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The government has today announced an inquiry looking at how the climate crisis will affect UK defence and the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) contributions to carbon emissions.
The Defence Committee will examine, for the very first time, the need to meet international climate targets and assess the impact of the climate crisis upon future conflicts.
It will also investigate whether the UK Armed Forces is prepared for an increase of requests for assistance in the wakeof extreme weather events and flooding, and what the MoD can offer to help the UK achieve net zero in 2050.
The Committee will accept evidence submissions from anyone with a possible answer or solution to these points until June 24,
Tobias Ellwood MP, Chair of the Defence Committee, stated: ‘Climate change is already making an impact on security and governance in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions. Storms, floods, droughts, and other natural disasters will affect agricultural productivity, disrupt economies, and cause mass migration. Global threats, made worse due to rising seas, extreme weather events, and other factors, will likely lead to more conflict. While the immediate focus of our defence policy is rightly on Russian aggression in Ukraine, it’s also important we focus attention on the likely impact of climate change on our future defence and security.
‘In our Committee inquiry, we will be examining the global consequences of climate change, such as the risk of conflict driven by competition for scarce resources, and the potential impact of population movements, droughts, floods and other extreme weather events. What are the steps we need to take to ensure our Armed Forces are able to respond to these situations?
‘Our inquiry will also examine the MoD’s contribution to reducing carbon emissions. Defence accounts for half of UK central Government’s emissions – what measures is the Department putting in place to help government achieve net zero emissions by 2050? Will the MoD follow the US Army in setting targets for reducing its greenhouse gas pollution?’
The MoD stated last year that the climate crisis would almost certainly lead to more conflict as rising seas, extreme weather events and other global threats make the situation worse.
Photo by UX Gun
