We are consolidating the international community around paragraph 8 of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula to achieve environmental safety of the world, – Svitlana Grynchuk
It is vital not only for the current generation but also for future generations. And today, representatives of 60 countries and international organisations who joined the conference in Helsinki on paragraph 8 of the Ukrainian Peace Formula agreed on this. Most participants stressed that environmental safety is a key component of a sustainable future. And Ukraine’s experience in assessing and calculating environmental damage and bringing Russia to justice for environmental crimes should become a global asset.
This was stated by Svitlana Hrynchuk, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, during a conference in Helsinki on paragraph 8 on environmental safety of the Ukrainian Peace Formula.
The event was attended by the Prime Ministers of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and Finland Petteri Orpo, Heads of the Offices of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak and Lauri Tierala, Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin, Executive Vice President of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič, former Deputy Prime Minister and former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Margot Wallström, former Vice President of the European Parliament Heidi Gautala and other high-ranking officials. More than 135 online and offline participants from 60 countries and international organisations attended the event.
“We do not just need the world’s support on the way to recognising Russia’s environmental crimes and bringing Russia to justice for the destruction of Ukraine’s environment through hostilities. We need to consolidate all the expertise in assessing the environmental impact of war through the efforts of many states, organisations and institutions to bring aggressors to justice across the world and leave a clean environment for future generations,” Svitlana Hrynchuk noted.
Within the event’s framework, the participants developed a communiqué in support of Paragraph 8 of the Ukrainian Formula for Peace, which outlines a set of measures to achieve environmental safety worldwide.
“This is vital because the environmental pollution caused by the hostilities is spreading far beyond the borders of Ukraine. That is why we need unprecedented consolidation of the international community to address the environmental issues during the war and the green principles of recovery,” the head of the Ministry of Environment emphasised.
According to Minister:
- More than 6,000 Russian environmental crimes have been documented to date, worth more than €65 billion. These figures are not final and are growing as long as the hostilities continue.
- The liberated territories cannot be restored until they are demined. Today, 139,000 square kilometres of our territory are mined.
- More than 24,000 hectares of forest were destroyed by fires in 2024 only.
- Approximate environmental damage from Russian criminal actions on the Seim and Desna rivers is already estimated at €12 million.
- The Black and Azov Seas are also suffering from the effects of the war. The damage to Ukraine is currently estimated at €345 million. This is only what has been calculated so far.
In addition to unified financial instruments, the environmental component of the Peace Formula provides for reconstruction in line with the most advanced green principles. This will ensure the green transition of our country and a new standard of living for all Ukrainians based on European standards.
“I thank Finland for co-organising this important event and my colleague Kai Mukkänen personally for the warm welcome in Helsinki. I am grateful to all the partners who are with us today. We are looking forward to continuing coordination and planning the next practical steps at the upcoming COP 29 Climate Summit in Baku, where Ukraine traditionally hosts its own pavilion”. – Svitlana Grynchuk emphasised.
The text of the Joint Communiqué approved by the participants of the conference:
