Ukraine is going to submit a claim for the climate damage caused by Russian war in Ukraine to the international Register of Damage for Ukraine. The Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Pavlo Kartashov, announced this during Side-Event ‘Accountability for climate damage caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine’ at the COP30 climate conference in Brazil. The event was co-organised by the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, Initiative of GHG accounting of war and Ukrainian NGO ‘Ecoaction’.
‘Ukraine is committed to use these reparations to minimize further climate harm. A portion of the compensation will fund climate adaptation within Ukraine. Our recovery will focus on low-carbon infrastructure, restoring the productivity of our lands, replanting war-destroyed forests, and transforming our cities to be climate-neutral and resilient. But we also recognize our shared responsibility to the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations. Ukraine invites these countries to join us in discussions on how a share of the climate damage compensation can be directed to support their resilience’, – said Pavlo Kartashov, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine.
It will be the first case in history to file a claim against the aggressor specifically for the climate damage. For Ukraine, this will become another tool on the path to climate neutrality, which the country plans to achieve by 2050 in line with global climate goals. For the world, this will set a precedent that will help other victims of armed conflicts demand compensation for climate damage.
‘Accounting for greenhouse gas emissions from military actions and subsequently holding aggressors accountable for all the damage is a necessary step to tackling the climate crisis and achieving global peace. It is important to understand that it is not only Ukraine that suffers from Russia’s invasion: global climate efforts are also harmed, that will eventually affect all vulnerable countries. Therefore, compensation for the damage caused is in the interest of the entire global community’, – says Vasylyna Belo, Head of Climate department of Ecoaction.
The latest study by Initiative of GHG accounting of war shows that during three years of russia`s full-scale invasion of Ukraine greenhouse gas emissions attributed to war reached nearly 237 million tons of CO₂ equivalent. This emission volume is comparable to the annual emissions of Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia combined. This amount is valued at over $43 billion based on a social cost of carbon of $185 per ton CO₂ equivalent.
The Initiative started in 2022 and is the world’s first systematic attempt to assess climate impacts during an active armed conflict. By the end of 2025 the Initiative released 5 reports on the issue with the support of the Ministry of Economy, Envitonment and Agriculture of Ukraine and NGO Ecoaction. The latest report is supported by the European Climate Foundation (ECF) and the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC).
For more information please contact Ecoaction`s press team at press@ecoact.org.ua