Purpose

To improve governance of electricity in Brazil and South Africa by building government and regulatory capacity to implement legislation that promotes renewable energy, energy efficiency, and social welfare, in line with sustainable development and public interests.

Main Activities

• Convene a coalition of civil society, regulatory commissions, government, legislators, and utility representatives in South Africa and Brazil
• Research and analyse using the electricity governance initiative indicator toolkit (developed with REEEP support) identifying weaknesses in policy and regulatory processes in Brazil and South Africa
• Engage legislators, government, and regulators through the assessment process to address these weaknesses
• Build on EGI partners and experiences in Asia to inform policymakers and regulators in Brazil and South Africa about how open and transparent governance can help build political support for renewable energy and efficiency programmes

Identify leverage points to influence regional integration in Southern Africa and South America to promote renewable energy, efficiency, and public interests

Expected Impact

• New opportunities are created for diverse stakeholders including consumer groups, environmental groups, regulators, energy ministry officials and private sector actors to identify common solutions
• Civil society actors have enhanced capacity and credibility, enabling them to advocate more effectively for public interests
• Regulators and policy makers understand how better governance can help build political support for innovations to promote clean energy and efficiency
• Improved transparency and public participation in the development of policy and regulation helps manage tradeoffs between environmental, social, and financial considerations
• Enhanced accountability for implementation of policy and regulatory measures benefits the public interest