UNDER THE RADAR THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF EUROPE’S MILITARY SECTORS

The report estimates that the 2019 carbon footprint of EU military expenditure was approximately 24.8 million tCO2e, equivalent to the emissions of 14 million average cars. It identifies significant data gaps and a lack of transparency in GHG reporting across EU member states and military corporations, often justified by national security. The study highlights France as the largest contributor to the EU military carbon footprint and Poland's military technology industry as a high emitter due to its coal-reliant electricity grid. It recommends urgent reviews of security strategies to reduce armed force deployment, mandatory transparent GHG reporting for militaries and contractors, and the implementation of reduction targets aligned with the Paris Agreement.

• The estimated carbon footprint of EU military expenditure in 2019 was approximately 24.8 million tCO2e, which the authors consider a conservative estimate due to data quality issues. This is equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions of about 14 million average cars.
• Transparency and accuracy of GHG emissions reporting in the military sector are low. Deficiencies include omissions, under-reporting, and unclear data in the six case study countries, with national security frequently cited as a reason for withholding data.
• France is the largest contributor to the EU military's total carbon footprint, accounting for approximately one-third of the total.
• Poland's military technology industry is estimated to be the highest emitter among the case study nations, contributing about 18% of the EU total, primarily because the Polish electricity grid relies heavily on coal.
• Several major military technology corporations do not publicly disclose GHG emissions data, specifically PGZ, MBDA, Hensoldt, KMW, and Nexter.
• There is a lack of reporting on GHG emissions resulting from the actual use of weapons in battlefield environments or emissions from post-conflict reconstruction.
• Current military spending trends, including the push to meet the NATO target of 2% of GDP, technology modernisation, and overseas deployments, risk increasing GHG emissions.
• Military-owned land in Europe presents a significant opportunity for carbon sequestration and biodiversity improvement; for example, the French Ministry of Armed Forces owns around 242,000 hectares and Germany has an estimated 685,000 hectares of military sites.
• Existing EU legislation, such as the Energy Efficiency Directive 2012/27/EU, contains exemptions for certain military buildings and contracts for the supply of military equipment.

APA

Parkinson, S., & Cottrell, L. (n.d.). UNDER THE RADAR THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF EUROPE’S MILITARY SECTORS. Scientists for Global Responsibility. https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-02/EU-MCE-report-by-SGR-CEOBS-GUE.pdf

Chicago

Parkinson, Stuart, and Linsey Cottrell. UNDER THE RADAR THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF EUROPE’S MILITARY SECTORS. Scientists for Global Responsibility, n.d. https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-02/EU-MCE-report-by-SGR-CEOBS-GUE.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Parkinson |first1=Stuart |last2=Cottrell |first2=Linsey |title=UNDER THE RADAR THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF EUROPE’S MILITARY SECTORS |publisher=Scientists for Global Responsibility |url=https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-02/EU-MCE-report-by-SGR-CEOBS-GUE.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{parkinsonndunder, author = {Parkinson, Stuart and Cottrell, Linsey}, title = {{UNDER THE RADAR THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF EUROPE’S MILITARY SECTORS}}, institution = {Scientists for Global Responsibility}, url = {https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-02/EU-MCE-report-by-SGR-CEOBS-GUE.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }