An old taboo is now being broken: for the first time in history, EU member states must report their armies’ emissions. According to Brussels, the new regulation under the Paris Climate Agreement will also apply to the military.

What was previously considered a matter of national security will become a climate issue in the future: the so-called “enhanced transparency framework” obliges all countries – with the exception of the poorest – to disclose their emissions data. This closes a loophole in the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which exempted armies from climate reporting. Although armed forces consume enormous amounts of fuel, their contribution to climate change has hardly been taken into account until now. Experts estimate that their share is similar to that of international air and sea traffic. NATO itself is now discussing “green technologies” such as electric vehicles, solar power, and energy-efficient bases.

Clean wars?

“When refineries close, the military will also have problems getting diesel,” warns climate expert Lennard de Klerk. Initial pilot projects are underway, but major investments are still lacking. Defense companies such as Lockheed Martin and Thales are already responding – not only because of political pressure, but also because of new EU sustainability rules. Climate change is also affecting the military in another way: domestic disaster relief operations, such as during floods, are on the rise. In Poland alone, around 25,000 soldiers were deployed in flood relief operations in 2024. Defense must therefore not only become stronger, but also more climate-friendly.

Credit: Wikipedia