This is linked to increasing demand for energy intensive services like cooling in the face of high temperatures and frequent heat waves.

Brazil needs a climate-friendly, people-positive solution to keep emissions down while also supplying the energy needed to serve its growing population. In late 2024, CLASP and national policymakers visited the Itaipu hydropower dam in Foz de Iguaçu to learn more about the history of Brazil’s renewable energy sector and reflect on how appliance energy efficiency could relieve the strain on Brazil’s grid.

Brazil is powered by renewable energy

Brazil has been a global leader in sustainable energy with 89% of its energy coming from renewables. The country utilizes a diverse energy mix to power itself, including a high reliance on renewables like hydropower and wind. Itaipu is one of the largest hydropower dams in the world, providing Brazil with 8% of its energy and Paraguay with 98%. The plant took nearly ten years to build and has been in operation since 1984. It is a marvel of modern engineering – towering over the surrounding nature and stretching over eight kilometres long. Just one of its 20 rotors produces 700 megawatts of power a day – enough electricity to serve 30 million people.

With demand expected to rise by 3.5% by 2029, Brazil needs to reevaluate its current energy mix to ensure services stay available to all grid-connected communities and are extended to many who are still off the grid. Currently, the country’s hydropower capacity is forecasted to drop by a staggering 15% in the decade from 2019 to 2029 due to drier, warmer conditions caused by the climate crisis. To fill this gap and address additional demand, Brazil has proposed increasing its methane use by 300% by 2029. This move would slow or even reverse the country’s progress toward Net Zero targets.

The most efficient energy is the energy not used

Instead of expanding fossil fuel infrastructure and locking-in future fossil fuel reliance, Brazil can leverage the proven, cost-effective solution that is hiding in plain sight: energy efficiency.

Improving the energy efficiency of the appliances Brazilians use every day will slash the national emissions and energy demand, while also reducing energy costs for households and propel Brazil’s appliance manufacturers into the global marketplace.

Brazil could be a global efficiency role model

As the host of the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP30, Brazil has a unique opportunity to be a global role model – showcasing effective, accessible energy efficiency solutions.

To prioritize appliance energy efficiency for climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience at this pivotal moment is to prioritize a cleaner, healthier future for generations to come. CLASP is working directly with Brazilian regulators across industrial, environmental, and energy agencies, in collaboration with industry partners, to advance appliance efficiency at speed and at scale.

Brazil is one of the only countries in the world that produces the vast majority of the appliances sold on its domestic market. By implementing more ambitious energy efficiency standards that meet, or even exceed, global benchmarks, Brazil could bring its industrial power to the global market.

In addition to growing Brazil’s global appliance market share – thereby increasing local jobs and revenue – a move towards production of more efficient appliances would yield other benefits like reduced energy demand on national power grids and lower electricity bills for consumers.

Efficiency standards are a tool for industrialization

Ambitious efficiency policy spurs an improved manufacturing ecosystem, making the production of outdated products obsolete. Currently, Brazil’s appliance efficiency policies do not match the ambition of minimum energy efficiency standards of many nations, including potential trading partners like Argentina, the European Union, Kenya, Mexico, and the United States. As a result, Brazil’s appliances cannot enter these lucrative markets, while competitors from other countries reap economic and industrial benefits.

Appliance efficiency signals a readiness for investment

At the 2024 Clean Energy Ministerial in Fos do Iguassu, Brazil, CLASP Senior Director of Climate, Ana Maria Carreño explained, “Appliance efficiency policy signals to the private sector that it’s a good time to invest in industry, resulting in increased availability of more efficient appliances and benefits for industry, the country, and consumers.”

Brazil is already witnessing the impacts of this positive cycle. Following the country’s refrigerator policy revisions in 2021 and 2023, leading manufacturer, Midea, invested $122 million USD in a new factory in Brazil to produce efficient refrigerators. At the same time, companies already operating in Brazil – like Electrolux, Esmaltec, and Whirlpool – injected tens of millions of dollars into their manufacturing operations to upgrade production lines and enable production of more efficient refrigerators.

CLASP collaborating to chart Brazil’s path forward

CLASP is working alongside multi-sectoral partners to outline what a feasible and fruitful national transition to more efficient appliances would entail. Progressive industry and government have revealed a willingness to collaborate in pursuit of a larger market reach and better Brazilian-made products. Some local utilities are also considering incentive-based programs in to back ambitious industrial policies driving the availability of quality, efficient appliances. This will go a long way to reduce climate emissions and improve lives.

Brazil is one of the world’s most unequal countries, with 24% of the population living in poverty as of 2022. Millions of people in the dense, low-income communities known as favelas struggle to access the energy needed to keep their lights on, forcing many to turn to dangerous, illegal alternatives like electricity theft.

Inequalities in Brazilian energy access are glaring. Basic services like cooling and cooking are becoming increasingly cost prohibitive to households with fewer resources. Getting affordable, efficient appliances into the hands of more Brazilians is critical to protecting the country’s health, productivity, and economic sustainability.

Take refrigeration, for example. According to recent UN data, about a third of Brazilians face moderate or severe food insecurity. Putting more efficient refrigerators on the market can reduce energy bills, promote food security, and drive appliance affordability.

Understanding the importance of this opportunity, Brazil’s government revised its refrigerator minimum efficiency policy in 2023 with technical support from CLASP.

Efficiency drives affordability

While the new policy was being debated, appliance manufacturers implemented a mass media campaign to stoke public fear. They claimed that removing the least-efficient refrigerators from the market would make refrigeration unaffordable to average Brazilians, predicting that all refrigerators would cost more than $1,000 USD under the new rule.

This proved to be far from the truth.

Within days of the refrigerator policy’s implementation, Brazilian manufacturer Esmaltec introduced a new, high-efficiency refrigerator listed for only $358 USD— well within the average historic price range. Whirlpool, Brazil’s largest manufacturer, also announced that its prices would not increase as a result of the policy.

Other nations that have passed ambitious new appliance policies have seen similar results. When a country raises its appliance energy efficiency levels, manufacturers are prompted to increase production of innovative technologies that meet the market’s new requirements. As production volumes increase, the upfront prices of more-efficient equipment like air conditioners, stoves, and lightbulbs drop as the market for these products becomes more competitive. The cost savings increase over an efficient appliance’s lifetime due to reduced energy use.

In Brazil, CLASP anticipates that this trend will extend to the full domestic refrigerator market. The new refrigerator policy is expected to save consumers an average of US$164 on electricity bills over the lifetime of the appliance.

Policymakers have proven tools on hand 

Energy labels and minimum efficiency policies are proven policymaking tools to reduce upfront appliance costs and cut household energy use. Brazil’s government has committed to improving appliance efficiency in the upcoming years — opening the floodgates for affordable, planet-friendly appliances for all Brazilians.

In 2024, CLASP is supporting Brazilian policymakers in developing minimum efficiency policy and labels for lighting, as well as the country’s first-ever minimum efficiency policies for commercial air conditioners and refrigerators.

CLASP’s report, Net Zero Heroes: Scaling Efficient Appliances for Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation & Resilience, offers ambitious efficiency targets for the most impactful appliances and equipment. Explore our recommendations here.

In preparation for Earth Day (April 22), Rio de Janeiro’s Sustainable Favela Network (SFN) and the Favelas Unified Dashboard (PUF) launched Energy Efficiency in the Favelas. The report details community access to energy efficient appliances, services, and habits, as well as highlights opportunities for government intervention. CLASP provided training to the researchers on topics in energy-efficiency.

Last year, the SFN, PUF, and seven partner institutions implemented the course and research project, ‘Monitoring Water and Energy Justice in the Favelas.’ The course and resulting research engaged 45 youth and leaders from 15 favelas in Greater Rio as citizen-researchers. The findings demonstrate how favelas can produce robust data, often eliciting deeper insights than researchers and utilities from outside the communities.

Following the launch of the initial research project report Water and Energy Justice in the Favelas: Data Collected Make Inequalities Evident and Lead to Demands for Change—released in September 2022, with coverage in Globo TV, CNN, Agência Brasil, and Notícia Preta—participants turned their attention to more in-depth and detailed analyses of their data on energy efficiency. One outcome is the new report launched today.

New Data on Energy Efficiency in Rio’s Favelas 

The data presented in the new report Energy Efficiency in the Favelas reflect the reality of 1,156 families (4,164 people) in 15 favelas from five municipalities across the Greater Rio metropolitan region, and specifically show the relationship between energy, poverty, and social inequality, focusing on the efficiency of service provision and use.

Kayo Moura, a social scientist, student of statistics and member of the data and narratives laboratory, LabJaca, based in the Jacarezinho favela and recently referenced in The New York Times, was responsible for the analysis.

He explains:

“The most interesting thing [about this study]… was understanding that when we talk about energy efficiency in the favelas, urban peripheries, and the Global South, we are talking about justice, about access. If I had to define the report in one statement, it would be that: energy inefficiency operates as a tool of energy injustice, especially in Brazil’s favelas.

Inside favelas, with a majority of families left socially vulnerable, inefficiency affects the poorest of the poor. It is those with the least knowledge of social programs, such as the Social Electricity Tariff, that suffer the most from service inefficiency and endure the most frequent and longest blackouts.”

The data can serve as a reference and impetus for policymakers to support vulnerable families become more energy-efficient through improved access to energy-efficient appliances outright or larger subsidies.

The Backdrop of Poverty and Racial Inequality

Energy Efficiency in the Favelas presents the data within the socioeconomic context of community members. For example, of the 4,163 residents represented in the data, over half the families interviewed live below the poverty line.

The analysis also looked into racial breakdown by income bracket: there was a clear inverse correlation between race and income. A smaller proportion of Black people were present in higher income groups, reflecting the broader societal trend of Afro-Brazilians being overrepresented in lower income brackets.

The Daily Reality of Energy Poverty

Energy poverty refers to when an electric bill takes up over 10% of a family’s monthly income (the recommendation is below 6.8%). The report shows that families earning zero to half a minimum wage comprise the majority of families facing energy poverty. There is a trend line: as the income bracket increases, the proportion of families facing energy poverty decreases.

Additionally, 69% of respondents stated that if their electric bill were halved, they would use the money to buy food (instead of paying other bills, buying medication, for education, etc.), which indicates that energy poverty is directly linked to food insecurity for interviewees.

Families in energy poverty must seek alternative means to access critical electricity – in the favelas, ‘gatos’ (clandestine electrical connections) are a common approach. As Moura explains:

“The approach we used when studying ‘gatos’ was from the perspective of understanding the need to guarantee access, rather than criminalize access. The data show how ‘gatos’ are frequently the only means by which people can access energy. The poorest families are shown to have the biggest proportion of ‘gatos.’ As income increases, the proportion of those who state they do not have a ‘gato’ also increases. So we see how this is a question of access, of being in a financial position to pay the electric bill, and not one of dishonesty or taking advantage.”

Depending on the irregular connection of a “gato” results in inefficiency of access to the service and repair, further reinforcing the poverty of the family. The families with the lowest incomes in the study were those that suffered most from service inefficiency. Moura summarized the results:

“Those who said they faced daily blackouts are in the lowest income brackets. As the income bracket increases, the number of people stating they did not face a blackout that lasted over 24 hours in the past three months also increases.

Favela Residents Lack Choice & Information on Efficient Appliances

Energy-efficient household appliances provide the same or improved services while using less energy, resulting in cost and energy savings. The research aimed to understand whether favela participants have access to efficient appliances, as well as what types and which appliances have the largest impact on their electric bills.

Obtaining information about energy-efficient appliances that could potentially reduce electricity bills is challenging for lower-income families. These families reported the lowest levels of awareness about the National Energy Conservation Label (ENCE), a mandatory label affixed to all electrical appliances in Brazil, which indicates their energy usage in comparison to other appliances.

Qualitative accounts revealed that energy-efficient appliances, often the latest models, are expensive and are therefore inaccessible to residents. Lower-income residents reported that their appliances break down quicker due to recurring blackouts and they must replace them regularly with second-hand ones. 

The study focused on key household appliances (air conditioners, electric showers, refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, and fans) and calculated the estimated impact of each appliance’s energy consumption on a family’s monthly income. The research confirmed that air conditioners are the highest energy consumer and have the biggest impact on the household budget, despite the benefits on increasingly hot days in Rio.

Air conditioners account for 51.4% of total electricity consumption, surpassing the combined impact of electric showers, refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, and fans. Over 50% of those interviewed reported owning between one and three air conditioners.

According to Moura, this part of the survey aimed  to assist authorities and professionals to identify ways to help families achieve more efficient average energy consumption:

“While it may not be feasible to produce an air conditioner that is three times more efficient, could it be possible to implement a social tariff that offers a 25% discount to families that meet a specific criterion and use air conditioning, for example?”

Efficient Habits Independent of Clandestine Access

There are two main strategies to achieve efficient energy use. The first is to invest in efficient appliances, which, as demonstrated, is a challenge for favela residents due to high upfront costs and lack of awareness. The second is consumer habits.

The study aimed to understand consumer habits around efficiency: such as remembering to turn off lights when leaving a room or using LED bulbs. Based on the responses, the researchers developed a point system. The system attributed one point to every response that represented a high degree of energy efficiency, with the highest score being 9. The results show a high degree of concern about maintaining efficient habits: over half of interviewees scored between 6 and 9, and many showed concern with having energy efficient habits without even knowing the term.

Moura summarizes:

“There’s a myth that no one in the favela cares about energy-saving habits. There’s also a misconception that everyone in the favela has a ‘gato’ [clandestine electric connection] and that since they don’t pay for electricity, they don’t care about savings or energy efficiency. We compared the behaviors of people who have a ‘gato’ and those who don’t. We discovered that there is a small difference between those who have a ‘gato’ and those who don’t, but that it’s negligible, indicating that, in general, regardless of whether a person has a ‘gato’ or not, residents tend to seek energy efficiency in what is in their power: their habits.”

Poor Awareness of Available Social Energy Services 

The study sought to understand community members’ awareness of the Social Electricity Tariff (TSEE) and the ENCE label. The Social Tariff offers discounts on electric bills and provides rewards for energy savings: the more efficient the consumer is, the larger the discount. Both mechanisms aim to make bills cheaper for families with the greatest need.

As with the ENCE label, the study found that there is a significant lack of knowledge about the Social Tariff. This was seen in all income brackets during the study, but over 75% of lowest income groups do not know the program exists. Approximately 60% of families in the study meet the income criteria for the TSEE, but only 8% state that they receive the benefit. Of the families that meet income criteria to qualify for the TSEE, 90% say they do not receive the benefit.

For the Community, By the Community

Through the research, CatComm aimed to demonstrate the benefits of community-led research. It can be challenging to elicit honest responses about topics like gatos if residents fear potential repercussions from outside researchers. The insights garnered by Moura and his team are robust; community members opened up more easily to the youth researchers based on established trust.

“People from outside often see the favela as a problem, which is why the study we’ve conducted is crucial: it’s by the favela, for the favela. We are no longer objects of study; we are building our own narrative from the inside out, producing discourse about ourselves,” explains Moura. “There’s no way of thinking and talking about the favela without us being there as the main actors, as subjects. We’re here telling our own story. It’s no longer someone else telling it from the outside. This is why electricity is important, because the lack of electricity also means the lack of means of communication. e can speak for ourselves, so we can tell our own story. The story of Brazil from our point of view.”

Highlights from the Data

Efficiency and Quality of Access 

• 55.2% of people represented in the research are living below the poverty line, with a per capita monthly family income of up to R$497 (US$96).
• 41.5% of families earning up to half the minimum wage experienced blackouts lasting over 24 hours in the past three months. Among families earning 2-3 minimum wages, the percentage was 23%.
• 32.1% of families have experienced loss of electrical appliances due to electrical grid failures.
• Families pay, on average, an electricity bill that is twice their average payment capacity. 31% of families experience energy poverty, with a disproportionate amount of the family budget going to pay the electric bill.
• 69% would choose to spend the savings on food if their electric bills were reduced.
• 68.7% of those interviewed (794 people) do not know what the Social Electricity Tariff (TSEE) is. 59.55% of families meet the income criteria to qualify for the Social Tariff, but only 8.04% of families state they receive the benefit, while 90.04% of families who would qualify affirm they do not receive it.
• 73% of families earning up to half a minimum wage state they do not complain or make requests to the utility, Light. As income increases, comfort in requesting services from the utility increases: only 33% of those earning over four minimum wages say they do not make complaints to Light.

Energy-Efficient Appliances and Habits 

• Air conditioning is responsible for over half (51.4%) of energy consumption in the sample, followed by electric showers (13.8%) and refrigerators (13.6%).
• Energy-saving habits are at a good level across the sample population. The average score was 6.21 and the mode was 7, with the scale ranging from 0 to 9. Among those interviewed, 78% always remember to turn off the lights when leaving a room and 67% choose LED bulbs.
• 50.6% state they know what the National Energy Conservation Label (ENCE) means. Of those that know the label, 49.1% state they have bought an electrical appliance based on it being classified in the ENCE A category.

Read more

• Energy Efficiency in the Favelas Report in Portuguese
• Energy Efficiency in the Favelas Report in English
• Energy & Water Justice Article 
• Energy & Water Justice Report 
• Documentary

The course “Researching and Monitoring Water and Energy Justice in the Favelas,” was carried out collaboratively by the following organizations: Roots in Movement, ICICT and EPSJV (Fiocruz), Climate and Society Institute, CLASP, LabJaca, DataLabe, and Casa Fluminense.

The community organizations which took part in the course and research project were: Alfazendo (City of God/Rio de Janeiro), Fusion Social Center Association (Jacutinga/Mesquita), Women of Attitude and Social Commitment Association (Dique da Vila Alzira/Duque de Caxias), Edson Passos Women’s Association (Cosmorama/Mesquita), Association of Itaguaí Warrior Women and Social Organizers (Engenho/Itaguaí), Life Root Community Center (Morro dos Macacos/Rio de Janeiro), Transvida Cooperative (Vila Cruzeiro/Rio de Janeiro, LabJaca (Jacarezinho/Rio de Janeiro), Maria Pimentel Marinho Women’s Movement (Itacolomi/Rio de Janeiro), Museu de Favela (Cantagalo, Pavãozinho e Pavão/Rio de Janeiro), Grassroots Social Education in Solidarity Economy Nucleus (Coréia/Mesquita); Inclusion Project (Edem/São João de Meriti), Projeto Moleque (Pedreira/Rio de Janeiro); Sowing Love Social Project (Rio das Pedras/Rio de Janeiro), SOS Providência (Providência/Rio de Janeiro).

A new report from Catalytic Communities offers insights into the efficiency of service provision and use in favelas across Rio de Janeiro where inefficiency affects lowest income residents the worst. CLASP provided trainings to the researchers on energy efficiency, helping to craft the survey design and questions.

The data presented in the new report Energy Efficiency in the Favelas reflect the reality of 1,156 families (4,164 people) in 15 favelas from five municipalities across the Greater Rio metropolitan region, and specifically show the relationship between energy and poverty, focusing on the efficiency of service provision and use.

Key Findings

• The lowest-income families make up the majority of those facing energy poverty. 31% of surveyed families experience energy poverty,⁷ with a disproportionate amount of the family budget going to pay the electric bill.
• 69% of respondents stated that if their electric bill were halved, they would use the money to buy food, which indicates that energy poverty is directly linked to food insecurity for interviewees.
• Air conditioning is responsible for over half (51.4%) of energy consumption in the sample, followed by electric showers (13.8%) and refrigerators (13.6%).
• Energy-saving habits are at a good level across the sample population. Among those interviewed, 78% always remember to turn off the lights when leaving a room and 67% choose LED bulbs.
• Knowledge of energy-efficient appliances and the country’s labeling and assistance programs is low among low-income families: 50.6% state they know what the National Energy Conservation Label (ENCE) means. Of those that know the label, 49.1% state they have bought an electrical appliance based on it being classified in the ENCE A category.
• The Social Electricity Tariff (TSEE) offers discounts on electric bills and provides rewards for energy savings. Approximately 60% of families in the study meet the income criteria for the TSEE, but only 8% state that they receive the benefit. Of the families that meet income criteria to qualify for the TSEE, 90% say they do not receive the benefit.   

This report is a follow-up to Water and Energy Justice in the Favelas.

Learn more

• Exploring Energy Efficiency in Rio’s Favelas
• Report in Portuguese
• Report in English
• Documentary

In September 2022, Rio de Janeiro’s Sustainable Favela Network (SFN) and Favelas Unified Dashboard published the report “Water and Energy Justice in the Favelas: Community Researchers Gather Data Revealing Inequalities and Calling for Action.”

The publication was the culmination of an intensive 6-month research course “Researching and Monitoring Water and Energy Justice in the Favelas,” engaging two youth and one leader from each of 15 favelas in Rio de Janeiro (45 people in total) to learn the entire arc of research, from why it’s important for their communities, to the development of useful indicators, all the way through how to report and advocate using data produced. As one of seven modules, participants generated “data by and for the favelas.”

CLASP collaborated with Catalytic Communities (CatComm), an NGO that has supported favela community organizers since 2000 and which facilitates the Sustainable Favela Network and Favelas Unified Dashboard. We contributed expertise on energy efficiency, leading intro to energy efficiency and policy sessions and helping community organizers develop indicators used in the survey. In the courses, we emphasized the connection between energy efficiency and electric bills, and how data are used in policymaking processes.

The Energy Needs of Underserved Favelas

Favelas are informal communities that emerge from an unmet need for affordable housing. Although a common English translation is “slums,” this term carries a negative connotation that fails to honor the unique historical consolidation and cultural context of favelas in Brazil. In Rio de Janeiro, most favelas are over 50 years old and some 24% of the population lives in these communities.

The course was created for youth in the favelas to better understand the importance of data — including how to collect, analyze, understand, and use it to communicate community needs. Community members collecting data of use to them and using it for advocacy represents an effort to remedy the underrepresentation of low-income populations in policymaking processes.

We spoke with Kayo Moura, a graduate student completing his second degree in Statistics, who led many of the course sessions centered on data and analysis for the reports. Kayo also served as the local leader for the Jacarezinho favela in the survey, drawing from his work with LabJaca, one of the 15 community organizations involved with the course, focused on “research, training, and production of data and narratives about favelas and peripheries.”

Kayo was raised across the Guanabara Bay in Niterói by a single mother who always encouraged him to study hard — so he did, earning a scholarship to the private Pontifical Catholic University (PUC) of Rio de Janeiro. After living in different places in and around favelas, interacting with PUC’s surrounding neighborhood with a high population of wealthy and white students, was eye-opening.

This commitment led Kayo to the research course, designed to help youth better understand the extent of the injustices they have experienced in their respective communities and the role they can play in addressing them. “It is people with similar problems, or perhaps with different ones, sharing their experiences and lessons learned that strengthens and enhances everybody’s work. That is what happened during the course.”

Energy Efficiency Improves Energy And Water Access

Reducing energy demand is especially crucial now — climate change has diminished the reliability of Brazil’s hydroelectric power, and combined with turbulent economic conditions, more households are struggling with high energy burdens. When households cannot afford electric bills, they resort to siphoning electricity from the grid, known locally as using a “gato.”

“A resident turned to me and said that she had no reason to lie; she has a ‘gato’ because she doesn’t even have money for the basics in her house, let alone paying for electricity and water. But I told her that electricity and water are basics for human beings… that we deserve and need to survive.”

— Domênica Ferreira (Morro dos Macacos)

Utilities can decline to service areas with “gatos” or Areas with Severe Operational Restrictions (ASRO), which some favelas are categorized as due to the presence of armed criminal groups. During the data collection, Rio experienced the second deadliest operation in its history in Vila Cruzeiro, only surpassed by the operations in Jacarezinho just one year earlier. These conditions are an additional barrier preventing residents in the favela from accessing basic services.

“One of the problems here is the cost of energy to supply water. To have water requires a lot of energy.”

Juliana Cesário
Cosmorama/Mesquita

This research has shown that collaboration is needed to design programs that provide meaningful benefits to underserved populations. As experts on their own needs and living conditions, residents play a critical role in designing both relevant surveys, and the solutions necessary for successful policy action.

Interested in learning more?

• Water and Energy Justice in the Favelas report (English)
• Insights into Energy Efficiency in the Favelas
• Research Is Also ‘By Us for Us!’ Leaders and Youth From 15 Favelas Prepare to Launch ‘Water and Energy Justice in the Favelas’ Report
• Comprehensive report (in Portuguese)
• 43 min documentary on the research course
• 5 min report launch video