COP30: Ukraine to seek compensation from russia for climate damage
19.11.2025 | 19:34 | Section for Public and Mass Media Relations
At the UN Climate Conference COP30, Ukraine announced its intention to seek compensation from russia for climate-related damage in order to help finance post-war recovery.
The session featured Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Pavlo Kartashov, lead author of the Initiative on Greenhouse Gas Accounting of War (IGGAW) Lennard de Clercq, Estonia’s Minister of Energy and Environment Andres Sutt, EU Special Envoy for Climate and Environment Tony Agotha, CEO of the European Climate Foundation and one of the architects of the Paris Agreement Laurence Tubiana, and Head of Environmental Activities at the OSCE Sylvie Goyet.
“In many ways, russia is waging a dirty war – and our climate is also its victim. Massive amounts of burned resources, destroyed forests, ruined buildings – all of this has a significant climate impact. We in Ukraine face the brutality directly, but the climate consequences of this aggression will be felt far beyond our borders and for years to come,” – noted Pavlo Kartashov, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine.
In October, IGGAW published a report estimating that russia’s full-scale invasion has caused global emissions equivalent to 236.8 million tonnes of CO₂. Using the internationally recognised “social cost of carbon,” the Initiative calculated the total damage at USD 43.8 billion.
“Our rigorous documentation of war-related carbon emissions will form the basis of Ukraine’s compensation claim. The mechanism for such claims exists in international law, and once submitted, Ukraine will become the first country to hold another state accountable for greenhouse-gas emissions caused by war,” – explained Lennard de Clercq, lead author of the IGGAW report.
In 2022, the UN General Assembly resolved that russia must compensate Ukraine for the damage caused, prompting the Council of Europe to develop an appropriate mechanism. In February 2025, the Register of Damage for Ukraine was adopted, including a specific form for environmental claims.
Ukraine’s claim will also be reinforced by the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (July 2025), which determined that states whose unlawful actions cause significant harm to the climate can be held internationally liable. Compensation is among the possible forms of legal remedy.
Ukraine has already drafted legislation aimed at supporting a green recovery, attracting investment, and aligning national policies with the EU’s climate framework.
Read also:
-
12.12.2025 | 14:30
| Section for Public and Mass Media Relations
The first Create Ukraine cohort completes the programme: 10 participants strengthened the economy, attracted investment, and worked towards advancing the EU accession
The first cohort of the Create Ukraine programme has completed its 14-month work at the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture and the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine. Ten participants, who returned to Ukraine from the United Kingdom, China, France, Austria, Canada, Italy, and Slovakia, became part of key national economic projects, investment agreements, and Ukraine’s movement toward the EU. On 11 December, they presented the results of their work. -
12.12.2025 | 11:40
| Section for Public and Mass Media Relations
Ukraine assumes the chairmanship of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River in 2026
On 11 December in Vienna (Austria), a ceremony was held to officially transfer the chairmanship of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) from the Republic of Slovenia to Ukraine. The Ukrainian delegation, led by Iryna Ovcharenko, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, took part in the 28th Meeting of Heads of Delegations and the handover ceremony. -
11.12.2025 | 21:11
| Section for Public and Mass Media Relations
Council of the European Union approves a €2.3 billion disbursement for Ukraine for the third quarter of 2025
On 11 December, the Council of the European Union approved the allocation of a €2.3 billion tranche to Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility programme, based on the results achieved in the third quarter of 2025. Earlier, the European Commission had endorsed the disbursement following its assessment of Ukraine’s progress under the Ukraine Plan. -
11.12.2025 | 18:00
| Section for Public and Mass Media Relations
Support for rural communities in frontline areas: USD 10 million agreement signed
Issues related to the corporate governance of state-owned assets, as well as cooperation in the fields of privatization and public–private partnerships (PPP), were discussed during a meeting between Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Oleksii Sobolev and representatives of the French Development Agency (AFD), led by Mathieu Vasseur, AFD’s Regional Director for EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy. -
08.12.2025 | 09:05
| Section for Public and Mass Media Relations
France to support Ukraine in strengthening corporate governance
Issues related to the corporate governance of state-owned assets, as well as cooperation in tThe Minister highlighted the importance of the intergovernmental agreement signed on 17 November, which outlines priority projects in strategic sectors. According to him, this document will serve as a roadmap for further cooperation between the two countries in key areas – including energy, transport, agriculture, critical minerals, and innovation.