Accountability for environmental crimes: European Commissioner in Ukraine to discuss Environmental Compact

European Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius travelled to Ukraine on Friday and Saturday to discuss with Ukrainian President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy the Environmental Compact drafted by the High-Level Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of the War.

The Compact sets out strategic recommendations to support Ukraine across three pillars: the assessment of environmental damages from the war, Ukraine’s green recovery and reconstruction and legal accountability for environmental war crimes.

Launched in June 2023, the High-Level Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of the War gathers environmental leaders from across Europe and beyond to support Ukraine in its green recovery.

“We provide satellite imagery and finance the collection of evidence so that ultimately Russia will be held accountable not only for crimes against humanity and Ukrainians, but also for the damage inflicted on the environment. These crimes will remain after the war: chemicals from shelling, destruction of buildings and water infrastructure, thousands of tonnes of scrap metal, landmines, and so on. All of this results in pollution,” the EU Commissioner said.