Encouraging Cleaner Production and Reducing Pollution

Porto Alegre

Audience at the Sao Paulo state’s environmental protection agency (CETESB)

Dr. Michael A. Gonzalez at CETESB

Brazil and the U.S. share an interest in reducing pollution while working towards a cleaner environment for future generations.  To promote our mission goals of sharing scientific knowledge with Brazilian experts, the U.S. Consulate in Sao Paulo brought Dr. Michael A. Gonzalez, Branch Chief for the Systems Analysis Branch at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to Brazil for a five day speaker program.  Dr. Gonzalez discussed new ways to encourage cleaner production and reduce pollution at the source.  He was the keynote speaker for the 6th International Cleaner Production Forum in Porto Alegre which was co-sponsored by the Brazilian National Cleaner Production Center (CNTL), the Brazilian Association of Sanitary Engineering (ABES) and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.  Dr. Gonzalez then traveled to Sao Paulo for technical meetings with CETESB, Sao Paulo state’s environmental protection agency and to Recife where he met with Brazilian counterparts.

The five day program was well received in all three cities engendering discussion of future exchange programs between the EPA and several Brazilian agencies.  Future exchanges will continue to focus on the main themes on how to reduce pollution and new initiatives for economic and environmental sustainability in industrial production practices.