FONPLATA — Development Bank, in partnership with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, will finance the pilot project “USI+SOLAR: Promoting Energy Transition in Abaetetuba,” in the state of Pará, in the heart of Brazil's Amazon region. This cooperation is part of an initiative trying new approaches through pilot projects to address climate change, which is promoted by the Amazon Cities Forum to strengthen climate resilience through innovative and replicable solutions.

The city of Abaetetuba faces high energy costs and depends heavily on a centralized electricity grid, suffering the impact of extreme weather events. In response, the pilot project proposes a concrete and scalable solution: the installation of photovoltaic systems in schools and public buildings, together with a comprehensive program of technical training, community awareness, and education for sustainability.

This pilot project is the first to be funded under FONPLATA's new Innovation and Knowledge Instrument —included in its most recent Technical Cooperation Strategy— which focuses on applied research projects, technological solutions, and pilot experiences that provide evidence for public policies in member countries. It is expected that the initiative will contribute to reducing CO₂ emissions and public energy expenditure, and to generating local capacities for a fair and sustainable energy transition.

Expected outputs include technical studies, installed and operational photovoltaic equipment, trained technical staff and community, a report for replicability in other Amazonian territories, and audiovisual and outreach material.

This initiative demonstrates how technical cooperation can be an effective tool for testing innovative solutions with high environmental, educational, and social impact in a territory that is key to the planet's climate balance.

About the Amazon Cities Forum

Created in August 2023 through the Belém Declaration, the Amazon Cities Forum is a regional cooperation agency that brings together more than 40 local governments from the countries that make up the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO). It aims at creating a space for dialogue and joint action to address the challenges and seize the opportunities related to sustainable urbanization in the Amazon region. 

07/10/2025