The climate bill for the invasion of Ukraine is up to 250 million tons of greenhouse gases
A new report quantifies emissions linked to war actions, the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and forest fires during the three years of conflict
In addition to deaths, injuries and displaced people, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is leaving a negative environmental footprint that is contributing to worsening global warming. The three years of war have resulted in greenhouse gas emissions of 230 million tons of CO₂eq (carbon dioxide equivalent, the unit used to measure these gases). This is an enormous amount, similar to what 120 million combustion-engine automobiles would emit on average in an entire year. To understand its dimension, it also helps to remember that a country like Spain, with almost 49 million inhabitants, emitted some 270 million tons in 2023. The calculation of the climate footprint of the Ukraine war has been prepared by several experts grouped together in the Initiative on GHG accounting of war, which has already published several reports of this type.
