Environmental management in São Paulo’s metropolitan regions

evidence from the municipal environmental index (I-AMB | TCE-SP)

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the degree of institutional, operational, and performance structuring of public environmental policies in municipalities of the state of São Paulo, with a comparative focus between Metropolitan Regions (MRs) and non-metropolitan municipalities. The methodology is descriptive in nature, based on the analysis of data extracted from the Municipal Management Effectiveness Index (IEGM), specifically the i-Amb dimension, provided by the Tribunal de Contas do Estado de São Paulo (TCE-SP). The theoretical framework is grounded in both classical and contemporary references in environmental management and governance. The originality of the research lies in the combination of an official, standardized database with a territorial metropolitan approach, revealing a gap still underexplored in the literature: the comparative performance of environmental management across regions with different socio-spatial characteristics. The results indicate that although there is a high degree of institutionalization (with over 94% of municipalities having formal structures and human resources for environmental management), there are still weaknesses in areas such as technical training, workforce stability, and policy effectiveness. The study contributes theoretically by highlighting the importance of territorially contextualized environmental governance and methodologically by proposing a comparative systematization of municipal data. Socially and environmentally, the findings suggest pathways for more equitable and effective public policies, aimed at reducing regional asymmetries and strengthening local environmental governance capacity.