Climate damage caused by the Russian war in Ukraine over 24 months: research by Initiative on Greenhouse Gas Accounting of War

The total climate damage caused by Russia during the two years of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine is about $32 billion. This is the finding of an updated assessment by the War Greenhouse Gas Accounting Initiative presented at the International Conference on Ukraine’s Recovery in Berlin.

According to the results of the study of the war’s impact on the climate, which the War Greenhouse Gas Accounting Initiative is conducting jointly with the Ministry of Environment and the NGO Ecodia, 24 months of Russia’s full-scale invasion, they resulted in more carbon emissions than a highly industrialized country like the Netherlands produces in a year.

According to experts, the impact of the war on the climate is increasing every month due to fighting, fires, infrastructure destruction, and other direct and indirect effects. Large-scale attacks on the Ukrainian electricity grid have led to many uncontrolled leaks of SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride), a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide, methane, and nitric oxide.

The analysis of the problem covers not only the territory of Ukraine but also offers a broader view of the logistics of war and the consequent events beyond its borders that are also directly related to the war and cause emissions: fires on enemy territory, the “revival” of old military equipment with outdated engines, militarization, and increased arms production, etc.

This is the fourth time the study has been conducted, and it also addresses the climate impact of reconstruction processes, the effects of forced migration, and other war-related aspects. All four iterations of the study were supported by the Environmental Policy and Advocacy Initiative for Ukraine (EPAIU), which the International Renaissance Foundation implements with the support of Sweden.

To date, this is perhaps the only comprehensive study of the impact of warfare on the climate and an attempt to identify all possible sources of emissions, as well as to calculate the quantity and quality of emissions caused by war,” says Tetiana Kukharenko, head of the EPAIU Initiative. “It is also a reminder to humanity that there are no local wars in the modern world, as the carbon footprint of war affects many countries, especially if it exacerbates civilizational confrontation in the world. As a result, it affects the atmosphere and humanity’s quality of life globally. And most importantly, it translates into food and water security risks.

***

This report was made possible with support by the European Climate Foundation (ECF) and by the Environmental Policy and Advocacy Initiative in Ukraine (EPAIU). The EPAIU has been implemented by the International Renaissance Foundation (IRF) with the financial support of Sweden. Proofreading and design was supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI).


Views, conclusions, or recommendations belong to the authors of this report and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the IRF and/or Government of Sweden and/or Climate Initiative (IKI) and/or Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action of Germany. The responsibility over the content lies solely with the authors of this report.

Spelling error report

The following text will be sent to our editors: