Ministry of Economy and Environment: Ukraine outlines climate priorities ahead of COP31 in Türkiye
Attracting climate investment for green recovery, strengthening energy resilience and ensuring that the climate impact of Russian aggression is recognized internationally were the key priorities discussed on October 21 in Kyiv at the Pre-COP31 international climate dialogue. The event brought together representatives of the government, business, international partners and civil society ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), which is to take place on November 9-20, 2026, in Antalya, Türkiye, and is expected to draw a record of about 150,000 participants.
The discussions in Kyiv focused on decarbonizing the economy during wartime, green recovery, the climate impact of Russian aggression, attracting funding for climate projects and strengthening Ukraine's resilience to climate risks.
Opening the event, Minister of Economy and Environment of Ukraine Oleksandr Kravchenko stressed that climate policy is directly linked to the security and resilience of the state. He outlined three main tasks for the Ukrainian delegation at COP31: protecting Ukraine's territorial integrity in international climate decisions, attracting investment for recovery and strengthening international expert and technical support.
"For us, climate policy is not a matter of the distant future, but of the country's resilience today. Russia is striking our energy sector, destroying ecosystems and polluting water and land. The war also means millions of tonnes of additional emissions, and the world must see and take these consequences into account right now. That is why green recovery for Ukraine is also a security issue. Today's meeting is not a formality for us, but an opportunity to jointly shape the position we will take to Antalya for COP31, as well as the program of the Ukrainian pavilion," Oleksandr Kravchenko said.
Participants considered ways to combine wartime needs with economic modernization, clean energy development and the achievement of climate goals. In particular, they discussed improving energy efficiency, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, developing resilient infrastructure and creating conditions for attracting private investment. Special attention was paid to the mechanisms of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, green financing and war risk insurance.
During the panel discussion, Deputy Minister of Economy and Environment of Ukraine Oleksandr Krasnolutskyi emphasized the scale of the climate and environmental consequences of Russian aggression, which require proper attention from the international community.
"War is a climate factor. Over four years of full-scale aggression, Russia has released about 311 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent into the atmosphere, roughly what some European countries emit in a year. In the Black Sea, which we share with Türkiye, there are mines, sunken munitions and lubricants," Oleksandr Krasnolutskyi stressed.
He also noted Ukraine's progress in implementing climate legislation and aligning with European requirements despite the challenges of full-scale war. Ukraine will present these achievements to international partners at COP31.
The importance of continuing climate transformation in Ukraine and its significance for the international community was emphasized by Daniela Funke, Director of the GIZ Office in Ukraine: "Ukraine is not putting off climate policy until the end of the war. It is shaping it right now, in energy, cities and institutions. GIZ is proud to support Ukrainian partners in this work. At COP31, the world should see Ukraine not as a country to be rebuilt, but as a partner that is already shaping the climate-resilient future that Europe needs."
The Ukrainian pavilion will be an important part of Ukraine's participation in the conference. It is a platform for presenting practical solutions in climate policy, sustainable development and green recovery, as well as for highlighting the environmental and climate impact of Russian aggression. This year, the pavilion plans its largest number of events in all the years of its operation, which reflects strong interest in taking part in the international climate dialogue from Ukrainian business, communities, the expert community and civil society.
The event was also attended by Oleh Bondarenko, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the diplomatic missions of Australia and Türkiye, the European Commission, the EU Delegation to Ukraine, international financial institutions, the energy sector, the expert community and civil society organizations.
Following Pre-COP31, participants developed proposals that will be taken into account in shaping the position of the Ukrainian delegation at the climate negotiations and preparing the program of the Ukrainian pavilion.
Background
Pre-COP31 was organized on the initiative of the Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine with the support of the IKI Interface Ukraine and Support to Ukraine in Implementing the Paris Agreement (PAABS) projects, implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) under the International Climate Initiative (IKI).