Foreign firms fined for environmental foul play

Since the rise of President Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil has become something of an international pariah when it comes to environmental issues. The far-right sitting administration has overseen massive budget cuts to monitoring agencies, while the president himself casts doubt on government data about deforestation and passes legislation that could worsen Brazil’s situation.

But the fact that Mr. Bolsonaro is an easy target should not hide the fact that many foreign corporations—often from countries that have criticized Brazil’s handling of its biodiversity—have less-than-stellar track records when it comes to environmental practices. Take the case of Alunorte, a company owned by Norwegian aluminum giant Norsk Hydro, which was caught dumping toxic waste into the Amazonian town of Barcarena. 

This is one of many cases of foreign companies adhering to much looser standards in Brazil than they would in their home countries.

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