Our research group welcomes visiting scholar Prof. Dr. Mozart Fazito Rezende Filho from Brazil

Prof. Mozart Fazito serves as an Associate Professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Brazil. He holds a PhD in Geography, Planning and Environmental Policy from University College Dublin and a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Development Planning and Management (SPRING Programme: TU Dortmund University and Ardhi University). His research focuses on the discursive analysis of socio-environmental conflicts as a means to support conflict mediation and inform urban and regional policy-making. He has conducted studies on conflicts related to mining, urban violence, indigenous territories, favelas and urban communities, energy transition, and urban river restoration.

Introduction:
The expansion of wind energy in Brazil began in the early 2000s, supported by strong governmental incentives aimed at advancing the energy transition. Installed wind energy capacity increased from 22.1 MW in 2004 to 33,726.6 MW in 2024, now accounting for approximately 16% of the national energy matrix. This growth has positioned Brazil as the fifth-largest wind energy producer globally, following China, the United States, Germany, and India. Northeast Brazil is responsible for 92% of the country’s wind energy production, with the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN) sharing the leading position with Bahia.

Despite the potential of wind energy to promote the energy transition and mitigate climate change, appropriate measures are required to ensure that its expansion does not exacerbate existing inequalities and social injustices. Wind energy projects can generate significant impacts, which are often obscured by the dominant discourse of “clean energy.” Effective regulation is therefore essential to ensure a just and equitable transition.

In this context, the Brazilian Senate commissioned a research team based in Natal to investigate the impacts of wind farm expansion in the Mato Grande region of Rio Grande do Norte. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques. The findings highlight several key regulatory challenges, including: ensuring adequate distances between wind turbines and human settlements; requiring companies to contribute directly to municipal infrastructure through taxation; safeguarding access to traditional sites of leisure and cultural significance; enabling local communities to benefit from the energy produced; promoting local employment through training and capacity-building initiatives; and providing legal support to vulnerable communities to prevent unequal contractual arrangements.

Furthermore, the construction phase of wind farms often brings large numbers of external workers into small communities, generating indirect social impacts such as increased crime rates, teenage pregnancy, disruptions to local cultural practices, and psychological stress. These effects underscore the need for stronger regulatory frameworks, increased fiscal contributions, and greater corporate responsibility toward the socio-economic and environmental development of affected areas. As part of the study, the spatial distribution of wind turbines was mapped in relation to nearby settlements and compared with European regulatory standards.