At the UN Climate Change Conference COP30, Ukraine announced its intention to seek compensation from Russia for climate damage to help finance post-war reconstruction.
The event was attended by Pavlo Kartashov, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, and Lennard de Klerk, lead author of the War Greenhouse Gas Accounting Initiative
Lennart de Klerk, Minister of Energy and Environment of Estonia Andres Sutt, Ambassador-at-Large/EU Special Envoy for Climate and Environment Tony Agota, Director General of the European Climate Foundation, one of the architects of the Paris Agreement, Laurence Tubiana, and Head of Environmental Activities, OSCE, Sylvie Goyer.
“In many ways, Russia is waging a dirty war, and our climate is also a victim of it. Huge amounts of burned resources, destroyed forests, ruined buildings — all this has a significant climate impact. We in Ukraine are facing this cruelty directly, but the climatic consequences of this aggression will be felt far beyond our borders and into the future,” said Pavlo Kartashov, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine.
In October this year, the Initiative on Greenhouse Gas Accounting for War (IGGAW) published a report estimating that Russia’s invasion caused global emissions equivalent to 236.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. The IGGAW applied the internationally recognised ‘social cost of carbon’ to arrive at a total damage amount of US$43.8 billion.
“Our thorough documentation of carbon emissions resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will form the basis for Ukraine’s claim for compensation. The mechanism for this is established by international law, and once the claim is filed, Ukraine will be the first country to hold another country accountable for greenhouse gas emissions resulting from war,” said IGGAW lead author Lennard de Klerk.
In 2022, the UN General Assembly decided that Russia should compensate Ukraine for damages. This prompted the Council of Europe to create a mechanism for this purpose. In February 2025, the Register of Damages for Ukraine was adopted, which includes a form for environmental claims.
Ukraine’s claim will also be supported by an advisory opinion from the UN International Court of Justice, which ruled in July 2025 that states that cause significant damage to the climate through their illegal actions can be held accountable. Compensation is one of the possible forms of legal redress.
It should be noted that Ukraine has already developed a draft law aimed at promoting ‘green recovery’ and attracting investment, and has also committed to bringing its policies into line with EU climate policy.