Climate vs. War: How Combating the Climate Crisis Can Help Ukraine

Nearly 200 countries and over 70,000 delegates attended the event, including representatives from Russia. Climate change affects everything, both living and non-living, causing civilian and military casualties and destroying cities, whose restoration will take years. However, climate issues are unpopular among Ukrainians, with some even considering them “untimely.” Below, we debunk major climate myths, examine the impact of Russian aggression on Ukraine’s climate, and explore potential solutions during wartime.

Myth: “Climate problems are imaginary”

It is true that there are some opinions online claiming climate issues are a “fabrication” of certain political forces, allegedly used for publicity, or an exaggeration of a nonexistent problem. However, such claims are false. The main feature of the climate crisis is global warming, a prolonged rise in the planet’s average temperature. The driver of global warming is human activity, particularly the use of fossil fuels, deforestation, overconsumption of goods, and more.

Fossil fuels — coal, oil, and natural gas — have the greatest impact on the climate. Humanity has used these resources for centuries, for instance, to produce heat, electricity, chemicals, and fuel for transportation. Burning fossil fuels creates the so-called “greenhouse effect”, as certain gases trap heat and prevent it from escaping the atmosphere. This excess heat leads to an increase in Earth’s global temperature.

According to the UN, the concentration of greenhouse gases has reached its highest level in the past 2 million years. As a result, the decade from 2014 to 2023 is considered the warmest on record, with Earth’s average temperature rising by 1.2°C compared to the pre-industrial period of 1850–1900. Global warming directly affects people. For example, weather events such as heatwaves, storms, and floods can cause fatalities, spread diseases, and pollute the environment, including water sources. According to the World Meteorological Organization, 2024 has been the hottest year in recorded history. Record-breaking temperatures were observed this year in EU countries, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Ukrainians also experienced the climate crisis, particularly the extreme heat, this summer. Additionally, human-induced climate change has increased precipitation and intensified Hurricane Helen, which struck U.S. states including Florida, parts of Georgia, and Tennessee in late September this year.

The World Health Organization reports that approximately 3.6 billion people live in regions vulnerable to climate change. Consequently, the organization predicts over 250,000 additional deaths annually between 2030 and 2050.

Myth: “Climate is not a priority”

Amid Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, Ukraine is increasingly adopting renewable energy sources, which simultaneously serve as tools to combat the climate crisis. Additionally, reducing fossil fuel consumption in the EU, some of which is transported through Ukraine, can further isolate Russia.

In 2021, about 40% of the EU’s pipeline gas came from Russia, with Germany being the largest importer. Ukraine has been one of the transit countries for this gas. In 2009, Naftogaz and Gazprom signed a 10-year transit agreement allowing gas to flow to the EU through Ukraine. After this agreement ended, Ukraine and Russia signed a new 5-year agreement in 2019, which will expire at the end of 2024. According to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine does not plan to extend the gas transit agreement beyond 2024.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion, EU countries, as part of sanctions against Russia, completely stopped importing Russian coal and reduced oil imports from 28% in 2021 to 3% in 2023. Pipeline gas imports also decreased, from 40% in 2021 to 8% in 2023. Russia’s gas blackmail also influenced the decision to cut imports. In March 2022, Putin refused to accept payments in dollars or euros from “unfriendly countries” and demanded the EU pay for gas in rubles, attempting to circumvent sanctions.

In a comment to VoxCheck, Aliona Korohod, an expert at DiXi Group, stated that the EU’s decision to reduce Russian fossil fuel imports supports Ukraine in several significant ways: “First, it strengthens Russia’s economic isolation, limiting its ability to finance the war. Losing the EU market reduces Russia’s export revenues, thereby cutting its resources for continued aggression. Second, this decision strengthens the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the EU, which is crucial for the region’s long-term energy security.”

How does this relate to climate? Reducing Russian fossil fuel imports also promotes the production of cleaner energy in the EU. Renewable sources like solar and wind are increasingly used for electricity generation, replacing Russian gas.

Renewable energy is especially important during Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. According to Oksana Zueva, a senior expert on open data at DiXi Group, Ukraine’s energy system lost about 21 GW of capacity between 2022 and 2023. As of October 2024, over 9 GW of thermal and hydro generation capacity was lost due to drone and missile attacks. Green energy, such as wind and solar power plants, could help Ukraine in this situation, although these facilities have also been targeted and equipment on temporarily occupied territories stolen.

Oleksandr Selyshchev, CEO of DTEK Renewables, noted that wind generation could make up for lost energy in the short and medium term. A wind farm can be built within a year, while larger projects take 2-3 years.

Moreover, building and operating wind farms have a much smaller environmental impact than fossil fuels. These facilities can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change. Ukraine could address two issues simultaneously: generating more electricity for the population despite infrastructure attacks and fulfilling the Paris Climate Agreement commitments, which Ukraine signed in 2016. Data from DiXi Group analysts show that Ukraine’s use of renewable energy sources is already increasing. In 2021, renewables accounted for 14.7% of electricity production (6.7% from hydropower and pumped storage and 8% from other renewables). By 2024, this figure had risen to 22.1% (11.8% from hydropower and pumped storage and 10.3% from other renewables).

In a comment to VoxCheck, Natalia Gozak, Director of Greenpeace Ukraine, noted that the advantage of renewable energy sources during the war is their decentralization. That is, they are not large sources like nuclear power plants, which are concentrated in one location, but rather a distributed system: “This is a very large number of not very powerful sources that meet local needs. In other words, there is no strategic facility like a thermal power plant that, if targeted, causes significant losses to the power grid right away… If we are talking about a solar plant with rows of panels and one is hit, for instance, 5, 10, or 20 panels might be damaged, but they can be replaced, and the plant continues to operate. Coal and gas plants do not work this way. If they are hit, the entire system is destroyed.“

There are also downsides, as solar panels, according to Gozak, are a seasonal device. Panels depend on sunlight, and accordingly, in winter, they will produce less energy and will require additional cleaning during snowfall. At the same time, from a maintenance cost perspective, solar panels are a cheaper and faster source of energy compared to a nuclear reactor, which requires constant fuel and can take up to 20 years to build.

Moreover, in the future, according to the Director of Greenpeace, Ukraine will be able to export green energy: “With the development of renewable energy in Ukraine, we will later be able to export it to Europe. We see this as a source of revenue for the budget, and overall, exports are important for the state. We certainly have neighboring EU countries interested in green energy, so there is significant potential here.”

DiXi Group expert Aliona Korohod adds that the transition to renewable energy is an important step in combating the climate crisis, but it is not enough: “To effectively tackle the climate crisis, a comprehensive approach is needed that includes not only the development of renewable energy but also improvements in energy efficiency and the decarbonization of various sectors of the economy, primarily transport and industry. Investments in renewable energy alone may be insufficient due to the inherent instability of electricity production (dependence on weather conditions), so the development of energy storage systems and smart grids is also key. These allow for more efficient energy management and the storage of excess energy.”

It is also worth noting that climate should be considered in the context of Ukraine’s accession to the EU. The European Commission points out that for Ukraine to achieve EU membership, significant efforts are needed to comply with EU climate laws. Some steps, such as adopting plans to control industrial pollution and setting harmful substance limits in the air to improve its quality, have already been taken by Ukraine. However, for areas like industrial activities and livestock farming, which fall under EU industrial emissions legislation, significant legislative changes and investments are required. According to the European Commission’s overall assessment, Ukraine has so far only partially aligned its climate legislation with EU requirements, and the implementation of changes is at an early stage. Therefore, the climate issue should not be overlooked, given that EU accession is a strategically important goal for Ukraine.

Myth: “The war does not affect the climate”

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russians have not only systematically killed civilians and military personnel and destroyed cities but also inflicted massive damage on Ukraine’s ecosystem. According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, the environmental damage caused by the war amounts to nearly 2.8 trillion UAH.

As stated by the Minister of Environmental Protection Ruslan Strilets, as of May 2024, carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the war amount to approximately 180 million tons. According to a report by the Center for Environmental Initiatives “Ecoaction” and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, the largest emissions are caused by military actions, landscape fires, and damage to energy infrastructure. For instance, significant emissions result from the production and use of weapons and the supply of equipment from abroad. Additionally, to protect the civilian population, particularly through shelters, Ukraine uses concrete, which increases carbon emissions. However, Russia is responsible for forcing Ukrainians to increase weapon production to defend their territory and create mobile shelters for civilians using less eco-friendly materials.

The report’s authors estimate that about 80% of emissions from Russian fossil fuels used in military actions occurred in the occupied territories of Ukraine, with only 20% on Russian soil.

Russia not only harms Ukraine’s environment but also promotes the use of non-ecological resources at international conferences. For example, at this year’s Climate Change Conference, Russia discussed expanding cooperation with Azerbaijan in the oil and gas sector, despite the event’s goal of reducing such activities. Russians actively advocated for fossil fuels, calling them the “last fuel for humanity”, and described nuclear energy as “the cleanest in the world”. The president of the Russian research center “Kurchatov Institute,” Mikhail Kovalchuk, even claimed that their energy is “the cleanest in the world” and that the West should pay Russia for “cleaning the planet,” specifically referring to forests that absorb carbon dioxide. In reality, Russia is not making sufficient efforts to combat the climate crisis and is the world’s fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

What can Ukraine do and is already doing to address climate issues?

The energy sector has the greatest impact on climate change, as three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions result from burning coal, oil, and gas for heating, electricity production, and transportation. In a comment to VoxCheck, experts from “Ecoaction” stated that to reduce emissions, it is essential to implement energy-efficient measures to require less energy and transition to renewable energy sources to produce energy without greenhouse gas emissions. “This can even be done in your apartment. For instance, choose energy-saving appliances or unplug them when not in use. In a building, together with neighbors, you could fully insulate the facade (as patchwork insulation doesn’t work and damages the walls) or install solar panels. The Energy Efficiency Fund can partially cover the costs of such measures for homeowner associations under programs like ‘Green Home (GrinDim)’ or ‘Energy Home (EnergoDim).'”

Additionally, according to “Ecoaction” specialists, energy efficiency should be a priority in all sectors at the state level. New infrastructure should be built to the highest energy efficiency standards so that new buildings consume minimal energy. Moreover, damaged housing, especially that destroyed by Russia, should also be rebuilt with higher energy efficiency standards.

Furthermore, on October 30, 2024, the Law “On the Fundamental Principles of State Climate Policy” came into effect. Ukraine commits to promoting climate neutrality, aiming to maximize emission reductions by 2050. A mid-term target has been set: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65% by 2030, equivalent to the 1991 emission levels. Individuals contributing to climate change adaptation will be offered preferential loans and financial support. Meanwhile, sectors reliant on fossil fuels that fail to meet emission reduction requirements will see reduced or canceled state support.

Environmental security is also part of the “Peace Formula” initiated by the President of Ukraine. At the state level, Ukraine calls on the international community to help assess the environmental damage caused by the Russian invasion and hold Russia accountable for it. Additionally, efforts are being made to restore the natural environment by demining lands, regenerating destroyed forests, and creating new parks, among other measures.

What can you do to combat climate change?

At the state level, Ukraine is implementing various projects to combat climate change. However, their implementation can be significantly accelerated, and the results made more impactful through the active participation of each of us. Here are some tips on what you can do today to address climate challenges:

• Avoid burning dry grass and leaves on private properties, as this can cause fires and harmful emissions into the atmosphere. Instead, consider purchasing a garden composter.
• Use reusable items and sort waste that pollutes the environment (you can find the nearest sorting point in your city here).
• Consider installing solar panels, for which equipment costs can, in some cases, be funded by the state through the Energy Efficiency Fund.
• Use transport that does not produce emissions (bicycles, electric transport).
• Participate in annual climate-related events, such as World Cleanup Day or the All-Ukrainian Youth Environmental Forum.
• Become a climate activist and promote the idea of combating climate change.

In the context of war, Ukraine cannot fully implement all UN recommendations for overcoming the climate crisis. Russian shelling forces the use of weapons for defense and non-ecological but vital materials, such as concrete shelters. However, each of us can gradually change our approach to things like resource usage in our daily lives. The unity and solidarity of Ukrainians helped withstand the Russian invasion during the early days of the full-scale war, proving that global change is also within our power.