Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · 14d

Countries in Europe's east are looking to peat bogs for military defence; #Latvia's MoD is now a fan of rewetting and #peat restoration. So far the talk has only been about security, surely we'll soon hear that these projects offset military emissions too? www.mod.gov.lv/lv/zinas/nac...

Nacionālie bruņotie spēki atbalsta degradēto vēsturisko kūdras ieguves vietu atjaunošanu par purvu ekosistēmām, kas var kalpot kā dabiskie šķēršļi austrumu pierobežā

Nacionālie bruņotie spēki atbalsta Latvijas austrumu pierobežā esošo vēsturisko kūdras ieguves vietu revitalizāciju – to atjaunošana var būt nozīmīgs ieguldījums valsts aizsardzības spēju stiprināšanā...

www.mod.gov.lv

1 1

Reposted by The Military Emissions Gap

Conflict and Environment Observatory @ceobs.org · 14d

Today we're briefing the Irish Senate on the climate implications of the #ReArmEurope Plan/Readiness 2030, in our view the plan is inconsistent with Europe's #NetZero targets: www.oireachtas.ie/en/press-cen...

Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach to discuss proposed EU Regulations on funding Defence spending

www.oireachtas.ie

1 2

Reposted by The Military Emissions Gap

Conflict and Environment Observatory @ceobs.org · 15d

On Wednesday we're giving evidence to the Irish Senate's Joint Committee on Finance on the climate implications of proposed increases in EU #military spending.

EU progress on military decarbonisation and emissions reporting is being sidelined in the rush to rearm.

Snapshot of webpage for the session, text reads:
Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach

Submssions
15:30
Opening Statement Conflict and Environment Observatory
Conflict and Environment Observatory Briefing Document
- Ms Ellie Kinney, The Conflict and Environment Observatory
- Ms Niamh Ní Bhriain, Transnational Institute

1 3

Reposted by The Military Emissions Gap

Conflict and Environment Observatory @ceobs.org · 20d

Africa needs $70 bn/year for climate adaptation; in 2023 it received just $14.8 bn, now at risk of falling as donors cut aid.

Meanwhile world #military expenditure reached $2.7 tn in 2024, rising by 9.4% from 2023. www.context.news/climate-just...

Military spending eats into Africa's climate finance | Context by TRF

World military expenditure reached $$2.7 trillion in 2024 - leaving less for climate financing

www.context.news

5 4

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · 22d

Lanthanum: a #CriticalMineral that militaries would be less dependent on if they reduced the quantity of jet fuel they consumed. www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/energy...

Jet fuel, China, and lanthanum: a hidden risk to US military power projection

Why it matters to the US military that China controls the global supply of lanthanum, a rare earth element used to make jet fuel

www.atlanticcouncil.org

1

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · 23d

An important new report from @responsiblesci.bsky.social published today finds that a $100bn rise in military spending adds ~32 million tonnes of planet-warming gases to the atmosphere. Found out more ⬇️

Scientists for Global Responsibility @responsiblesci.bsky.social · 23d

1/🚨 New SGR report out today: Military Spending Rises and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The evidence is clear: higher military spending will have devastating consequences for the planet.

Here’s what the research reveals 🧵

www.sgr.org.uk/publications...
🧪

Military spending rises and greenhouse gas emissions: what does the research say?

With military spending climbing rapidly around the world, this report assesses and compares the results of 11 recent studies which have tried to estimate how such spending rises will impact greenhouse...

www.sgr.org.uk

2 3

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · 29d

Great to see @theconversation.com running a War on Climate series. Their third post looks at the potential role of sustainable aviation fuels in military decarbonisation. Last week a study in Nature suggested a hard limit of 50% life cycle emission reductions theconversation.com/sustainable-...

Sustainable fuels could reduce the climate impact of military aircraft

Military aircraft consume large amounts of fossil-based fuel.

theconversation.com

1 2 3

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · Sep 6

“The greatest risk is not necessarily the territorial threat of a neighbouring country’s army ... it is cyberterrorism; the next pandemic for which we are not prepared; and most certainly the domino effect of runaway climate change.” www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Higher defence spending is pointless without climate aid, says UN chief

Achim Steiner says cuts to development budget are shortsighted in an interconnected global economy

www.theguardian.com

1 4

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · Sep 5

A new analysis of the climate impact of sustainable aviation fuel finds that its maximum benefit over fossil jet fuel is ~50%.

Military aviation is one of the primary sources of military GHG emissions and this study should come as a reality check. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A comprehensive well-to-wake climate impact assessment of sustainable aviation fuel - Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports - A comprehensive well-to-wake climate impact assessment of sustainable aviation fuel

www.nature.com

3 4

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · Sep 4

EU countries are about to spend billions more on military equipment, they have an opportunity to shift towards a lower carbon pathway, will they take it? illuminem.com/illuminemvoi...

An electric arsenal: Bridging defense and energy transition | illuminem

Europe’s defense build-up is a crossroads: double down on fossil fuels or lead the charge into electrified military tech. Investing in hybrid and electric platforms can boost security and drive the en...

illuminem.com

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · Sep 4

This accessible overview by Duncan Depledge explores how war exacerbates #ClimateChange; why climate change demands military responses; and how armed forces will need to adapt: theconversation.com/three-reason...

Three reasons why the climate crisis must reshape how we think about war

Wars are now unfolding in the shadow of climate breakdown.

theconversation.com

2 1

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · Sep 1

In a world transitioning to clean energy, and where the #ClimateCrisis has been recognised as a threat to national security for decades, this is a heroically dumb take thehill.com/opinion/ener...

thehill.com

2

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · Sep 1

Wildfires on firing ranges can be a significant source of peacetime military GHG emissions, the scale of emissions is often increased because the presence of UXOs makes the fires too difficult to fight, meaning they are left to burn out.

Conflict and Environment Observatory @ceobs.org · Sep 1

#Military activities on UK ranges caused 385 wildfires between Jan 23 and July 25, with nearly 1,200 fires reported since 2020.

The fires damage habitats, impact air quality and generate GHG emissions and are often impossible to fight due to UXOs. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Hundreds of wildfires sparked by 'live-fire' military manoeuvres - BBC News

Live explosives on army training sites in the UK countryside mean many wildfires cannot be tackled.

www.bbc.com

1 1

Reposted by The Military Emissions Gap

Conflict and Environment Observatory @ceobs.org · Aug 26

Interest in rewetting eastern Europe's peatlands as a defensive measure against Russian invasion continues to rumble on, apparently inspired by the flooding of the Irpin valley in #Ukraine. Some thoughts... 1/5 www.politico.eu/article/russ...

From Kyiv to the Suwałki Gap, bogs return as Europe’s defensive shield

Restoring the EU’s drained bogs would stop both Russian tanks and planet-warming pollution.

www.politico.eu

1 3 3

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · Aug 11

In the 'biggest case in human history', the International Court of Justice has outlined the legal responsibility of States to address climate change. In our latest blog, @aradami.bsky.social explains what the outcome means for military and conflict emissions.

ceobs.org/what-the-icj...

What the ICJ’s advisory opinion on climate change means for military emissions - CEOBS

The ICJ’s advisory opinion on climate change is a big deal for climate law. Here's how it might influence military and conflict emissions.

ceobs.org

5 6

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · Aug 11

Despite Trump slashing climate spending in an expanding Department of Defense budget the arms industry is taking a longer view on the development of alternative aircraft fuels www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/202...

www.nationaldefensemagazine.org

1

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · Aug 11

With Germany more than doubling its military spending, questions are being asked about whether this will undermine its climate commitments - and whether spending could help support green technologies. www.cleanenergywire.org/news/germany...

Germany's defence spending spree could aid green industry shift – with right policies

www.cleanenergywire.org

1

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · Aug 7

Increasing demand for #CriticalMinerals, particularly as a component of military decarbonisation efforts is set to create substantial tensions in how we prioritise limited resource use and security choices. Hydrocarbons or critical minerals, larger militaries = more demand. 3/3

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · Aug 7

#CriticalMinerals are a key component of this transition but as this new report from @globaljusticenow.bsky.social finds, many are mined for military use, impacting environmental quality and communities in the areas they are extracted from. www.globaljustice.org.uk/resource/mat... 2/3

Material realities: Who needs ‘critical minerals’ and at whose expense? - Global Justice Now

Over half of minerals designated as ‘critical’ by UK play no major role in the green transition - and are driven in a large way by militarisation.

www.globaljustice.org.uk

1 2

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · Aug 7

Here @floriankrampe.bsky.social argues that more of the EU's planned increase in military spending be targeted towards dual use tech responsive to the #ClimateCrisis and #decarbonisation. www.weforum.org/stories/2025... 1/3

Europe's defence push can't ignore dual-use climate-defence tech

Europe’s defence is vulnerable to climate change. Smarter spending must align military readiness with climate-responsive dual-use technologies.

www.weforum.org

1 2 3

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · Jul 31

As Europe ramps up its defence spending, military ghg emissions are set to rise but remain largely unreported. In our latest blog, Hannah Huibregtsen examines the 82% gap in EU military emissions reporting and the risk this poses to the EU Green Deal.

ceobs.org/the-eu-must-...

The EU must mandate military emissions reporting - CEOBS

Hannah Huibregtsen argues that without mandatory accounting, the EU risks undermining both its climate goals and long-term security.

ceobs.org

1

Reposted by The Military Emissions Gap

Conflict and Environment Observatory @ceobs.org · Jul 23

Exciting to hear the #ICJ opinion on state obligations to address the #ClimateCrisis. We provided support to Palestine's delegation, and while the main ruling didn't address conflict emissions, Judge Cleveland's separate opinion did. www.icj-cij.org/sites/defaul... #PERAC #IntLaw

2 6

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · Jul 21

The US Deptartment of Defense budget is set to rise to $1tn. New analysis by @cplusc.bsky.social shows that this will push the Pentagon’s total greenhouse emissions to a staggering 178 Mt of CO2e, resulting in an estimated $47bn in economic damages globally.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Trump’s $1tn for Pentagon to add huge planet-heating emissions, study shows

Exclusive: 17% increase in military spending will add emissions equivalent to those of some entire countries

www.theguardian.com

8 8

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · Jul 17

The defence sector's carbon intensity means #decarbonisation is an urgent and overdue task. The challenges are huge - including around SAF availability - and it is critical that militaries are honest about them if they are to carry public support. 4/4

1

The Military Emissions Gap @militaryemissions.org · Jul 17

#TalismanSabre2025 is billed as #Australia's largest ever military exercise, with 35,000 personnel from 19 nations. @DefenceAust could provide a GHG emissions estimate for it, which may help place the limited SAF trial - and press release - in context. 3/4 #AusPol

1 1 2