There is also a strong correlation between a country’s military spending and the amount of emissions it produces, with wealthier nations who bear the burden of responsibility for the climate crisis spending 30 times more on financing their military than on tackling climate change.ĭespite ample evidence showing that militarisation accelerates climate breakdown, global military spending reached an all-time high of $2.24 trillion in 2022, with the 31 NATO states alone accounting for over half of this value.Īnd with war in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and many more, this is set to continue rising. And this figure does not include emissions generated from the conflict itself. This is more than all 52 countries in the African continent combined, and almost three times as much as the civil aviation industry. Studies show that global militaries are the world’s biggest industrial polluters, contributing 2,750 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, or 5.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions. War machines, military exercises, and defence infrastructures demand enormous quantities of natural resources and contribute significantly to climate breakdown. ![]() Israel's assault on Gaza during COP28 has highlighted the links between militarism and environmental catastrophe īetween 20, conflicts around the world almost doubled from 30 to 56, and with them, the industry of war has blossomed. “The emissions story is wrapped up inside another story, and that is runaway military spending,” said Deborah Burton, founder of the social justice co-operative Tipping Point North South, on a panel titled ‘Acting on military spending and military emissions’. In recent years, climate experts and activists have increasingly emphasised the nexus between militarism and climate change and called for demilitarisation as a key priority in addressing the unfolding climate crisis facing our planet. "The emissions story is wrapped up inside another story, and that is runaway military spending"Īctivists have brought the Palestinian cause to COP28, using demonstrations and panels to call for a permanent ceasefire and drawing connections between the fight for climate justice and the fight against Israel’s 75-year-long occupation of Palestinian land.īut Israel’s war on Gaza remains absent from any official agenda or negotiations taking place at the summit, as do conversations about the devastating impact of militarisation on the global climate. In the West Bank, escalating Israeli violence has killed at least 250 Palestinians. Thousands more remain trapped under the rubble. In two months, more than 17,000 Palestinians have been killed, including over 7,000 children. Just 2,400 kilometres away, Israel continues its deadly war on Gaza. ![]() Walking around the conference among delegates from around the world in formal attire and traditional dress, it is not rare to see someone wearing the chequered black and white kuffiyeh, a symbol of solidarity with Palestine. The spectre of the war on Gaza looms over the UN climate summit, COP28, currently underway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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