The Russian invasion of Ukraine has generated an estimated 150 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, exceeding Belgium’s annual total, Ukraine’s Deputy Environment Minister said at a meeting in Dubai on the sidelines of the UN Climate Summit, COP28.
Air, land, and water have suffered severe pollution due to the conflict, Deputy Minister Viktoria Kireieva said. A year and a half of warfare has led to emissions equivalent to those of a highly developed nation like Belgium, she added, citing an expert analysis.
The estimate was worked out by a team of specialists from the Initiative on GHG Accounting of War, headed by carbon emissions expert Lennard de Klerk.
The war itself is responsible for a quarter of these emissions, Mr. de Klerk said at a joint press conference with the Ukrainian deputy minister, explaining that most of these emissions arise from the use of fossil fuels by the Russian and Ukrainian armies.
Frequent fire outbreaks, common near the front line and triggered by the conflict, account for 15% of the total, added the expert. Emissions caused by the displacement of refugees were also factored into the estimate, along with flight paths diverted to avoid no-fly zones.
However, 36% of the total emissions are attributed to the reconstruction of buildings and infrastructure ravaged in Ukraine, which will be “the largest source of emissions going forward,” Lennard de Klerk said.
Many cities now lie in ruins, and their reconstruction promises to be both lengthy and pollutant-intensive, according to the specialists. They also cite the example the destruction of the Kakhovka dam last June in southern Ukraine, which led to severe damage.
The building sector alone is responsible for at least 37% of global CO2 emissions, according to a UN report published in September.
