As Reuters has learned, the Ukrainian authorities will demand almost $44 billion from Russia in compensation for climate change damages caused by increased emissions amid the fighting.
Points of attention
- Experts estimate that the Russian war has led to a substantial increase in CO₂-equivalent emissions, underlining the environmental toll of the conflict on Ukraine's air, water, land, and forests.
- Ukraine's plan to file a claim through a new compensation process demonstrates the country's commitment to holding Russia accountable for the environmental devastation caused by the ongoing war.
Ukraine plans to collect $44 billion from Russia
Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Pavlo Kartashov told journalists about the intentions of official Kyiv.
What is important to understand is that this is actually the first case in history when the state will demand compensation for damages for increased atmospheric emissions, as well as for the destruction of trees due to fires amid the war.
Ukraine cannot ignore the fact that the Russian invaders have caused extensive damage to water, land, and forests.
According to Dutch expert Lennard de Klerk, the Russian war has triggered about 237 million tons of additional CO₂-equivalent emissions in the last 4 years alone.
Ukraine is preparing to file a claim through a new compensation process being implemented by the Council of Europe, which has already received around 70,000 claims from Ukrainian citizens seeking compensation for wartime damages.
