What are the greenhouse gas emissions of the Australian Defence Force? What is our carbon bootprint?
The Paris Agreement makes reporting of military greenhouse gas emissions voluntary. This means that there is a gaping hole in carbon accounting worldwide. We know that the US military's 'carbon bootprint' is equivalent to the reported greenhouse gases emitted by Portugal. But what about here?
Friends of the Earth are trying to shed a light on the role that the military is playing in driving the climate crisis.
In 2019 Friends of the Earth wrote to the Department of Defence to see if emissions were being included in the national greenhouse gas reporting. The answer was mostly no.
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) recognise that climate change is real, happening now, and has framed it as a threat to national security. It is now demanding more budget to help it play its role in disaster relief - like the recent climate driven fires, and devastating cyclones - and says by 2035 it will no longer have capacity to assist in domestic disaster relief.
Knowing that war, live fire exercises - like Talisman Sabre - and most the military fleet runs on fossil fuels, it is grossly hypocritical for the ADF to demand more resources to adapt to climate change whilst it is fuelling the problem.
Our vision:
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Funding allocated for disaster relief preparedness goes into civilian, community-controlled emergency services branches.
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The military is held accountable for its role in driving the climate crisis and commits to reducing impact.
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The Federal Government commit to setting up regional peace talks - because the climate cannot afford another war.