Attracting climate investment for green recovery, strengthening energy resilience and addressing the climate impacts of Russian aggression at an international level — these were the key priorities discussed on 21 October in Kyiv during the Pre-COP31 international climate dialogue.
The event brought together representatives from government, business, international partners and civil society ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), which will take place from 9 to 20 November 2026 in Antalya, Turkey, and is expected to attract a record number of around 150,000 participants.
Opening the event, Ukraine’s Minister for the Economy and the Environment, Oleksandr Kravchenko, emphasised that climate policy is directly linked to the country’s security and resilience. He outlined the Ukrainian delegation’s three main objectives at COP31: safeguarding Ukraine’s territorial integrity in international climate decisions, attracting investment for reconstruction, and strengthening international expert and technical support.
“For us, climate policy is not a matter for the distant future, but for the country’s sustainability today. Russia is targeting our energy sector, destroying ecosystems, and polluting our water and land. The war is also causing millions of tonnes of additional emissions, and the world must recognise and take these consequences into account right now. That is why a green recovery for Ukraine is also a matter of security. Today’s meeting is not a formality for us, but an opportunity to jointly formulate the position we will take to Antalya for COP31 and the programme for the Ukrainian pavilion,” said Oleksandr Kravchenko.
Participants explored ways of reconciling wartime needs with economic modernisation, the development of clean energy and the achievement of climate targets. In particular, the discussion centred on improving energy efficiency, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, developing sustainable infrastructure and creating conditions to attract private investment. Special attention was paid to the mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, green finance and insurance against war risks.
During the panel discussion, Oleksandr Krasnolutskyi, Deputy Minister of Economy and Environment of Ukraine, emphasised the scale of the climate and environmental consequences of Russian aggression, which require due attention from the international community.
“War is a climatic factor. Over four years of full-scale Russian aggression, around 311 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent have been released into the atmosphere — roughly the same amount that some European countries emit in a year. In the Black Sea, which we share with Turkey, there are mines, sunken munitions and oil,” emphasised Oleksandr Krasnolutskyi.
At the same time, he noted Ukraine’s progress in implementing climate legislation and aligning with European requirements, despite the challenges posed by a full-scale war. Ukraine will present these achievements to its international partners at COP31.
Daniela Funke, Director of the GIZ office in Ukraine, emphasised the importance of continuing climate transformation in Ukraine and its significance for the international community: “Ukraine is not postponing the implementation of its climate policy until the war is over. It is shaping it right now – in the energy sector, in cities and within institutions. GIZ is proud to support its Ukrainian partners in this work. At COP31, the world should see Ukraine not as a country in need of reconstruction, but as a partner that is already shaping the climate-resilient future that Europe needs.”
A key component of Ukraine’s participation in the conference will be the Ukrainian pavilion – a platform for presenting practical solutions in the fields of climate policy, sustainable development and green recovery, as well as highlighting the environmental and climate impacts of Russian aggression. This year, the pavilion is set to host the largest number of events in its history. This demonstrates significant interest in participating in the international climate dialogue on the part of Ukrainian businesses, communities, the expert community and civil society.
The event was also attended by Oleg Bondarenko, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the diplomatic missions of Australia and Turkey, the European Commission, the EU Delegation to Ukraine, international financial institutions, the energy sector, the expert community and civil society organisations.
Following the Pre-COP31, participants developed proposals that will be taken into account when formulating the Ukrainian delegation’s position at the climate negotiations and preparing the programme for the Ukrainian pavilion.
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Pre-COP31 was organised on the initiative of the Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine, with the support of the IKI Interface Ukraine and Support for Ukraine in the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (PAABS) projects, which are being implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) as part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI).