Report: Nato’s 2023 military spend created more planet-heating pollution than some countries

A French Leclerc main battle tank shoots during an exercise in eastern Romania last year as part of live combat exercises. The world’s armed forces produce at least 5.5% of all planet-heating pollution — more than the total footprint of Japan — according to one 2022 estimate. File photo: AP/Vadim Ghirda

As leaders from member countries gather to mark the 75th anniversary of Nato in Washington DC, researchers are warning that their military budgets are eroding the climate, producing an estimated 233 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gas, more planet-heating pollution than some entire countries.

“Our research shows that military spending increases greenhouse gas emissions, diverts critical finance from climate action, and consolidates an arms trade that fuels instability during climate breakdown,” says a new report from three international research and advocacy groups, the UK’s Transnational Institute and Tipping Point North South, and the Netherlands’ Stop Wapenhandel.