Estimating the Military’s Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The report estimates that the global military carbon footprint is approximately 5.5% of global emissions, which would make the global military sector the fourth largest national carbon footprint in the world, exceeding that of Russia. The authors argue that military emissions are systematically under-reported due to voluntary reporting obligations under the Paris Agreement and a lack of robust data collection. Using a methodology based on personnel numbers, stationary emissions, mobile-to-stationary ratios, and supply-chain multipliers, the study estimates operational GHG emissions (scopes 1 and 2) at approximately 500 MtCO2e, or 1.0% of global GHGs. The report notes these figures are conservative as they exclude the 'global military carbon bootprint'—emissions from warfighting impacts such as infrastructure damage and ecosystem destruction.

• The total global military carbon footprint is estimated at approximately 2,750 MtCO2e, representing 5.5% of total global greenhouse gas emissions.
• If the global military sector were treated as a single country, it would possess the fourth largest national carbon footprint globally, surpassing that of Russia.
• The report's estimates are considered conservative because they exclude the 'global military carbon bootprint', which includes emissions from warfighting impacts like fires, damage to infrastructure and ecosystems, and post-conflict reconstruction.

APA

Parkinson, S., & Cottrell, L. (2022). Estimating the Military’s Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Scientists for Global Responsibility. https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-11/SGR%2BCEOBS-Estimating_Global_MIlitary_GHG_Emissions_Nov22_rev.pdf

Chicago

Parkinson, Stuart, and Linsey Cottrell. Estimating the Military’s Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Scientists for Global Responsibility, 2022. https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-11/SGR%2BCEOBS-Estimating_Global_MIlitary_GHG_Emissions_Nov22_rev.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Parkinson |first1=Stuart |last2=Cottrell |first2=Linsey |title=Estimating the Military’s Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions |publisher=Scientists for Global Responsibility |date=November 2022 |url=https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-11/SGR%2BCEOBS-Estimating_Global_MIlitary_GHG_Emissions_Nov22_rev.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{parkinson2022estimating, author = {Parkinson, Stuart and Cottrell, Linsey}, title = {{Estimating the Military’s Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions}}, institution = {Scientists for Global Responsibility}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-11/SGR%2BCEOBS-Estimating_Global_MIlitary_GHG_Emissions_Nov22_rev.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }