On Sunday, a Russian climate delegates apologized to his Ukrainian counterparts along with other government officials for the ongoing, deadly invasion.
“First of all, let me thank Ukraine and present an apology on behalf of all Russians who were not able to prevent this conflict,” Oleg Anisimov, the head of Russia’s delegation to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), saidDuring a private virtual conference.
“All of those who know what is happening fail to find any justification for this attack against Ukraine,” added Anisimov, a scientist at the state hydrological institute in St. Petersburg. “Since we are dealing with scientific issues, we have huge admiration for the Ukrainian delegation that was able to still do its work.”
Anisimov’s remarks, which attendees hailed as courageous and moving, came after Ukraine’s delegation to the IPCC was forced to briefly depart a meeting Thursday due to Russia’s attack, which has thus far killed an estimated 350 civilians and heightened the risk of a catastrophic nuclear war.
One human rights organization claims that thousandsSeveral Russian antiwar demonstrators were arrested during demonstrations against invasion in the recent days.
The Daily Beast characterized Anisimov’s comments as “possibly the first instance of a Moscow official speaking out against the invasion.”
Government delegates to the IPCC gathered Sunday to put the finishing touches on the body’s latest scientific report, which is expected to showThe human-caused climate crises are accelerating, leading to devastating extreme weather all over the globe.
The report will be released Monday morning.
Svitlana Krakovska, the leader of Ukraine’s delegation to the IPCC, reportedly used her remarks at Sunday’s IPCC meeting to link war and the climate emergency.
“Human-induced climate change and the war on Ukraine have the same roots — fossil fuels and our dependence on them,” Krakovska saidAccording to another government delegate who was present.
Krakovska is also reportedly voiced dismay that the IPCC’s vitally important findings will have to “compete for media space with war.”
