The dirty reality behind “green steel” | DW Documentary
Steel firms and World Bank-linked finance are backing eucalyptus plantations in Brazil to offset CO2. But on the ground, communities report land loss, damaged ecosystems, and broken promises. So how green is “green steel”?
In northeastern Brazil, a small rural community is fighting to protect the Cerrado savanna surrounding their homes from large-scale eucalyptus plantations. The monocultures are part of a large-scale “reforestation” scheme promoted as a climate solution by steel corporations and supported by financing linked to the World Bank. Marketed as a way to compensate for industrial emissions, the projects promise major investments in sustainable development, biodiversity protection and respect for local rights, all under international oversight. But is the reality on the ground living up to these promises? German documentary filmmaker Daniel Harrich travels to this remote region to investigate the gap between corporate climate claims and realities on the ground. Accompanied by independent researchers, he embarks on a risky investigation through the Cerrado savanna, uncovering dramatic evidence of what is hidden from global view.
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Video “The dirty reality behind “green steel” | DW Documentary” was uploaded on 12/16/2025 by DW Documentary Youtube channel.

































America, don't make the same mistakes as this family. Fight for your freedom.
it’s the same here in the US, on native american land they mine uranium, when it runs out the land is uninhabitable, the mining companies leave the contaminated land for the locals to clean it up…
I knew there was corruption when they called it a "Plantation"..
You can just look at Uruguay where they had monoculture eucalyptus. There are no animals no other plans no nothing. They will cut this eucalyptus later for paper.
Native species work with the environment. They require less water, zero maintenance, and support vital biodiversity. These plantations, while attempting to close the carbon loop, are exacerbating environment destruction. This localized environmental destruction is speading beyond the immediate area due to the depletion of water and the suffocation and death of biodiversity spreading further and further from these plantations each year.
FSC, along with countless other environmental initiatives aimed at soothing Western consumer guilt are scams. FSC Reforestation must be redefined as restoring native species to rewild the landscape: not a means of seizing land, stripping it of native vegetation, and building destructive for-profit plantations.
An international class action lawsiut is perhaps the only means to force the FSC to admit their mistakes, change course and correct their willful ignorance by stripping for-profit entities of their FSC certifications due to fraud and environmental destruction. Similar environmental initiative scams must always face a reckoning with class action lawsuits of their own. These scam initiatives have only served to increase reckless corporate and consumer habits under the guise of environmental protection.
Time and time again we witness the devastating effects these initiatives have on communities and the environment.
It's almost like "green policy" is actually a big con being run to make people wealthy not the world any better. Who would have thought, except all the Americans who realized this and abandoned the European economic suicide pact.
Land loss and damaged ecosystems are a high price to pay for corporate labels
Interesting, when swedes make green steel is great but when other countries do the same, questions are asked. It's like if it was all done on purpose.
the only way to stop human thirst for resources it to kill the demand if you know what i mean either way the end effect is the same
FACT: Monocultures are destructive to the diversity of species and insects and quality of food variety to local humans. Earth is NOT a profiteering model. ALL humans need access to land to naturally grow and thrive according to the Law of God. God gave us Earth to live peacefully and freely on. NOT for corporate profits.
Yeah, you should stop taking advantage of poor people. When Europe will stop exploring misery?
Keep up the great investigation and work. This needs more noise!
And they are all non-native monoculture trees…it is actually damaging the environment!!
I don't understand why when someone is presented with new information, rather than investigating these, they get into defence mode. Plans and policies may be good on paper but in practice may not yield the desired results or may not play out as initially intended. I'm quiet disappointed in the responses provided by the World Bank representative. Hopefully the institution will rethink it's response to this.
We cant complaint them because every people using this industrial final products one or the another if you want to stop it stop every luxurious or artificial products otherwise stop talking
All big business knows how to do, is to lie. They are the same, all a bunch of liers.
That's so awful..
Could it be that some of these communities were using deforested terrain that previously was wilderness?
I teach steelworkers in Saarland, Green Steel is a horse manure initiative. Go to Charcoal and Carbon Cycle, no need for changing equipment, processes or becoming dependent on Chinese Ore. Tree plantations for Charcoal production, Carbon Neutral Steel. Simple Fix. Where do you find these plantations? Easy ask me I own one. I stole no ones land, I bought it with the imobilaria. I do not grow Eucaplytpus only native trees….
It’s like when Volkswagen’s advertise their diesel cars as green 😂. There’s nothing green about these old world commodities.
And the EU wants to force car manufacturers to use green steel to meet their new requirements… Sigh
Yup, so impt to share this … New Zealand the same!
The West is very Selfish Nation due to which other countries are suffering😢
They copied Russia and China! Don't trust government!
I love Brazil.