São Paulo Tightens Environmental Penalties and Adds AI‑Based Monitoring

The state of São Paulo has overhauled its environmental enforcement regime for the first time in two decades. Fines for serious infractions can now exceed R$ 10 million, with penalties multiplied up to 25 times for major effluent releases. The environmental agency Cetesb increased its workforce by 17%, adding 284 new staff, and has invested more than R$ 43 million in modernising inspections. A pioneering satellite and artificial‑intelligence system now monitors about 1,000 km of rivers and reservoirs, providing public data on water quality. Early results show a 21 % reduction in pollutant load in the Tietê River between 2024 and 2026.

In Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, environmental inspectors caught a 49‑year‑old individual dumping construction debris in a public square. The offender received a R$ 5 000 administrative fine and faces a criminal investigation under Brazil’s environmental crime law.