Ukraine

This article, written by Ukrainian climate advocate and environmental lawyer Svitlana Romanko, discusses how ending Putin’s “fossil-fueled war” in Ukraine can motivate a faster transition to green energy. Emphasizing how the Russian invasion is made possible by coal, oil, and gas industries, Romanko calls upon the international community to ban the import of all fossil fuels from Russia as a first step towards a global switch to renewable energy. She views the ongoing war as a decisive point in history: a chance to either embrace green technologies or perpetuate the harmful status quo. She also cautions against simply replacing fossil fuels from Russia with the same product from other countries, as this would only accelerate the climate crisis and fossil-fueled wars in other regions such as the Middle East. Romanko calls out the American oil companies that have used the war in Ukraine to increase their production and profits. Framing fossil fuels as weapons of mass destruction, Romanko connects the movement for peace with the movement for climate justice. Photo credit: Olga Gordeeva