In view of the rising global temperature, due to the emission of gases that cause the greenhouse effect, combined strategies in the field of renewable energy, along with energy efficiency and adequate use of land, arise as consensus factors in reducing CO₂ emissions and mitigating climate change. According to the report “Global Investment Trends in Sustainable Energy”, published this year by UNEP – The United Nations Environment Program, in 2008, US$ 155 billion were invested in clean energy companies and projects, for the first time exceeding investments in fossil energy.

Achim Steiner, UNEP’s executive director, credits investment growth in renewable energy, in times of a crisis, to governmental incentive packages for the sector. Brazil, which has laudable 40% of its energy matrix based on renewable sources (the world average is 13%), is running the risk of losing its lead position in this field.

The electric energy sector, for example, whose institutional and regulatory mark is based on the expansion expectation of hydroelectric plants with water reservoirs, did not give proper attention to the planning of a generation complex supplementary to the existing hydric one, a problem enhanced by the new environmental legislation, considering that almost half of the few hydroelectric plants that reach fruition are built on water streams.

A “thermal trap” has been created, which is asserted by the results of the energy auctions, following the creation of the “New Model” for the electric energy sector (2003/2004), with high prevalence of “dirty” thermoelectric plants, powered with fuel oil or natural gas, with high installation and operation costs, as well as a high imported equipment ratio. Alright, but what about bioelectricity?

A low environmental impact option, with high energy efficiency, that generates carbon credits, uses equipment entirely made by the national industry, with a broadly distributed generation, in the middle of the Brazilian load center, obtained from available renewable fuel, and more importantly: which complements the hydric park, because it operates in the dry period, increasing the system’s safety. Well, this option awaits adequate valorization, which surely will not come about under the current rules.

Can it be that this moroseness occurs because of the fact that the biomass’ potential (equivalent to 2 Itaipu complexes) is viewed as a reserve? I cannot tell, but for sure such acknowledgement would take place at an excellent point in time for the sugar-based energy sector, which is going through sustainability consolidation, with heavy investments in reforestation, the elimination of the habit of incinerating sugarcane straw, the rational utilization of vinasse, the treatment of liquid and gas effluent, the qualification of the workforce, etc.

Concurrently, ethanol is going through its worst financial crisis, with many plants up for sale and with the expressive inflow of pocket money of multinational giants, representing 16% of the industry, and with an outlook that in 3 to 5 years they will represent 25% of the market (Datagro). One should emphasize that these figures do not consider foreign investments in stock of publicly traded companies, due to the variation in ownership.

Ethanol brings about a reduction of 90% of CO₂ emissions compared with gasoline, as acknowledged by ADEME – The French Environment and Energy Management Agency, albeit this finding was recently strongly challenged by the “green grade” (avehicle pollution ranking) published by Ibama, the Brazilian environmental authority.

Internationally, ethanol is considered as the only current economically feasible alternative to fossil fuel, having the advantage of coming from a renewable source, which can be produced in different regions around the globe. This is an essential condition for it becoming a commodity, and for the certainty of a significant reduction in gases that bring about the greenhouse effect.

Several positive government-caused effects become irrelevant in view of the urgent need for coherent laws and policies, or even for regulatory incentives to structure the development of a safe and consistent market for renewable fuel, for investors and consumers, free of uncertainties such as the “pre-salt” oil reserves, the reduction in the volume added to gasoline, lighter diesel vehicles and senseless laws created for a reality of half a century ago (Legal Reserve). May such measures materialize shortly, to avoid what happened with storage financing, that was offered much too late to do the companies in the industry any good. Perhaps we are in fact heroes… heroes of the resistance.