Environnement - COP 29

The Biodegradable Pavilion of Ukraine: A Powerful Message Beyond the Bombs

Amidst the turmoil of war, Ukraine has surprised the world with a pavilion that returns to the earth, sowing seeds of local plants. Its message: rebuilding, yes, but while cultivating a sustainable future.

At every edition of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP), this year held in Baku, Azerbaijan, national pavilions compete to showcase their vision for a sustainable future. For COP29, Ukraine made a bold statement with a pavilion offering a poetic yet practical solution to a commonly overlooked issue: the waste generated by temporary structures. This is a significant gesture from a nation enduring over two years of war with its powerful Russian neighbour.

A Pavilion Like No Other

Unveiled at the COP, Ukraine's pavilion stands out for its revolutionary material: panels made from 100% recycled paper, enriched with seeds of native plants. Once the conference concludes on 22 November, these panels will not be dismantled to be discarded or stored but will instead be returned to the earth. Placed on the ground, they naturally decompose, allowing the embedded seeds to germinate, transforming waste into an act of regeneration.

Art in the Service of Ecology

To enhance this initiative, each panel was hand-painted by a different Ukrainian artist using only natural pigments. These murals tell stories: scenes of Ukraine’s biodiversity, the nation’s technological progress, and key information about the environmental damage caused by Russian attacks.

Ukraine's choice of a biodegradable pavilion aligns with a philosophy of circularity, where nothing is wasted, and everything is transformed to enrich the environment.

A Strong Message in Challenging Times

In a context defined by war and its environmental toll, Ukraine’s initiative resonates as a message of hope and resilience. “We want to show that even with a war devastating our country, we can still innovate,” explains Svitlana Sushko, Director of the Recovery and Reform Support Team at Ukraine’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources. “Together with scientists, experts, and NGOs, we created an action plan that materialised in this pavilion. We wanted to bring a piece of Ukraine to COP29.”

Visitors were also offered virtual reality headsets to view videos showcasing Ukraine’s natural heritage and the environmental scars left by Russian attacks

A Heavy Environmental Toll

The war in Ukraine has not only claimed lives and destroyed infrastructure but has also wreaked havoc on the environment. In nearly 1,000 days of conflict, damages amounting to an estimated $71 billion have been inflicted, according to a press release issued during COP29 on 23 November 2024. Forest fires and bombings have released 180 million tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere, and three million hectares of forest have been obliterated.

Yet, Ukraine has shown resilience in the face of this ecological crisis. Initiatives such as the planting of 555 million trees and the demining of 35,000 square kilometres illustrate its determination to “rebuild greener.”

Sowing the Seeds of a Sustainable Future

The Ukrainian pavilion is more than a temporary showcase. It highlights innovations embodying the spirit of resilience and sustainability. Among these is a technology that transforms fallen leaves into paper.

Another project showcases modern agricultural methods with a connected system that analyses the specific needs of sunflower crops—a symbol of Ukraine. By linking fields to computers or smartphones, this technology optimises irrigation and fertilisation, reducing waste while increasing yields.

Finally, the "honey from minefields" project powerfully demonstrates the ability to turn a tragic problem into an opportunity for awareness. In one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world, drones disperse seeds of nectar-rich plants in dangerous areas. Once in bloom, these flowers attract honeybees, which produce honey that is sold to raise funds and attention for mine clearance efforts.

Ukraine’s pavilion transcends its role as a national exhibit. It poses a crucial question: how can we organise international events sustainably? This initiative challenges other nations to rethink the design of their often costly, waste-generating pavilions and to draw inspiration from circular and biodegradable models.