On November 11, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP29, began in the capital of Azerbaijan. UAnimals, together with partners, is presenting an interactive installation to event participants that highlights the environmental crimes committed by russia in Ukraine and their impact.
The Ukrainian pavilion was created by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, as well as Ukrainian and international partners: DTEK, Kernel, the United Nations Development Programme, EOPA, SaveDnipro, UAnimals, and others. The pavilion concept was designed by the Gres Todorchuk agency.
The pavilion’s central theme is the crimes against nature that affect the environment and climate in particular. Visitors are invited to put on virtual reality goggles to immerse themselves in a simulation where they stand amid the burnt remains of Ukrainian forests, fly over the destroyed Kakhovka Reservoir, and experience the environmental consequences of russian aggression firsthand.
“We present a creative experiment of full immersion, where viewers spend six minutes among the aftermath of climate change and ecocide… Ukraine is as bold and innovative as ever!” said Mriya Production art director Artem Ivanenko about the installation.
A conference attendee from Belize, in Central America, shared her initial impressions: “We watched the news about the war, but we didn’t realize the full impact. It made me think about the children, the people, the infrastructure. This experience gives a sense of how war affects all aspects of life.”
At the same time, the Ukrainian stand speaks not only of disaster but also of hope for recovery—its walls are made of eco-friendly paper embedded with live seeds of various grasses. On this paper, artist Oleksandra Zhumailova created a 120-square-meter artwork showcasing 50 ecological initiatives from the Ukrainian government, businesses, and citizens. Among these initiatives are technologies for digitalized agriculture, renewable energy innovations, mine-clearing developments, startups creating paper from fallen leaves, CO2 capture devices, and other innovations. After the conference, segments of the walls will be planted in Ukraine’s partner countries as a symbol of shared actions growing into the future.
This is the third time Ukraine has presented its pavilion at a COP conference. “Our goal is to show Ukraine as a center of green innovation, environmental solutions, and digital transformations, where new projects and initiatives are born. Our national pavilion will serve as a key platform for this—a symbol of unity, resilience, and dedication to green development, even in wartime,” said Svitlana Hrynchuk, Ukraine’s Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources.
Let’s spread awareness about how the russian-Ukrainian war affects the environment in Ukraine and beyond—russia must face the International Criminal Court and compensate for the damages.
