Carbon Warriors: Enhancing NATO’s Response to Climate Change

Abstract

NATO’s response to climate change has, to date, focused on adjusting its planning and equipment to adapt to the predicted effects of a warming world and reduce its organisational emissions to comply with government mandates. Richard Milburn argues that NATO should take a more active approach, doing more to mitigate climate change by utilising its strategy, planning, purchasing, technological development, and operational capabilities and resources. Such an approach would help to address the security risks associated with climate change, and deliver significant benefits to military operations, such as reducing key diesel and jet fuel supply chain vulnerabilities on operations.