As part of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) in Turkey, Ukraine’s National Pavilion has opened under the slogan “Ukraine Is the Solution”, the Foreign Ministry reported.
It showcases Ukraine’s climate policy, European reforms and approaches to green recovery amid the full-scale war.
“For us, the energy transition is not a matter of politics, but a matter of survival,” stressed Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who is taking part in the conference.
He underlined that, for Ukraine, the environment is a matter of security.
The minister drew international partners’ attention to the large-scale environmental consequences of Russian aggression. In particular, since 2022 the damage inflicted on Ukraine’s environment has been estimated at $190bn. Up to 139,000 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory may be contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance. Other consequences include the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant by Russian forces and the occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
Separately, the minister highlighted the impact of Russian strikes on Black Sea ports on global food security. According to him, this season global markets may fall short of 30–32 million tonnes of Ukrainian agricultural produce worth around $10bn. That amounts to half of Ukraine’s export potential.
Sybiha emphasised that Ukraine has practical experience in ensuring the resilience of its energy system during missile attacks, keeping ports operating under shelling, and returning demined land to agricultural use.
At the opening of Ukraine’s National Pavilion, Minister of Economy and Environment Oleksandr Kravchenko, in a video address, stressed Ukraine and Turkey’s shared responsibility for preserving the Black Sea.
“As neighbours on the Black Sea, Ukraine and Turkey understand well that environmental security is inseparable from national security. The Black Sea is our shared natural heritage, and protecting it is our shared responsibility,” Oleksandr Kravchenko said.
On the sidelines of COP31, Andrii Sybiha also held more than a dozen and a half talks with international partners. Key topics included bringing a just peace closer, strengthening international support for Ukraine and increasing pressure on Russia.
On Monday in Antalya, the UN climate change conference began, and will run until 20 November. Unusually, the summit has two hosts: it is being held by Turkey and Australia. Dozens of world leaders and representatives from nearly 190 countries are expected to take part. For the second year in a row, the US leadership is ignoring the climate conference.
Developing countries and civil society will seek to make climate finance and justice central themes of the negotiations at the conference.