At the COP29 climate summit in Baku in November 2024, Ukraine’s Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Svetlana Grinchuk sounded the alarm for the world. She said that Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine has not only caused huge losses in life and property, but also brought immeasurable damage to the environment. The Ukrainian government estimates that the war has caused environmental losses of up to $71 billion and triggered large-scale greenhouse gas emissions.

The Silent Cry of Nature

“Nature is a silent victim of this war,” Grinchuk said at the summit. The direct impacts of the war include the destruction of forests, the pollution of land and the destruction of water resources, which are quietly changing the ecological balance in Ukraine and the world. She pointed out that these ecological disasters are not limited to Ukraine, but may also have a profound impact on the entire planet through climate change.

According to statistics, the war has released 180 million tons of carbon emissions, which is equivalent to the total greenhouse gas emissions of several small countries in a year. Among them, military activities directly led to 51.6 million tons of carbon emissions, and post-war reconstruction of infrastructure will further increase carbon emissions by about 56 million tons. What's more serious is that the war destroyed about 3 million hectares of forests, which originally played an important role in absorbing carbon emissions and maintaining ecosystems.

United Nations warning and global responsibility

The United Nations Development Program previously estimated that the environmental losses caused by the Ukrainian war in 2023 reached 56 billion US dollars. The latest statistics from Ukraine show that as the war continues, the loss figures continue to rise. This data reminds the world that modern war is no longer a simple military and political event, and its ecological consequences also pose a huge challenge to the global environment.

Among the environmental problems caused by war, the most worrying is its long-term nature. Once the land is contaminated, it may take decades or even longer to repair it. The restoration of forests will also be a long process, which will seriously hinder the global carbon balance and climate governance.

The dual crisis of war and climate

Glinchuk pointed out that the persistence and destructiveness of the war forced all Ukrainians to take energy-saving measures in a short period of time. In the process of reconstruction, Ukraine will give priority to small renewable energy projects to reduce its dependence on traditional energy. This is not only a consideration of energy security, but also demonstrates Ukraine's firm determination to face the climate crisis.

Faced with the continued threat from Russia, Ukraine has accelerated its goal of achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This is not only to meet its commitment to join the European Union, but also to address the ecological challenges left over from the war while rebuilding the country.

Climate issues in the context of geopolitics

During the summit, Russia launched a new round of air strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leaving millions of Ukrainians living in darkness. At the same time, the international community has also paid attention to the potential impact that the geopolitical situation may have on climate issues. There is widespread concern that if the United States changes its policy towards Ukraine after President-elect Donald Trump takes office in 2025, it may have an adverse impact on Kyiv's military and economic support, further exacerbating Ukraine's plight.

Global resonance of ecological disaster

The situation in Ukraine highlights the far-reaching impact of war on the environment and reminds the global community that ecological issues should not be ignored. In the context of climate change, the loss of every forest and the pollution of every piece of land will have a chain reaction on the global ecosystem.

The environmental crisis caused by the Ukrainian war has shown the world the complexity of the interweaving of war and climate crisis. This war is not only an invasion of Ukraine, but also a destruction of natural resources and ecosystems. As a global community, the international community should strengthen cooperation, not only to help Ukraine recover from the war, but also to ensure that the earth's ecosystem can survive the crisis. The cost of war cannot be measured only in money, and the restoration of ecological losses requires longer and more far-reaching efforts.