Dear Friends!
Sanctions are considered one effective mechanism for countering Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Environmental organizations around the world support a ban on Russia’s fossil fuel exports and also view it as a means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Recently, Razom We Stand drafted an open manifesto calling for strengthened sanctions on fossil fuel exports from Russia, which was signed, among others, by UWEC Work Group. How effective are these sanctions? Can they be implemented without adopting more ambitious energy transition plans in Ukraine’s partner countries? Read our article:
The “grey zones” that Russian and Western companies use to circumvent sanctions are vast and affect various regions. Some examples of circumvention of sanctions mechanisms are easily observed, while others require a more in-depth investigation. UWEC Work Group expert Eugene Simonov describes how an Australian coal company not only exploited the traditional lands of the indigenous population of Chukotka in Russia, but also tried to circumvent sanctions mechanisms. Ultimately, the company was forced to sell its Russian assets. Despite that, the sale of the Australian company to Russian oligarchs did not make things any easier for either Chukotka’s indigenous communities or Chukotka’s nature.
June 6 marked the anniversary of the Kakhovka Hydropower Plant dam explosion. The subsequent environmental disaster once again raised the issue of ecocide at the international level, and the incredibly fast-growing Velyky Luh forest on the bed of the former Kakhovka Reservoir demonstrated the capacity of ecosystems for self-restoration in the post-war period. Oleksiy Vasyliuk and Eugene Simonov examined what is known today about the consequences of this disaster a year on and what we can prepare for in the future.
The war has already destroyed entire populations of animals and plants and has put some species at risk of extinction. Moreover, while the death of domestic livestock and pets is well-known, many people are unaware of the ecocide of wild reptiles and amphibians. Ukrainian Candidate of Sciences herpetologist Oleksii Marushchak explains how the war is destroying Ukraine’s “silent” inhabitants.
Ukraine’s “green recovery” remains a key focus for UWEC Working Group. In June 2023, this topic was discussed at a conference in Berlin, but work on promoting the topic of “green” and sustainable recovery is ongoing. Meetings are held, strategies are formed, plans are approved. Read our May review about the latest research and trends related to the country’s “green recovery”.
You can explore other stories and news related to the consequences of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on our website, on Twitter (X), Facebook, and Telegram.
We wish you strength and peace!
Aleksei Ovchinnikov, Editor, UWEC Work Group