Ukraine to present pavilion on environmental impacts of war at COP31 in Antalya
COP31 will run until November 20. Türkiye is hosting the UN climate conference for the first time. A high-level summit featuring heads of state and government will take place on November 11–12.
According to the Turkish side, the main objective of this year's conference is to move from discussions to concrete climate actions.
The priorities of the Turkish presidency at COP31 include:
Ukraine will present its own pavilion at the conference, with the official opening scheduled for November 11.
Ukraine's Ministry of Economy and Environment noted that the Ukrainian pavilion will serve as a platform to showcase national climate policy and highlight the country's experiences during the war.
The Ukrainian pavilion schedule includes over 70 events. Water will serve as the central theme of the exposition. In particular, Ukraine will present information on how Russia's war against Ukraine has impacted the ecosystems of the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, the Dnipro River, the Danube River, and the Kakhovka Reservoir.
A separate series of events will focus on documenting environmental damage caused by the war and mechanisms for its compensation. Participants will also discuss the impact of military actions on Black Sea cetaceans, land demining efforts, and the restoration of damaged ecosystems.
Another theme of the Ukrainian pavilion will be the preservation of cultural heritage. Specifically, organizers scheduled a separate discussion on protecting Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar cultural heritage in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea.
Additionally, the program will feature events dedicated to:
It is worth noting that according to the State Environmental Inspectorate, confirmed environmental damage in Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion exceeds 7 trillion hryvnias.
The largest increase occurred in atmospheric air pollution, rising by 51 billion 275 million hryvnias. Forest fires and the burning of other vegetation accounted for the bulk of this amount, totaling 51 billion 49 million hryvnias.
Background
Earlier, Rubryka reported on the largest instances of destruction of Ukrainian ecosystems that could qualify as ecocide, including the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, the fuel oil spill in the Kerch Strait, and the pollution of the Black Sea with vegetable oil. The outlet also explained why establishing a clear legal definition of ecocide, holding perpetrators accountable, and allowing nature to recover after large-scale destruction remain vital.
Ukraine presented a separate national pavilion for the first time at the 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in 2022. Prior to that, the country had participated in climate conferences for many years. The main goal of the pavilion was to draw the international community's attention to the devastating environmental impact of Russia's war and secure support from international partners for Ukraine's recovery.
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9 of November 2026
