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ACCELERATING THE DECARBONISATION ROUTE TO THE ZERO-CARBON FUTURE

Until now, we have collectively and consistently ignored the massive yet unaccounted for responsibility of the world’s militaries for climate change, from their day-to-day operational activities to the wars and conflicts of which they are part. We must start to factor both into climate calculations because we are ignoring them at our peril.

Stockholm+50 affords an important opportunity at a milestone UN gathering to raise this debate and chart the actions necessary, within the action plan of the Conference aims.

To fully comply with the urgent need to reach zero-carbon, and the growing realisation that we continue to adopt 19th and 20th century thinking to a 21st climate emergency at our peril, we call upon STOCKHOLM+50 to acknowledge this climate ‘elephant in the room’ and embark on a plan of action that ensures the fossil-fuel dependent militaries of the world cannot avoid urgent actions that move them toward carbon neutrality by 2050. 

Ideas for discussion at STOCKHOLM+50

To fully comply with the urgent need to reach zero-carbon, and the growing realisation that we continue to adopt 19th and 20th century thinking to a 21st climate emergency at our peril, we call upon STOCKHOLM+50 to acknowledge this climate ‘elephant in the room’ and embark on a plan of action that ensures the fossil-fuel dependent militaries of the world cannot avoid urgent actions that move them toward carbon neutrality by 2050. 

[The calls in this briefing are all drawn from previous TPNS Transform Defence reports: The Global Military and the UN, Indefensible, Global Military Spending and Value for Money. A new TPNS commissioned report on military emissions and UNFCCC reporting is due out later in June 2022.]

  1. CREATE A UNFCCC TOPIC: Create a new UNFCCC TOPIC ‘Carbon Neutral Peace and Defence’ and fill the ‘Knowledge Gap’ across UN and national processes on the global military’s greatly under-estimated carbon footprint. No societal, economic or environmental zero-carbon transformation is complete without parallel transformation in foreign affairs, defence, security and international development.
  2. CREATE AN IPCC TASK FORCE FOR DECARBONISATION OF MILITARIES AND DEFENCE INDUSTRIES to investigate climate impact of the military/defence sector and devise plans to address existing and prevent further damages. The task force will explore options and recommend solutions to fully decarbonise global militaries and defence industries. The task force will also propose initiatives to transform defence into building climate-resiliency in vulnerable communities and countries and enhance sustainable human security.
  3. PUBLISH AN IPCC SPECIAL REPORT on the role of the global militaries and defence industries in climate change to assess existing and future impacts and explore response options. To close the knowledge gap in this sector.
  4. MAKE IT COMPULSORY FOR NATIONS TO SUMBIT FULL GHG EMISSION REPORTING OF THEIR MILITARY TO UNFCCC/IPCC. Nations’ militaries, defence industries, and attendant conflicts and wars must be included in their GHG emission reporting and carbon-reduction targets. This reporting must also account for emissions incurred overseas, especially for those nations with overseas bases. The Task Force on National GHG Inventories must look into how to incorporate these into the next Refinement to the IPCC Guidelines for National GHG Inventories.
  5. NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTIONS (NDCS): ALL COUNTRIES TO INCLUDE THEIR MILITARIES AND DEFENCE INDUSTRIES IN THEIR GHG EMISSION REDUCTION PLANS AND TARGETS, taking into account total carbon footprints of their militaries and defence industries. Militaries to publish their plans to decarbonise to meet the zero-carbon goal − simple technical measures (e.g. solar panels on military bases or electric killer drones) are not the answer.
  6. EUROPEAN UNION to report on its collective military carbon emissions and to adopt measures that direct EU governments to take oil out of the military‐oil industry relationship, surrendering their significant role in driving catastrophic climate change and attendant human suffering.
  7. COP 27 and 28 Military emissions on the COP Agenda − the topic of military emissions needs to be given due attention and included in agendas
  8. CALL FOR UN P5+1 NATIONS (USA, China, Russia, France, UK and Germany) responsible for keeping the world’s peace, yet accounting for 80% of its arms sales, to support a shift from military spending to invest in climate finance, education or health.
  9. CONFLICT POLLUTERS PAY. We should expect the same of defence/arms companies and national militaries as we do of other vested interests that knowingly harm civilians, e.g. corporate tobacco, pharma or oil. They should pay retrospective reparation and compensation for past environmental destruction, degradation and pollution caused by their activities and attendant wars. They should also expect that those harmed at a future date will seek compensation.
  10. CALL FOR FOREIGN, SECURITY, DEFENCE AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT POLICIES THAT WORK IN TANDEM FOR BETTER OUTCOMES. Sustainable human safety to supersede national interest. We need (i) international development to become global social justice (ii) foreign policy-making to be ethical (iii) and the parameters of ‘defence’ widened in favour of sustainable human safety that addresses the major global collective threats – climate change, pandemic, economic instability, and conflict/war.
  11. GREEN NEW DEAL PLUS. High defence spending inhibits economic and social development and is incompatible with GND goals. GND policy-makers to call for a decarbonised military with a transformed and transformative doctrine fit for purpose in this century of climate breakdown and rooted in the concept of sustainable human safety.
  12. PART-FUND $2-4 TRILLION SDGS GAP (to 2030) from escalating military budgets 2023‑30 and beyond via proposals such as the 2% Peace Dividend or the Five Percent Proposal.
  13. HOLD A SECURITY COUNCIL HIGH-LEVEL OPEN DEBATE on the impact of the global military on climate change and under-development and the concept of ‘Carbon Neutral Peace and Defence’.

‘Stockholm+50 and Global Military Emissions’ BriefingDownload