Ukraine is preparing to submit an application to the international Register of Damage to record the climate damage caused by Russia’s aggression. This was announced by Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agricultural Policy Pavlo Kartashov during the COP30 negotiations in Brazil. Ukraine may become the first country to seek compensation specifically for war-related climate emissions.
The Damage Registry, created under the auspices of the Council of Europe, is a key tool for documenting the consequences of Russian aggression. It has become the first practical element of the future international reparations mechanism. Its creation is based on UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/ES-11/5 of 14 November 2022, which recognised the need to hold Russia accountable and introduce reparations procedures.
According to Pavlo Kartashov, the war has created a massive carbon footprint: from fires and forest destruction to the destruction of buildings and colossal fuel consumption. He stressed that the climate consequences of the aggression will have a long-term impact and extend beyond Ukraine.
According to preliminary estimates, the total climate damage from the war amounts to approximately $43 billion. The report of the War Greenhouse Gas Accounting Initiative, prepared in partnership with the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture and with the support of the NGO Ekodiya, shows that in three years of war, emissions have reached almost 237 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. This figure corresponds to the total annual emissions of Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The initiative’s lead author, Lennard de Klerk, stressed that Ukraine could become the first country to file a compensation claim for war-related climate emissions. Careful documentation of the damage will form the basis for such a claim. Vasylina Belyo, a representative of the NGO Ecodia, noted that climate reparations are a logical part of international responsibility and should become an effective mechanism for financing safe and low-carbon recovery.
Ukraine plans to direct potential compensation funds towards reducing the climate impact during reconstruction. This includes developing low-carbon infrastructure, restoring land and forests destroyed by the war, and supporting climate change adaptation measures. Such investments are seen as a way to achieve the climate neutrality planned by the government by 2050.
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