Air pollution in the city of São Paulo has fallen since the state began implementing social isolation policies, an analysis by the Brazilian Climate Observatory has found. The organization compared satellite images for the same date in 2019 and 2020. Rio de Janeiro has also shown better air quality indicators in the same period.
Experts say 2020 could become the year with the most significant improvement in air quality on record. After the 2008 financial crisis, air pollution worldwide also decreased, but as economies recovered, carbon dioxide emissions picked up again.