Briefings, submissions and reports

The Transform Defence series of reports and briefings offer new ideas on ways to progressively convert military spending into funding for global human need; act on the unaddressed impact of the global military as we face climate catastrophe; adopt the concept of ‘sustainable human safety’ as we face the greatest threats to our global, collective well-being: runaway climate change and pandemic.

Climate Collateral (2025 update): Why the military’s impact on climate change can no longer be ignored

The struggle for climate justice is increasingly overshadowed by a global arms race even though global temperatures are reaching record highs. States that should be working together to invest in urgent climate action are instead spending record sums on the military (over $2.7 trillion in 2024).

Climate Reparations for Military Emissions

In this report, we estimate that the global top 20 military spenders alone are responsible for at least 10 billion metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) of military-related emissions during the first quarter of the 21th century.

Military & conflict-related emissions & climate reparations for Palestine

This paper provides an estimate of carbon-emission-based costs of the traceable military-related activities by Israel and its allies. This quantification represents a fraction of the total climate reparations owed to Palestine.

NATO’S 3.5% Spending Goal: Unsustainable on every count

A new analysis by the Transnational Institute, Tipping Point North South and Stop Wapenhandel shows that the Alliance’s rapid military build‑up is already undermining global climate goals and threatening to divert trillions from clean‑energy investment.

The Alarming Rise of False Climate Solutions in Africa: The Nuclear Energy Misadventure

This collective advocacy report has a number of strong recommendations that reflect the breadth of civil society’s shared concerns about the development of nuclear energy across the continent. They are united in a call for a nuclear free Africa, safe from the dangers of nuclear energy and instead building a future powered by clean, affordable solutions.

The global arms race and its implications for climate action

What does the global arms race mean for climate action?

Briefing for climate organisations that explores how the global arms race fuels climate instability, and suggests ways to communicate on the issues that does not further legitimise military greenwashing.

Robbing Peter to Pay Paul: SDGs vs Rising Military Expenditures

Our joint submission to UNODA call for papers on ‘the impact of the global increase in military expenditure on the achievement of the SDGs’.

COP29: Why Public Military Spending Matters To Climate Finance Discussions

We need all parties to go much further if COP29 – the ‘Finance COP’ and the ‘Peace COP’ – is to really turn the climate emergency corner on the two-headed monster that is global military spending and military emissions.

Summit of the Future: Climate Change, Climate Finance and the Global Military

‘Summit of the Future: Climate Change, Climate Finance & the Global Military’ has been written to mark the 79th UN General Assembly and the Summit of the Future September 2024. Ever-rising military spending is an ever-increasing obstacle to progress on all UN development and climate agendas. The global military – in peace and war –…

a cartoon image of four politicians standing at podiums arguing and pointing to each other while there is a globe with explosive war happening in front of them as they ignore it

Overturning the economics of war to deliver a co-operative future and peaceful green prosperity

This article was commissioned by Working Notes and explores the ecological aspects of conflict—with a particular focus on the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the military—through an economic lens. It asks what must be done to change course if humanity and our home planet is to reverse the current trajectory.

Climate in the Crosshairs

As NATO marks its 75th anniversary at its summit in Washington D.C. in July 2024, what will be the climate impacts of the world’s most powerful military alliance? Our research shows that military spending increases greenhouse gas emissions, diverts critical finance from climate action, and consolidates an arms trade that fuels instability during climate breakdown.

Excess Profits Tax: It’s time to make arms industry polluters pay

Making the case: Why we need an excess profits tax on the global arms industry to be levied and directed to international climate finance

Climate Collateral: Why the military’s impact on climate change can no longer be ignored at COP28

COP28 will take place in the shadow of the wars in Gaza, Ukraine, Yemen, Sudan and Myanmar. Meanwhile this year saw the hottest month in 100,000 years. States that should be working together to invest in urgent climate action are instead reaching new military spending records.

Climate crossfire: How NATO’s 2% military spending targets contribute to climate breakdown

This report, produced by Tipping Point North South, together with Transnational Institute and Stop Wapenhandel, estimates the likely financial implications as well as increased greenhouse gas emissions that would result if all NATO members meet their commitment to increase military spending to a minimum of 2% of GDP.

How to Transform Defence for Sustainable Human Safety: 10 Talking Points for a Difficult Conversation

An attempt to offer up a framework that tries to envision how we get a much better deal for the world’s citizens from the abject failure of past and current foreign and defence policies that sees us stagger from one war to the next; the world carved up according to spheres of influence; stupid narrow mindsets prevailing over catastrophic climate change.

Military and Conflict-Related Emissions: Kyoto to Glasgow and Beyond

This report explores the military emissions ‘reporting gap’, both in peacetime and war. Critically, it offers a much needed robust series of proposals to address this within the UNFCCC process.

Military and Conflict-Related Emissions: Advocacy and Outreach Briefing

This is the companion advocacy and outreach briefing for the report ‘Military and Conflict-Related Emissions: Kyoto to Glasgow and Beyond’.

Climate Collateral: How military spending accelerates climate breakdown

This report shows that military spending and arms sales have a deep and lasting impact on the capacity to address the climate crisis, let alone in a way that promotes justice. Every dollar spent on the military not only increases greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but also diverts financial resources, skills and attention away from tackling one of the greatest existential threats humanity has ever experienced.

Indefensible: The true cost of the global military to our climate and human security

This report focuses specifically on the military-oil industry relationship to reveal its role in climate breakdown. It argues that we must start to quantify, expose and act upon the climate burden put upon people and planet by the world’s big military spenders.

Global military spending, sustainable human safety and value for money

The research in this ‘Value for Money’ report provides detailed evidence that helps us to make the case for why the time has come to update and modernise current defence and security thinking – and spending – in order that we can better deal with the greatest threats to our collective safety: climate change and pandemic.

Military Emissions, Military Spending & Green New Deals

This briefing aims to illustrate the various ways in which military emissions and spending are relevant to the economic, environmental and climate justice aspects of GND thinking and planning.

The Global Military and the United Nations

This briefing pulls together the various ways in which the global military as whole – and primarily the top 20 spenders and arms sellers – impact on the SDGs and on climate change.

Zero Carbon Peace and Defence

A concept such as Zero Carbon Peace and Defence can help nations – and citizens – to fully see, and assess the carbon burden of their respective militaries in the round and therefore, devise the ways in which they must, like every other aspect of human activity, fully decarbonise.

Stockholm+50 and Global Military Emissions

To fully comply with the urgent need to reach zero-carbon, we call upon STOCKHOLM+50 to take account of a climate change ‘elephant in the room’ – unreported global military emissions.

Degrow the Military Economy

We have to challenge the dogma of “economic growth” to create a post-growth future, but that future will be incomplete if we do not also challenge the dogma of “national security”. To apply degrowth to the military is to raise necessary if difficult questions about defence in this climate changed era.

The Five Percent Campaign 2013 Report

The impact of military spending on the development narrative is huge and it is as every bit as central to understanding power, poverty, economic crises and unjust distribution of resources as other structural issues (and civil society campaigns) such as debt, trade, tax, climate change and most recently the ‘war on drugs’.

Runaway military spending and emissions: an urgent overlooked international development issue

Download Runaway military spending and emissions: an urgent overlooked international development issue [PDF]

The $1 trillion yellow line that we need to return to

Download ‘The $1 trillion yellow line that we need to return to’ briefing paper [PDF]

Approaching the $2 trillion redline

Download ‘Approaching the $2 trillion redline’ briefing paper [PDF]

The Military Industrial Complex: How I learnt to stop worrying and love the F-35 Lightning Jet

Download ‘The Military Industrial Complex How I Learnt to Stop Worrying and Love the F-35 Lightning Jet‘ report [PDF]

Through The Looking Glass: BAE and CSR

Download “Through The Looking Glass: BAE Systems, Corporate Social Responsibility and war, insecurity and climate change” report [PDF]

Weapons, Walls & Oppression: the EU/UK/Israel military relationship

Download ‘Weapons, Walls & Oppression: the EU/UK/Israel military relationship‘ report [PDF]

You say ‘don’t buy,’I say ‘don’t sell.’ Let’s call the arms trade off

Download ‘You say ‘don’t buy,’I say ‘don’t sell.’ Let’s call the arms trade off‘ report [PDF]

Climate Change & EU Foreign, Security and Defence Policy

Download ‘Climate Change & EU Foreign, Security And Defence Policy‘ briefing paper [PDF]

A brief introduction to Green New Deal Plus

Download ‘A brief introduction to Green New Deal Plus‘ report [PDF]

Hearts and minds: the military, movies & gaming

Download ‘Hearts and minds: the military, movies & gaming‘ position paper [PDF]