The Military Emissions Gap

Today marks 4 years since Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine. The latest report from the Initative on GHG Accounting of War finds that the invasion has resulted in emissions comparable to the annual emissions of France and could cause over $57 billion of climate damages. report6en.warbon.org

With foreign backing, Israel’s solar energy boom is powering apartheid Israel’s self-branding as a pioneer in sustainability obscures how its ‘green development’ is fueling the takeover of Palestinian land and resources — and international corporations are helping to ban...

Like water access before it, #Israel is weaponising #solar energy in the #WestBank. While settlers destroy Palestinian panels, the state promotes its green credentials while using access and land to power the movement of settlers into occupied areas. www.972mag.com/israel-solar...

Trump orders Pentagon to buy coal power as the polluting fuel struggles to survive President Donald Trump signed an order directing the Defense Department to favor electricity derived from coal, expanding his campaign to prop up the fossil fuel.

Hard to think of a dumber 21st Century energy and security policy than Trump's insistence that the Pentagon buy more coal power. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

How the EU’s new carbon border undermines military decarbonisation - CEOBS Exempting military products from the EU’s new Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) undermines the bloc’s climate and defence policies.

The EU's new #CBAM carbon border tax contains a military exemption that not only undermines industrial decarbonisation, it also places military supply chains at risk, meaning it runs counter to both EU #climate and defence policy. Our new post explains more: ceobs.org/how-the-eus-...

The Effects of Climate Change on Security | NATO Science and Technology Organization This report analyses how climate change rapidly transforms NATO’s strategic environment. Four case studies are presented: the northwestern parts of Africa, the Arctic, the east flank (Dnipro watershed...

'Attention on climate security and adaptation must not distract from the parallel need for assertive action to address the cause of climate change and work to reduce NATO’s own GHG emissions,' says NATO STO's new report on #ClimateChange and security: www.sto.nato.int/document/the... 1/3

The hidden, and often ignored, cost of war on the planet Learn about the alarming environmental cost of war, with militaries as major contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions.

War devastates lives, displaces communities, and shatters societies.

According to @ceobs.org, global militaries are also responsible for roughly 5.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions, more than the entire aviation and shipping industries combined, deepening the environmental crisis.

‘Soft Power’ Meets ‘Hard Security’: Leveraging Europe’s Regulatory Strength for Energy Transformation in Defence - IRIS Europe’s defence-industrial expansion coincides with the urgent need to accelerate the energy transition and reduce dependencies on imported fossil fuels and critical raw materials. This paper examine...

New paper arguing that aligning the EU's military build up with the energy transition would help strengthen the EU technical leadership and strategic autonomy. www.iris-france.org/soft-power-m...

An appeal for climate action in Australia’s next National Defence Strategy | The Strategist In the 2026 National Defence Strategy (NDS), Australia should outline credible objectives to combat climate insecurity. This would help protect Australia’s long-term defence capabilities, support regi...

Australia isn't doing enough to integrate #ClimateChange adaptation and mitigation into its defence strategy www.aspistrategist.org.au/an-appeal-fo... #AusPoli

It may be some time before sustainable aviation fuel plays a role in reducing military aviation emissions, all the more reason for ensuring comprehensive and transparent military emissions reporting now. bsky.app/profile/ryan...

Nor the contribution that their security choices make to the #ClimateCrisis, and to our collective insecurity; although in our experience they don't talk about that so much.

The populist and extreme right would love military sustainability, and environmental and climate security discourse, to be a culture war issue.

It's quite important that they are called out on this, at least on the platforms populated by humans.

Carbon Net Zero By 2040: Is The NHS On Track? Back In 2020, The NHS Became The First National Health System To Commit To Becoming Carbon Net Zero. Emma Wills Considers What Has Been Achieved So Far And What Needs To Happen To Meet The Goal.

Some say the UK Ministry of Defence "is too large and complex an organisation for net zero targets, and it must prioritise its mission."

Anyway, here's the NHS's latest report on its decarbonisation journey: www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-...

Cut green spending to make UK ready for war, Conservatives say Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch says defence

Any politicians who believe investment in green energy is not an investment in security are frankly deluded.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

PhD Studentship in War and Climate Change at University of Reading jobs.ac.uk are now advertising a PhD Studentship in War and Climate Change. Discover exciting PhD opportunities on jobs.ac.uk.

PhD Studentship in War and Climate Change: University of Reading, UK. This looks like a great opportunity for someone wishing to study the military's contribution to the climate crisis: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPU288/p...

While the International Criminal Court's new environmental policy guidance considers the atmosphere part of the "natural environment" this explicit mention of atmospheric damage in relation to the crime of aggression is of particular relevance for conflict GHG emissions.

Why War Is So Bad For Emissions Ukraine plans to seek nearly $44 billion in climate damages from Russia for emissions caused by the ongoing war.

As #Ukraine announced that it will seek climate damage reparations from Russia, we spoke to Time about the climatic and wider environmental impact of war time.com/7335449/ukra...

Why Denmark is the most climate ambitious country Denmark announces incredibly ambitious climate targets at this year’s COP30

“We have to prioritise #ClimateAction even in a time marked by war and conflict.”

Well done #Denmark.

www.euronews.com/green/2025/1...

Military greenhouse gas emissions reporting: how reliable is it? This report investigates the problem of the underreporting of military greenhouse gas emissions. Using data from the United Nations and national government reports, it highlights systematic problems w...

New report reveals even the most transparent nations are only reporting a tiny fraction of their true military carbon footprint...

www.sgr.org.uk/publications...
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COP30 Bulletin Day 8: Draft decision draws battle lines on fossil fuel transition, finance and trade Countries are working on a “Mutirão” decision that will be at the heart of a Belém political package to drive forward multilateral climate action

If armed forces were a country, they’d be the 4th-largest emitter.

At COP30, Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy, Environment & Agriculture has announced a $43 billion claim from Russia for the climate damage caused by the invasion, based on conflict emissions calculations by the Initiative on GHG Accounting of War.

At COP30, military emissions continue to be left off the UNFCCC agenda. Through our side event, we were proud to address the intersection between climate, conflict and militaries directly, alongside @qmul.bsky.social, @sipri.org, @ecodiya.bsky.social, HI, and the Initiative on GHG Accounting on War.

3. Make strengthening defence compatible with climate action, diplomacy and peacebuilding

End diversion of climate funds to military budgets. Spending and actions should focus on genuine human security, climate action, diplomacy, peacebuilding and conflict prevention. 4/4

2. Commit to reducing military emissions

Governments should commit to ambitious and comprehensive military emissions reduction strategies in line with the Paris Agreement. These should be included within NDCs to increase accountability. 3/4

1. Include military emissions in global carbon accounting

The UNFCCC should implement mandatory military emissions reporting within NIRs, based on updated #IPCC guidance, which covers the full scope of military activity, including emissions from warfighting where relevant. 2/4

Briefing: Accounting for the uncounted: The global climate impact of militaries - CEOBS The UNFCCC has a military GHG emissions accounting blind spot, this is what needs to be done to address it.

New #COP30 @thewaronclimate.bsky.social policy brief exploring the #UNFCCC’s military emissions reporting blind spot, how rising military spending is exacerbating the problem and what needs to be done to address it: ceobs.org/briefing-acc... Recommendations🧵1/4

There’s a busy two weeks ahead! Have we missed anything? Are you hosting an event at COP30 on conflict, climate and militarism? Drop a reply below and let us know 📣

Next week, the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine joins @ecodiya.bsky.social and the Initiative on GHG accounting of War to call for accountability for the climate damage caused by Russia’s invasion, featuring @tonyagotha.bsky.social, @laurencetubiana.bsky.social and more.

On Saturday, the Initiative on GHG accounting of war and
@ecodiya.bsky.social are at the Ukraine pavilion sharing the latest data on the climate damage caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Our main side event takes place on Friday, where speakers from @ceobs.org, @sipri.org, @qmul.bsky.social Humanity and Inclusion, @ecodiya.bsky.social and the Initiative on the GHG accounting of War will outline the full extent of how conflicts impact the climate and what the UNFCCC can do about it.

On Thursday, we’re joining @wilpf.bsky.social, IPPNW, Peace Boat and @peacetrack.bsky.social to share our latest analysis on the Military Emissions Gap as we explore the climate cost of militarism.