During the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) held in Baku, Ukraine's Minister of Environmental Protection, Svitlana Hrynchuk, reported that the environmental damage caused by Russia's full-scale invasion is estimated at approximately $71 billion. The conflict has resulted in an additional 180 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions due to shelling and wildfires.
Since the onset of the invasion, over 6,500 environmental crimes have been committed by Russia. More than six million Ukrainians have sought temporary refuge in various European countries, contributing to an additional 3.3 million tons of CO2 emissions. The total greenhouse gas emissions attributed to the war amount to 180 million tons.
Hrynchuk noted that the potential for carbon absorption by Ukrainian forests has decreased by 1.7 million tons due to military actions and wildfires. Approximately three million hectares of forests have been destroyed, and 139,000 square kilometers of Ukraine are contaminated with unexploded ordnance, which is twice the area of Azerbaijan.
She emphasized that the effects of Russian missile strikes have reached as far as Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Serbia, Croatia, and Poland.
Ukraine is actively working on restoration efforts, having planted 555 million trees over an area exceeding 75,000 hectares to compensate for forest losses. With international partners, 35,000 square kilometers of land have been cleared of mines.
Furthermore, Ukraine has committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and is implementing green initiatives. At COP29, over 50 environmental initiatives from the government, businesses, and civil society were presented, including technologies for digital agriculture, renewable energy developments, and innovative startups.
The Ukrainian pavilion at COP29 emphasizes the principle of 'build back greener' and the need for compensation for environmental damage caused by Russian aggression.
The ongoing conflict is undermining global efforts to combat climate change. Developed nations agreed in 2009 to mobilize $100 billion annually for climate actions in developing countries, while Russia plans to spend over $135 billion on military aggression by 2025.
In collaboration with international partners, Ukraine is working on mechanisms to make aggression and environmental damage unacceptable and strictly punishable, as outlined in point 8 of President Volodymyr Zelensky's peace formula regarding environmental security.
On November 16, during the summit in Baku, Russia launched another attack on Ukraine's energy system, firing over 200 missiles and drones. This year alone, 9 GW of capacity from thermal and hydroelectric power plants have been destroyed, with approximately 18 GW of Ukrainian energy capacity currently occupied by Russia, including the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.