Ukraine’s Once Vibrant Environment Movement is Under Attack

Russia’s month-long invasion of Ukraine has already caused thousands of deaths, including more than 900 civilians. It has also left many of the country’s largest cities in ruins. Nearly half of Ukraine’s 44 million inhabitants have been forced to flee their homes. Some fled west, away from the worst fighting, while others fled the country entirely.

Many of those who fled have told their stories of what they had to leave behind, including their husbands, who fought, their homes, and the careers to which they have dedicated their lives.

Natalia Gozak is the executive director of Ecoaction Ukraine, one of the largest environmental nonprofits in Ukraine and a strong advocate for renewable energy to combat climate change.

Gozak organized Ukraine’s largest climate march last year from her office in Kyiv. Her life today is different because she has left behind the work she spent so much of her adult life building. Inside Climate News spoke to Gozak about her escape from Kyiv with her husband and children, and the impact of the war on Ukraine’s once vibrant environment community.

This interview has been edited to be more concise and clear.

Natalia, where are you now in Lviv? Please tell me about your situation.

Gozak:Yes, I’m in Lviv. This is the western part of Ukraine, and I managed move out of Kyiv the first day of the war. Normaly, I am based in Kyiv. There is our office, our apartment, and everything else.

So you fled the first day. When did you realize you were under attack? Can you tell us about your decision?

Gozak:We knew there was something going on. We were planning what we would do together as a family and an organization, perhaps a few weeks before the war began. So I had a plan and a bag prepared. However, I was skeptical that it was possible that Kyiv would be under attack.

I woke up on Thursday, February 24th, at 5 a.m. to the sound explosions. This was amazing. Imagine not waking up to an alarm but hearing explosions in your normal, everyday life.

I woke my husband up as well. He is a military man and was quick to recognize that these are explosions. He first ran to fuel his car. We were able to pick my mom up from a nearby location, and then we left in maybe half a day. 

It took us a very long time. Normaly, it takes 7 to 8 hours to drive from Kyiv to Lviv. It took us 24hours. We spent the night in the middle, and we used small roads to get around traffic jams on the main roads.

At the time, it was unclear how long the fighting would go on. We thought it would be a few days. I packed for a few weeks, maximum a couple of days.

But it was soon clear. It was unacceptable to live in a city under attack. It was extremely stressful and uncomfortable. It was like the whole world was upside down.

What about your family? Are they there with you in Lviv

Gozak:My kids, mom, and cats. My husband returned the next day to Kyiv to join the defense force and defend our city. He has military experience in 2014-2015, but he is a biologist so this is not his primary duty.

This is both incredibly brave, and it’s heartbreaking. Are you in touch with your husband? Do you know if your husband is okay?

Gozak:We speak almost every day at the moment. Sometimes he disappears, and I can’t reach him when they have morelets sayactive surgeries. He is fine, however.

There are many people in the same position. This is not because they are unable to do it. It is vitally important for us to stand for freedom and democracy and for European values. It is obvious that the Russian occupation will not allow for the old way of living.

I am sorry for the terrible month that has passed. The death toll continues to rise and people are being forced to flee their homes. Russia’s inhumane and disturbing tactics continue to escalate. Despite intense pressure, Ukraine refused Monday to hand over Mariupol to Russia. President Joe Biden will be visiting Europe this week to show support for Ukraine, and to discuss the possibility that Russia could face further sanctions. What do you think the most important thing for Americans to consider or understand at this stage of the war?

Gozak:Everyone could do something to help stop this horrible war. It is important to ask decisionmakers for public support and to demand that Russia’s economy be stopped. Every export should be stopped immediately. This is what fuels this war machine, beginning with fossil fuels.

Not only timber, but also uranium exports. As far as I know, the U.S. has stopped importing Russian oil, coal, and gas, but continues to import uranium in order to support the nuclear industry. This is still a large part of Russia’s huge income, which pays for new tanks, missiles and everything else.

This is just one part. Military support is the second part of this story. All my life, I was a peacenik. Unfortunately, Russia’s military understands force better than democracy, and this is the current situation.

Now is the time to provide military support. We are now asking NATO countries to support a no fly zone. Support from the military is vital.

Natalia, can we learn more about the work that you have left behind? Ecoaction has grown significantly in recent years, as you have been a climate activist and advocate for renewable energy. What has this war been like for you and your work, as someone who has dedicated her entire career to combating climate change?

Gozak:We were the largest environmental NGO of Ukraine in terms budget, staff enrolled and topics covered. This is a difficult part of the story. It was a waste of all our advocacy and media work from the previous years. I hope that we can return to our work when we win, and rebuild the country.

Some NGOs are now shifting to humanitarian assistance or military volunteer support. Over the past four weeks, I’ve seen that the environmental community is shrinking. They are shrinking as other issues are more important now.

We will never talk about climate change when Mariupol is suffering from hunger in 21st century.

What about broader issues? This war will surely have an impact on how Europe pursues its efforts to combat climate change. I know the European Union’s environment ministers, for example, began reassessing the bloc’s climate policies last week in light of the Russian invasion and its impact on rising energy costs. The big question is whether this moment encourages a faster transition to renewable energy, or slows it down. What’s your view of all this?

Gozak:This has been said before. We have been advocating for small, decentralized renewables for years. These are not only sustainable solutions in terms of climate, but also in terms war and military risks. What are we seeing now? Russians are targeting nuclear power plants and coal power plants as they are central sources of energy. These are easy targets to make.

However, if a country relied more heavily on decentralized energy sources, it would not be possible. They can take up to one-third of Ukraine’s total energy supply by occupying just one or two nuclear power stations.

Our view is that this is an opportunity for us to review our energy policy. Green pathways not only reduce emissions to help meet climate goals but also provide more security.

Are there other Ukrainians who feel the same? Svitlana Romeko, a leading Ukrainian environmental attorney, wrote a piece in the LA Times recently in which she argued that the Ukrainian invasion should cause world leaders to invest more in renewable energy. She also argued that banks should stop funding fossil fuels at this time. Are there other Ukrainians who are in agreement?

Gozak:Yes, we all agree that fossil fuels are the main source of Russian military power. Even state officials and ministries are calling for the ban on Russian fossil fuels. It is crystal clear from within Ukraine.

Yevgenia Zaasiadko is the head of the climate department at Kyiv’s environmental protection group. She has stated that intense fighting also causes irreversible damage. Is that something people should be concerned about during this war as well?

Gozak:This is a way to look into the future. This is what we are doing. Yevgenia is part of Ecoaction. She and our other colleagues are gathering data about the environmental impact of war. This initiative was initiated by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine. They suggested that civil society be involved in the collection of such cases.

These cases of environmental war crimes are collected so that Russia will pay all the costs after they win. They should not only pay for the destruction of infrastructure and social costs, but also for the environmental damage. We are trying to document these cases.

But this isn’t something we should be focusing on right now. This is something to look forward to.

It must be difficult to think about climate change and the environment while your countrymen are fighting for freedom and their lives.

Gozak: Absolutely. 

Natalia, I am so grateful that you took the time to talk to me, especially considering everything that has happened to your family. Given the circumstances, I hope you are doing well.

Gozak:We are also grateful.

Thanks for reading Today’s Climate. I’ll be back in your inbox on Friday.