Decarbonized Defense

The report argues that military decarbonization is essential for both climate mitigation and operational effectiveness, as fossil fuel dependency creates strategic vulnerabilities. It highlights the lack of a standardized emission measurement methodology, noting that while 'standard operations' (buildings and administration) are relatively easy to green, 'non-standard operations' (heavy weaponry and combat mobility) present significant technological hurdles. The document evaluates the current efforts of NATO and the EU, suggesting that NATO can lead through standardization and normative influence, while the EU can leverage its legislative power and financial instruments like the European Defence Fund. It concludes with recommendations for EU-NATO coordination to avoid duplication and accelerate the transition to clean military power.

• Military emissions are difficult to track because defense agencies often treat carbon footprints as strategic information, fearing that data on fuel use could reveal operational vulnerabilities or the scale of activities abroad.
• National Inventory Reports submitted to the UNFCCC are insufficient for quantifying military emissions because they exclude emissions generated outside national territory and often conflate military fuel use with other civilian emissions.
• The U.S. Department of Defense was the largest emitter of greenhouse gases among all U.S. federal agencies in 2020, with non-standard activities—including aircraft, ships, and tanks—accounting for nearly two-thirds of its emissions.
• Decarbonizing 'standard operations' (civil and administrative facilities) is technically feasible using existing market technologies such as heat pumps, electric vehicles, and solar panels.
• Decarbonizing 'non-standard operations' is significantly harder due to the high energy density required for heavy weaponry, which fossil fuels currently provide more effectively than available battery or hydrogen alternatives.
• NATO lacks legislative power to impose binding emission targets but can influence member states through standardization agreements (STANAGs), the Defense Planning Process, and by shifting away from its 'single fuel policy'.
• The EU's military decarbonization is currently limited, as defense remains a national prerogative and is largely excluded from the European Green Deal, though the 'Climate and Defense Roadmap' provides a strategic path for improvement.
• The European Defence Fund (EDF) is a key tool for R&D, but its spending on sustainable energy is currently low, with only €133 million of the 2021 call for funding dedicated to research such as deployable solar panels and synthetic fuel refineries.
• Reducing fossil fuel dependency is viewed as a strategic necessity to increase operational effectiveness and reduce vulnerability to attacks on fuel supply lines, as evidenced by Russian attacks on fuel storage in Odessa in April 2022.

APA

van Schaik, L., Laboué, P., Kertysova, K., Ramnath, A., & van der Meer, D. (2022). Decarbonized Defense. The Council on Strategic Risks. https://imccs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Decarbonized-Defense-World-Climate-and-Security-Report-2022-Vol.-I.pdf

Chicago

van Schaik, Louise, Pierre Laboué, Katarina Kertysova, Akash Ramnath, and Douwe van der Meer. Decarbonized Defense. The Council on Strategic Risks, 2022. https://imccs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Decarbonized-Defense-World-Climate-and-Security-Report-2022-Vol.-I.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=van Schaik |first1=Louise |last2=Laboué |first2=Pierre |last3=Kertysova |first3=Katarina |last4=Ramnath |first4=Akash |last5=van der Meer |first5=Douwe |title=Decarbonized Defense |publisher=The Council on Strategic Risks |date=June 2022 |url=https://imccs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Decarbonized-Defense-World-Climate-and-Security-Report-2022-Vol.-I.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vanschaik2022decarbonized, author = {van Schaik, Louise and Laboué, Pierre and Kertysova, Katarina and Ramnath, Akash and van der Meer, Douwe}, title = {{Decarbonized Defense}}, institution = {The Council on Strategic Risks}, year = {2022}, month = jun, url = {https://imccs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Decarbonized-Defense-World-Climate-and-Security-Report-2022-Vol.-I.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }