The world’s militaries are incredibly polluting, collectively accounting for some 5.5% of global emissions. Western economies are now gearing up for a big expansion of their militaries, with members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) agreeing to increase defense spending to 5% of their gross domestic product by 2035. That will commit trillions of dollars more to an enormously carbon intensive industry, unless militaries can find a way to reduce their emissions. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi asks retired Lieutenant General Richard Nugee, author of the UK Ministry of Defence’s climate change report: Can warfare go green?

Explore further:
Defense Budgets Need to Fight War and Climate Change, Experts Say
Richard Nugee’s Climate Report
Estimating the Military’s Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions 

Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to: Jessica  Beck, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.

The world&rsquo;s militaries are incredibly polluting, collectively accounting for some 5.5% of global emissions. Western economies are now gearing up for a big expansion of their militaries, with members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) agreeing to increase defense spending to 5% of their gross domestic product by 2035. That will commit trillions of dollars more to an enormously carbon intensive industry, unless militaries can find a way to reduce their emissions. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi asks retired Lieutenant General Richard Nugee, author of the UK Ministry of Defence&rsquo;s climate change report: Can warfare go green?
Explore further:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-25/defense-budgets-need-to-fight-war-and-climate-change-experts-say">Defense Budgets Need to Fight War and Climate Change, Experts Say</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Richard Nugee&rsquo;s <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/605ddbbe8fa8f5047d3a851e/20210326_Climate_Change_Sust_Strategy_v1.pdf">Climate Report</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">Estimating the <a href="https://ceobs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SGRCEOBS-Estimating_Global_MIlitary_GHG_Emissions_Nov22_rev.pdf">Military&rsquo;s Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to: Jessica&nbsp; Beck, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate, Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam and Siobhan Wagner. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at zeropod@bloomberg.net. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/green">https://www.bloomberg.com/green</a>.

Zero is about the tactics and technologies taking us to a world of zero emissions. Each week Bloomberg’s award-winning reporter Akshat Rathi talks to the people tackling climate change – a venture capitalist hunting for the best cleantech investment, scientists starting companies, politicians who have successfully created climate laws, and CEOs who have completely transformed their businesses. The road to zero emissions has many paths and everyone’s got an opinion about the best route. Listen in.

Zero: The Climate Race

Zero

Why militaries can no longer ignore climate change

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