Militaries and wartime are environmentally unfriendly, and the Brits are leading the charge on decarbonizing

Armed forces globally are looking into how to decarbonize more effectively ahead of COP28, a British general advising on climate issues at the UK Defense Ministry told The National in an interview on Saturday. Lt. General Richard Nugee, the chief adviser for climate change and sustainability at the ministry, said the British armed forces are considering the use of nuclear power to supply bases and new fuels for warships under a plan to slash emissions.

And there’s more: Nugee says the British army is actively looking at a technology developed by Rolls Royce that could overhaul generating the energy needed by the military. Micro nuclear plants that fit into 12 meter shipping containers could produce 5 MW of clean energy over five years without refueling, which Nugee says can be used for creating water, synthetic fuel, or hydrogen. The UK Royal Navy is also considering having its next generation of warships designed to help accommodate future fuels, he added.

The elephant in the room: Emissions by armed forces globally are often not disclosed, given that they are not bound by international climate agreements to report or slash emissions. Militaries are believed to account for 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to a 2022 estimate by international experts. It is estimated that to rebuild Ukraine will use 100 mn tons of carbon dioxide emissions, The National notes. Even in times of peace, the British military consumes about 3.5 mn tons of carbon emission annually, it adds.

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