Revitalizing EU-Brazil Renewable Energy Cooperation

Global leaders in renewable energy, the European Union (EU) and Brazil have repeatedly referred to energy cooperation as fundamental to their relations. Through the EU-Brazil Strategic Partnership, they established the Energy Policy Sectoral Dialogue (Dialogue) in 2007 to foster cooperation on this mutual interest. Yet cooperation has been limited. Other scholars have investigated the hindering factors, and this article contributes to that research by identifying additional ones. Since the Dialogue’s last meeting, there have been changes in technology, climate change, and the global environment. This article explores whether there are new opportunities for cooperation in renewable energy, analysing biofuels, hydropower, wind, nuclear, and solar. It concludes that solar energy cooperation is a shared priority, would meet the Strategic Partnership’s objectives, and has growth potential – and therefore could revitalize the Dialogue and EU-Brazil renewable energy relations.