Shocking report: NATO’s 2023 military spending produced about 233m metric tonnes of CO2

Report says member states poured $1.34tn into their militaries last year – an increase of $126bn from 2022

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Jan Oberg

Dharna Noor, a fossil fuels and climate reporter at Guardian US, writes in The Guardian on July 9, 2024:

“As leaders from member countries gather to mark the 75th anniversary of Nato in Washington DC, researchers are warning that their military budgets are eroding the climate, producing an estimated 233m metric tonnes of greenhouse gas, more planet-heating pollution than some entire countries.

“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,” says a new report from three international research and advocacy groups, the UK-based Transnational Institute and Tipping Point North South, and the Netherlands’ Stop Wapenhandel.”

Continue reading Noor’s article, which lists frightening facts here.

Or turn directly to the full report and a systematic summary of the main findings:“Climate in the Crosshairs. The planetary impact of NATO’s spending increases.”

Here is one of many shocking findings - that are virtually never mentioned in articles about NATO:

“NATO’s increase of military spending in 2023 would pay for minimal climate financing demanded by developing countries in UN climate negotiations this year.
NATO’s total military spending in 2023 would pay this 13 times over and start to deliver the trillions needed for climate finance.”

Isn’t it high time we talk about this?

Militarism is deadly dangerous for our environment…too.

PS
Regrettably, as it seems, climate activist Greta Thunberg has ignored the role of the military, perhaps the world’s single largest polluter. Please read and share as widely as you can!