Minas Gerais reports major environmental policy advances

The Minas Gerais State Environment and Water Resources System (Sisema) presented a comprehensive set of achievements covering waste‑solid management, animal protection, sanitation, recycling, and water‑resource pricing. Highlights include 617 municipalities directing solid waste to certified facilities (benefiting 15.4 million residents), more than R$ 3.6 million awarded to 91 recycling cooperatives, over 71 000 domestic‑animal sterilizations, planting of 13 000+ tree seedlings, and the deployment of digital tools such as the Gaia platform and AI‑assisted infractions analysis.

Across Brazil, a series of local environmental‑education actions were held: the Federal District’s 8th Environmental Education Forum linked schools to nature; Ibirité (Minas Gerais) combined a large-scale dog‑and‑cat sterilisation drive with student workshops; the Museum of the Cerrado in Lucas do Rio Verde hosted interactive wildlife displays with police environmental units; a workshop in Cáceres (Mato Grosso) gathered about 2 000 participants for hands‑on geography and recycling contests; and police‑environment teams taught over 300 students in Vilhena (Rondônia) about Amazonian biodiversity and waste composting. These initiatives illustrate a coordinated push to integrate sustainability into schools, communities, and public policy nationwide.