With the support of the Environmental Policy and Advocacy Initiative for Ukraine (EPAIU), the Initiative for Accounting for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from War has conducted its fourth study of the impact of war on the climate, together with the Ministry of Environment and the NGO Ecodiya.
According to the study, 24 months of full-scale Russian invasion resulted in more carbon emissions than a highly industrialized country like the Netherlands produces in a year. The total climate damage that Russia has caused over the two years of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine is about $32 billion.
The analysis of the problem covers not only the territory of Ukraine, but also offers a broader view of the logistics of the war and the consequent events outside of it, which 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directly related to the war and cause emissions: fires on enemy territory, the “revival” of old military equipment with outdated engines, militarization and increased arms production, etc.
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 impacts. And the 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.
This is the fourth time the study has been conducted, and it also addresses the climate impact of reconstruction, 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.“
