Leaders of member states gather to mark NATO's 75th anniversary in Washington. At the same time, scientists warn that their military budgets are literally eating away at the climate, producing an estimated 233 million metric tons of greenhouse gases last year. That's more pollution on an annual basis than some entire countries, it says Guardian.
"Our research shows that military spending increases greenhouse gas emissions, diverts critical finance from climate action, and consolidates the arms trade that fuels instability during climate collapse," says a new report by three international groups – Transnational Institute and Tipping Point North South (UK) and Stop Wapenhandel (Netherlands).
NATO member states poured $1,34 trillion into their military last year — an increase of $126 billion over 2022, the authors say.
Military spending usually leads to large emissions. Airplanes consume vast amounts of fossil fuels, as do military bases and logistics centers. And military equipment must be regularly operated and maintained to remain operational – all of which creates pollution.
Overall, member states' military budgets for 2023 produced about 233 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, the authors estimate, which is more than the combined annual greenhouse gas emissions of Colombia or Qatar.
Increased budgets
With 32 member states, NATO includes only 16% of all countries in the world. Last year, they were responsible for 55% of all global military spending, with the US alone spending more than two-thirds of that amount.
NATO's increased military spending would add an additional 31 million metric tons of planet-warming emissions to the atmosphere—a jump of about 15 percent, or the greenhouse equivalent of 6,7 million cars on the road for a year.
The US, whose military is already the largest institutional source of emissions, is responsible for the largest share of the increase with a budget jump of $55 billion. It was followed by Poland, the United Kingdom, and Germany, whose military budgets grew by $16 billion, $10,9 billion, and $10,7 billion, respectively.
If NATO's military spending increases alone were redirected to positive climate goals, it could fully cover the minimum climate funding for developing countries proposed at this year's UN climate talks.
The world's armed forces produce at least 5,5% of all planet-warming pollution – more than Japan's total footprint – according to one 2022 estimate.
The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world's most important climate body, says the world needs to cut emissions by 43% by 2030 to meet the more ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement. Achieving this goal will require an annual reduction in military emissions of at least 5%.
Wrong direction
But NATO countries are moving in the wrong direction. In 2023, the alliance made a "permanent commitment" to pour at least 2 percent of its national budgets into its armies. Two-thirds of its members are expected to meet or exceed that target this year, compared to just six countries in 2021.
Defense officials praised the effort as necessary for security. But experts warn that these efforts are impacting global communities by fueling global warming and diverting climate finance.
If all members meet the 2% target, by 2028 they will create as much additional greenhouse gas pollution as Russia's annual output. The additional military funds – an estimated $2,57 trillion – would be enough to cover the climate adaptation costs of low- and middle-income countries for seven years, according to estimates by the United Nations Environment Programme.
The real beneficiaries of the surge in defense spending, the authors say, are the arms manufacturers to whom the alliance has promised to support various plans and commitments.
Increases in the military budget are not always immediately reflected in the revenues and profits of arms manufacturers, as production and delivery can take years. But between 2022 and 2023, backlogs at the top 10 global arms firms such as Lockheed Martin, RTX and Northrop Grumman increased by an average of more than 13% - an indication of record profits to come.
Some environmental safeguards have been put in place to limit pollution from the arms industry, but especially in the US and Europe these rules are increasingly being rejected if they are perceived as barriers to increased production, the report added.