How the Ukraine war deepens the climate crisis

STORY: The death and destruction caused by the war in Ukraine is all too clear to see..

But what of its impact on the climate?

From the making and firing of ammunition to fuel used by vehicles, and changes in energy use in Europe, a new report by carbon accounting experts details how the war is deepening the climate crisis.

"Emissions of conflict and military emissions are often overlooked..."

Dutch carbon accounting expert Lennard de Klerk led the team of researchers.

"And with this report, we want to have governments focusing on military emissions as well."

The report – titled Climate Damage Caused by Russia's War in Ukraine - found that the first year of the war will trigger a net increase of 120 million tonnes of greenhouse gases.

That's equivalent to the annual output of a country such as Belgium.

Here's the breakdown of different factors.

Almost half of emissions are linked to the anticipated reconstruction of infrastructure damaged in the fighting.

About 19% come from military activities – such as burning fuel in vehicles, making and firing ammunition and the construction of concrete fortifications.

The report also looks at how the Ukraine war is impacting emissions outside of the country.

Think of gas leaks from the sabotaged Nord Stream pipeline, the rerouting of international flights, and the movement of refugees.

"We didn't expect that the emissions of a war would be so significant. It's not only the military, the warfare itself that contributes to the emissions, but it's also the future reconstruction of the destroyed infrastructure like buildings, hospitals and roads."

Researchers acknowledge there has been a drop in Ukraine's domestic economic activity due to the conflict, but says emissions related to those activities have mainly shifted to other countries.

And while emissions in Europe fell due to lower flows of Russian gas and higher energy costs, they've all been offset by increases in the use of oil, coal and liquefied natural gas.

Ukraine's Ministry of Environmental Protection has said it's important to initiate discussions about the impact of conflicts on the climate.

Carbon accounting is increasingly becoming the focus as countries assess progress against climate goals agreed in Paris in 2015.

De Klerk says its crucial military emissions were included.

"Definitely there is a lot that can be done to decarbonize the military as well. // So there are already options of, you know, biofuels, for example, but also part of the electrification of certain elements of the military. I'm not claiming that I have all the technical solutions, but as the civilian society has already been working on this topic for decades now, it's time for the military to to get their act together and start working on this as well.