Ukraine

Key Facts

Population≈ 34 million (2024)

Total GHG emissions≈ 128 Mt CO₂e (2023, excluding war emissions)

Per-capita emissions≈ 3.8 t CO₂e (2023 est.)

NDC target−65% by 2030 (vs 1990)

Main emitting sectorEnergy (≈ 71%)

Climate neutrality target2050

Key climate risksWar damage · Droughts · Floods · Pollution

EU status EU accession talks opened 2024

EU4CR focus Green reconstruction · NDC update · Local adaptation projects · MRV development

On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. The unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine has caused severe human and physical damage, heavily targeting the civilian population and infrastructure nationwide.

Since 2022, war-related activities have introduced new emission sources, including fuel-intensive military operations and fires from damaged infrastructure such as petroleum storage sites and others. GHG emissions attributable to three years since the full-scale invasion have increased to almost 237 Mt CO2eq. The emissions are the equivalent of the annual emissions of Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia combined.

Looking ahead, post-war reconstruction is expected to drive a significant rise in emissions. Rebuilding what was destroyed will require massive volumes of construction materials, of which carbon-intensive concrete and steel will cause over 80% of future reconstruction emissions. Total reconstruction-related emissions amount to 64.2 Mt CO₂e over three years of the full-scale invasion.

With a population of around 34 million (2024), Ukraine contributes approximately 0.39% to global GHG emissions in 2024. In 1990, Ukraine’s CO₂ emissions amounted to 916.5 Mt CO₂eq., the highest level on record. Following the economic collapse in the early 1990s, energy consumption and industrial activity declined sharply, leading to a 75.8% reduction in emissions by 2023, down to 221.7 Mt CO₂eq. Before the full-scale invasion, in 2021 Ukraine recorded an increase in GHG emissions following the pandemic-related decline of 2020. Total GHG emissions including the LULUCF sector amounted to 341.49 million tonnes of CO₂eq. This represents a 62.2% decrease compared to the base year (1990), but an 8.5% increase compared to 2020.

Ukraine updated its carbon neutrality target by 2050 in 2024. So far, the country has already exceeded its set targets for 2030, as in 2023 reductions have been at 75.8% from 1990.

Ukraine’s main GHG-emitting sectors include energy 71% (that combine all sphere use fossil fuels, that includes transport that counts for around 20% in total amount, followed by agriculture (14%), industrial processes and product use (~9%). Waste accounts for about 6%.

Despite these difficulties, Ukraine continues to advance its climate and environmental agenda. The country has committed to aligning with the EU climate acquis as part of the accession process launched in 2022. In December 2023, the European Council agreed to open EU accession negotiations with Ukraine. In parallel, Ukraine is strengthening its institutional and legal frameworks for climate policy, integrating them into national recovery and reconstruction plans.

Ukraine adopted in 2021 a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels (including LULUCF). The NDC also introduces an adaptation baseline by 2030 to strengthen national resilience to climate impacts. In October 2025, Ukraine adopted its second NDC for the period up to 2035. The country committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 65% compared to 1990 levels, which in practice allows for an increase in emissions compared

to the current levels.

Ukraine’s Climate Law, adopted in 2024, establishes the foundation for a systematic and long-term climate policy. It sets the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and introduces mechanisms to reach it through strategic planning, market-based instruments, financing, and scientific support. The law also strengthens international integration and coordination among governmental institutions, ensuring a comprehensive approach to climate adaptation and mitigation. The law still requires further development through the adoption of secondary legislation, which is currently underway.

To strengthen consistency and long-term planning, Ukraine adopted its National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) for 2025–2030 in June 2024. The NECP serves as a comprehensive framework integrating. Ukraine has an established legislative and regulatory system in the energy and climate sectors. At both the national level and within the Energy Community framework, the country has set several key targets for 2030. These include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 65% compared to 1990 levels and achieving climate neutrality in the energy sector by 2050. Ukraine also aims to increase the share of renewable energy to at least 27% of gross final energy consumption and to keep primary and final energy consumption below 72.2 and 42.2 million tons of oil equivalent, respectively. Additional goals include achieving at least 24.9 GWh of annual energy savings in government buildings, reducing import dependence to 33%, and diversifying energy supply so that no more than 30% comes from a single supplier. Ukraine also plans full integration of its electricity and gas markets with the EU, ensuring competitive pricing while protecting vulnerable consumers.

In addition, Ukraine’s Long-Term Low Emissions Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) sets a pathway to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, focusing on decoupling economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions. The strategy aligns with the EU’s climate goals and the Paris Agreement, emphasizing a green, low-carbon transition as a foundation for post-war recovery and sustainable development. The document however has not been made publicly available.

Climate Risks

Along with the challenges of war, Ukraine also faces the impacts of climate change. Ukraine is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in Europe, facing rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and growing risks of droughts, floods, and extreme weather events, with impacts felt, particularly in sectors such as agriculture, forestry, tourism, health, and cultural heritage.

The consequences of Russia’s war of aggression have further amplified environmental and climate-related challenges by damaging ecosystems, destroying infrastructure, disrupting energy and water systems, triggering landscape fires, heavy metal and radioactive pollution, farmland destruction, and contamination. These environmental stresses threaten biodiversity, food security, and public health, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive strategies.

Ukraine adopted the Environmental Security and Climate Adaptation Strategy in October 2021, complemented by the Operational Action Plan. This strategy sets the framework for adaptation action in Ukraine, focusing on essential steps to assess climate impacts on society, economy, and nature, integrating adaptation into sectoral and local policies, and ensuring better use of biodiversity, water resources, energy, public health, forestry, coastal areas, fisheries, agriculture, soils, and other critical sectors. Following the adoption of the Climate Law, Ukraine is going to work on a new Climate Change Adaptation Strategy expected in 2026.

Climate Governance

Ukraine’s climate governance is guided by its commitments under the Paris Agreement and its goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The system is coordinated by the newly established Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine in 2025, which serves as the UNFCCC national focal point and leads the development of key policy instruments, including the NDC, LT-LEDS, and the NECP.

Major milestones in Ukraine’s climate governance include the adoption of the Law on the Basic Principles of State Climate Policy, which set the foundation for transparent climate action and strengthened alignment with EU climate governance frameworks. The National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) serves as an integrated roadmap for energy and climate policy through 2030, outlining measures in energy efficiency, renewable energy, transport, industry, and adaptation, and ensuring coherence with the EU Governance Regulation. Another important strategic document, the Strategy for Environmental Safety and Adaptation to Climate Change until 2030, defines national priorities for building resilience and reducing climate risks across key sectors. To reinforce this policy architecture, the Law on the Principles of Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from 2019 established a national MRV system aligned with EU standards, imposing monitoring and reporting obligations on major industrial emitters and introducing accreditation and verification procedures to ensure transparency and accuracy of emissions data.

Another regulatory element is Ukraine’s carbon tax, introduced in 2011 as the first carbon pricing instrument in Eastern Europe. The tax applies to CO₂ emissions from stationary sources such as power plants and industrial facilities and serves as an entry point to broader carbon pricing reforms. Carbon tax is 30 UAH/tCO2eq during the martial law regime, with an assumed carbon price of 1 EUR/tCO2eq from 2026 to 2027. However, the revenues collected from the carbon tax are currently directed to the general state budget rather than earmarked for climate or environmental measures

September 2020 the Government established an Interagency Commission on Climate Change and Ozone Layer Protection that acts as a coordination and advisory body. Its main role is to align the work of different government institutions on climate change mitigation, adaptation, and ozone protection. The Commission monitors the implementation of state programs, prepares policy recommendations, and coordinates Ukraine’s reporting to international frameworks such as the UNFCCC and the Montreal Protocol. During COP30 the new Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture announced that by the end of 2025, Ukraine plans to approve the regulations and composition of a new Scientific and Expert Council on Climate Change and Ozone Layer Preservation.

Municipalities are also taking proactive steps. For instance, there are 363 signatories in Ukraine to the Covenant of Mayors initiative, making it a leader among Eastern Partnership countries. These signatories are local authorities committed to achieving climate and energy goals, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing energy efficiency.

Climate policy development and advancing cooperation with the EU in Ukraine

2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
INDC 2021-2030 Pledge to Sustainable Development Agenda 2030	Ratification of Paris Agreement	EU–Ukraine Association Agreement fully effective	LEDS submitted (2021-2050)	Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) of GHG emissions Law adopted Law on ozone-depleting substances and F-gases adopted	Secondary legislation on implementation of MRV adopted Sub-legal acts on ozone-depleting substances and F-gases adopted	Updated NDC to Paris Agreement (2021-2030) adopted Environmental Safety and Climate Change Adaptation Strategy by 2030 and Adaptation Action Plan	Methodological recommendations on sectoral climate risks and vulnerability assessment Law on waste management updated Legislation on air emissions updated	Adopted strategies for the formation and implementation of state policy in the field of climate change for the period up to 2035 and approval of an operational plan of measures for its implementation in 2024-2026 Adopted Law On the basic principles of state climate policy, including a goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050 Approval of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) by 2030	Approved a Climate strategy for 2035 and an Action Plan for 2024–2026 Adopted Law On the basic principles of state climate policy that includes updated goal of climate neutrality until 2050 Approval of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) by 2030 First presentation LT-LEDS First presentation LT-LEDS	Reinstatement of mandatory MRV for GHG emissions First integrated report under NECP Second NDC to Paris Agreement (until 2035)

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

INDC 2021-2030

Pledge to Sustainable Development Agenda 2030

Ratification of Paris Agreement

EU–Ukraine Association Agreement fully effective

LEDS submitted (2021-2050)

Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) of GHG emissions Law adopted

Law on ozone-depleting substances and F-gases adopted

Secondary legislation on implementation of MRV adopted

Sub-legal acts on ozone-depleting substances and F-gases adopted

Updated NDC to Paris Agreement (2021-2030) adopted

Environmental Safety and Climate Change Adaptation Strategy by 2030 and Adaptation Action Plan

Methodological recommendations on sectoral climate risks and vulnerability assessment

Law on waste management updated

Legislation on air emissions updated

Adopted strategies for the formation and implementation of state policy in the field of climate change for the period up to 2035 and approval of an operational plan of measures for its implementation in 2024-2026

Adopted Law On the basic principles of state climate policy, including a goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050

Approval of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) by 2030

Approved a Climate strategy for 2035 and an Action Plan for 2024–2026

Adopted Law On the basic principles of state climate policy that includes updated goal of climate neutrality until 2050

Approval of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) by 2030

First presentation LT-LEDS

Reinstatement of mandatory MRV for GHG emissions

First integrated report under NECP

Second NDC to Paris Agreement (until 2035)

EU4ClimateResilience in Ukraine

EU4ClimateResilience provides expertise, capacity development, and coordination in the following key areas:

Policy Enhancement and Alignment (implemented by GIZ)

Supporting the development of robust climate policies and legal frameworks aligned with the Paris Agreement and the EU climate acquis.
Assisting with the update of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and strengthening institutional capacities for its effective implementation and regular updates.
Supporting the design and implementation of the national Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system.
Mainstreaming climate change considerations into sectoral and regional policies.
Promoting regional cooperation, cross-border exchange, joint initiatives, and knowledge-sharing among EaP countries to strengthen collective climate resilience across the region.
Providing targeted assistance for Ukraine’s green post-war reconstruction, in line with both the green and digital agendas.

Climate Adaptation (Implemented by GIZ)

Supporting the implementation of local demonstration projects in urban municipalities that are signatories of the Covenant of Mayors East. These projects showcase the tangible benefits of climate adaptation measures and strengthen the preparedness and resilience of cities and municipalities against both short- and long-term climate risks.
Assisting in the development, revision, and implementation of national and regional adaptation plans, as well as disaster risk reduction strategies.

Green Financing (Implemented by OECD)

To mobilise additional sustainable investments, the project supports the creation of credible regulatory frameworks for green financing and promotes the introduction of innovative financial instruments, such as green bonds.