An international panel is pushing for global militaries to report greenhouse gas emissions, emphasizing the environmental toll of warfare, with the issue set to be debated at the upcoming UN climate summit.
Ken McLaughlin reports for The War Horse.
In short:
- A study led by a Dutch engineer quantified emissions from the Ukraine war, revealing significant contributions to global carbon output.
- A coalition of scientists and advocates is lobbying for mandatory military emissions reporting in international climate agreements.
- U.S. military leaders argue that while transparency is important, national security concerns limit full disclosure of emissions data.
Key quote:
“We cannot cut what we don’t know, and right now we know very little about military emissions.”
— Benjamin Neimark, a senior lecturer at Queen Mary University of London
Why this matters:
Military activities are a significant source of greenhouse gases, yet they often evade emissions reporting. Accurately tracking military emissions is crucial to addressing global climate goals, as the environmental damage from wars adds to long-term carbon footprints.
Related: Big oil companies fail climate goals and profit from war
