Given the importance of the energy sector and the necessity for an urgent energy transition worldwide, this research identifies the main challenges of Brazilian energy governance to mitigate and adapt to climate change effectively. Through the climate action perspective, the study analyzes the Brazilian Decennial Energy Planning documents from 2009 to 2019. The tools used are the SWOT and GUT, both commonly applied to assess scenarios and support decision-making. The most critical challenge identified is the political instability inside and outside Brazil regarding climate action, besides the other six challenges. The conclusions highlight that the challenges prevented the Brazilian governance from being aligned with the international climate action. In brief, the identified issues culminate in an underappreciation of Brazil’s enormous potential renewable sources.