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From Common Dreams
Summary
- NATO member countries’ militaries emitted 233 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2023, surpassing Colombia’s emissions.
- Military spending increased to $1.34 trillion in 2023, contributing significantly to emissions despite climate reduction pledges.
- US accounts for 2/3 of NATO military spending, with calls for further increases, while lack of transparent reporting hampers accurate estimates of military emissions.
The militaries of North Atlantic Treaty Organization member countries emitted an estimated 233 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2023, a sharp uptick that exacerbates climate breakdown and serves only to enrich weapons manufacturers, according to a briefing issued Monday by the Transnational Institute, a research and advocacy organization, and several other nonprofits.
The 32 national militaries together emitted more carbon than the country of Colombia, which has a population of about 52 million people, the briefing says. NATO countries’ military spending increased from about $1.21 trillion in 2022 to $1.34 trillion in 2023, thanks in part to the conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine. TNI used a spend-emission conversion factor to estimate the carbon cost of the spending.
The authors note that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change determined that all sectors of the economy need to reduce emissions by 43% by 2030 from 2019 levels to keep global warming at or below the Paris agreement’s 1.5°C target.
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