![]() ![]() The sharing of lessons learned is important for militaries to better understand the benefits of green transition. Second, NATO provides a platform where Allies can come together to exchange expertise, best practices and lessons learned – almost on a daily basis. This network is crucial both for capacity- and resilience-building and improved situational awareness. One of NATO’s biggest assets is its network of partners across the globe and structured relations with other regional and international organisations, including the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). In addition to supporting Allies in their emissions reduction and adaptation efforts, NATO has several important assets (in comparison to other international organisations) through which it can make useful contributions to international climate efforts. The Alliance is set to develop a methodology to help Allies measure their military emissions and, in the next step, formulate voluntary goals for their reduction. NATO can support Allies in their emissions reduction and adaptation efforts by setting net zero and sustainable targets for defence planning, shifting away from its single fuel policy towards more sustainable alternatives, or through different standardization agreements, as described below. Even where military emissions are measured, the metrics are not consistent across the board. Except for several Allies (such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US) that already produce such estimates, military emissions are neither measured, nor reported – either due to a lack of data or because military emissions are treated as sensitive information. Despite being a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, militaries have not been subject to economy-wide emissions reduction targets to date. For NATO to be able to fulfil its core mission of keeping the Euro-Atlantic space safe, building resilience to the impacts of a changing climate and integrating sustainable practices into military planning and capability development is a necessity, not a choice.ĬOP26 marked the first review of commitments made in Paris in 2015. As a security organisation, NATO cannot be indifferent to these challenges. In addition to climate-related risks to military infrastructure and force readiness, more extreme weather events can also increase conflict and migration potential in and beyond NATO’s immediate neighbourhood.īorn of the Cold War and designed to defend its members against any external aggression, NATO is evolving to reflect the new security reality of actorless threats, such as pandemics, biodiversity loss and climate change. ![]() From higher frequency and intensity of storms, through extreme heat and cold, to reduced supplies of drinking water and faster wear and tear of military equipment, climate change has significant implications for NATO on the tactical, operational and strategic levels. In addition to improving their awareness and understanding of the climate-security nexus, the Allies will move towards military emissions reductions and, finally, adapt their forces and operations to changing circumstances so that they can operate in all conditions.Ĭlimate change has long been known as a threat multiplier and is increasingly recognised as a “ shaping threat” that dramatically alters the environments in which Allied militaries will have to operate in the coming decades. Echoing climate-related pledges made at NATO’s Brussels Summit in June last year, Stoltenberg underscored three lines of action that NATO leaders committed to take. Just like his predecessor Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who participated in COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009, Jens Stoltenberg took part in the discussion of climate-related security risks that formed part of the COP26 agenda. Although the Alliance plays no formal role in the UN climate talks, NATO’s Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg was listed among the Conference participants, alongside other representatives of the defence and security sectors. Last year’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow was a manifestation of the growing willingness to act and work together. ![]()
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