One of the key objectives for the Ukrainian delegation at the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, is to showcase the environmental damage caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine.
This was stated by the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, Svitlana Hrynchuk, in an interview with BBC, as reported by Ukrinform.
“One of our main tasks at COP29 is to show the entire world the environmental consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Hrynchuk said.
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According to the minister, the damage includes landmines, burned forests, significant pollution of water and air, as well as substantial losses in wildlife and marine life.
“It is important to understand that a quarter of Ukraine’s land and forests are mined, and it will take us decades to clear these areas,” she emphasized.
Hrynchuk also stressed that COP29 is a strategically important event for Ukraine.
“We want to prevent Russia from including the occupied territories in its reports. Since 2014, Russians have been incorporating the territory of Crimea, as well as parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, in their reports to the UN. This is unacceptable for us. Russia will also use this platform to continuously push for the legitimization of its occupation policies,” the minister added.
As reported by Ukrinform, the UN Climate Change Conference COP29 started in Azerbaijani capital of Baku on Monday, November 11. A key focus of COP29 will be on finance.