Climate damage caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine in 24 months

by the Initiative on GHG Accounting of War

Russia’s war in Ukraine has caused extensive damage. Less well-known are the climate costs of the billions of litres of fuel used by military vehicles, vast fields and forests set ablaze, hundreds of oil and gas structures blown up and mountains of steel and cement used to fortify the front lines and, increasingly, cities and energy infrastructure.

The total climate damage caused by the russian federation in two years of full-scale invasion of Ukraine amounts to $32 billion. This data comes from the updated assessment of the Initiative on Greenhouse Gas Accounting of War (IGGAW).

According to the study, the first 12 months of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine led to the emission of 120 million tons of carbon dioxide. However, in the 24 months since the invasion emissions have significantly increased to 175 million tons of carbon dioxide. This exceeds the annual emissions of a highly industrialized country like The Netherlands, putting 90 million new petrol cars on the road, or building 260 coal-fired power units of 200 MW each.