Embracing innovation is fundamental to acquiring, adopting and scaling energy-saving technologies. Risk aversion hinders progress just as much. The prevailing perception that there is a trade-off between going green and maintaining a capable force, coupled with fears that pressures to decarbonise defence might result in a loss of operational effectiveness, constitutes another inhibitor for achieving organisational change. Although general awareness of and support for climate adaptation are on the rise, some military personnel still maintain the view that the armed forces should operate unconstrained by environmental targets. Perceptions of the urgency of climate action vary considerably among military personnel, civil servants and ministers, as well as by country. To ensure that climate security remains at the top of NATO’s agenda, sustained focus and leadership – from senior NATO staff as well as member states – is essential. Keeping the momentum and preventing diversion will be key. This difference in outlook between member states could present challenges to the speed and scope of NATO’s efforts to address climate-related security challenges. With war raging on NATO’s doorstep, meeting higher emissions-reduction standards has not been treated with the same degree of urgency as providing Ukraine with the means to defend itself, all while strengthening Allied collective defence against the threat that Russia poses. While some NATO members want NATO to demonstrate leadership on climate action, others (especially some Allies from Central and Eastern Europe) have expressed trepidation about the speed of energy transition – even outside the defence sector. With respect to addressing climate change, Allies find themselves at different starting points. This article draws together, reviews, and builds on existing research in an effort to provide a comprehensive and easily accessible compilation of the various issues that NATO must consider on its road to net zero, highlighting eight key challenges.Īs an Alliance of 31 sovereign countries ( soon to be 32, following Sweden’s accession), NATO works by consensus. Some of them will be easier to overcome than others. While the scale and ambition of NATO’s climate change and security agenda is unprecedented, challenges to its successful implementation remain. In regards to mitigation, NATO set concrete targets: at least 45% GHG reduction by 2030, reaching net zero by 2050. The Action Plan identifies NATO’s role in the field of climate change and security along four lines of effort: enhancing Allied awareness of the security implications of climate change, promoting climate adaptation across all areas of NATO’s work, mitigating its effects by reducing military emissions, and enhancing outreach to other actors that are active in the climate security space. At the 2021 Brussels Summit, NATO set itself the goal of becoming “the leading international organisation when it comes to understanding and adapting to the impact of climate change on security” and underpinned this ambition with the Climate Change and Security Action Plan. While NATO has been paying attention to environmental challenges for over 50 years now – mostly through a wide range of scientific research activities – it was not until recently that Allies agreed to take concrete action.
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