Why Ukraine's climate policy cannot "wait" until the war ends, how we are shaping it now and planning for the reconstruction period. Minister Ruslan Strilets spoke about this on the sidelines of the COP28 in the Ukrainian pavilion, presenting the vision of the national climate track.

"During the 555 days of war in our country, CO2 emissions reached 150 million tonnes. Of these, 60 million tonnes were caused by fires and military activities. Climate problems cannot wait. They are already leading to the "extinction" of territories. The world's economic losses could reach USD 120-600 trillion by 2100. In the South of Ukraine alone, we may lose 1 million hectares of land. This is almost the size of Montenegro," the Minister said.

According to him, an effective climate policy for Ukraine is also a matter of moving towards the EU and green reconstruction. Therefore, priority steps have already been identified to bring the country closer to these goals.

Among the practical processes launched, Ruslan Strilets noted:

- updating and improving the national monitoring system for reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions;

- planned launch of a pilot emissions trading system in 2025 with a full launch in 2026. This will allow the country to join the European ETS (Emmissions Trading System). After all, we do not want our deferrals under the CBAM or any special conditions to be the only reason why Ukraine will not be accepted into the EU;

- opening the Climate Office in Ukraine jointly with German partners. This is a platform for cooperation under the Paris Agreement and a tool for attracting investment for green reconstruction;

-Ukraine's readiness to participate in the carbon market now. We have relevant agreements with Switzerland and are on the way to cooperating with Japan on the purchase of excess emission quotas.

"Do we see Ukraine as climate neutral in the future? Do we need to implement our national policy in times of war? Absolutely! As President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, rebuilding Ukraine is not only about what we have to do after our victory, but also about what we have to do right now. Therefore, we continue to work in this direction," Ruslan Strilets emphasised.