The Ministry of Defence (MoD) must urgently tackle the impact of the climate crisis on its operations to make sure the capability of the UK armed forces is not eroded by rising temperatures and harsh climatic conditions, MPs have said.
The impact of global heating on the armed forces covers every aspect of their operations. These include high temperatures making training locations such as Cyprus unusable at certain times of the year, increasingly harsh conditions for armed service personnel operating abroad, the threat that armoured vehicles will break down in rising temperatures and the risk to the UK from a collapse in security across the world.
“The armed forces, defence acquisition and the defence estate – both at home and abroad – will … need to adapt to respond to the impacts of climate change over the coming decades, with consequences for geostrategy, defence readiness, resilience and the effective delivery of military effect,” the report released by the defence committee on Friday said.
Rising sea temperatures were already reducing the ability of British warships to operate efficiently, the report said.
Warships operating in the Persian gulf usually rely upon the sea water to cool their engines in order for them to operate efficiently, but the thermal blanketing effect of rising sea temperatures is already eroding the efficiency of warship engines.
“Defence will need to adapt to operate across increasingly demanding climatic conditions – otherwise the capability of our armed forces will be eroded,” MPs said.
MPs highlighted the importance of climate breakdown for the UK armed services. The World Economic Forum global risks report this year ranked climate change in the top six risks.
John Kerry, the US special envoy for climate, told MPs the climate crisis posed huge risks to global defence and security. “If we don’t respond adequately, I think we will see an undermining of the common principles around which we have organised our defence and security communities,” he said.
“When you see a threat coming and know that there are things that are existential, responsible people are supposed to respond. In much of the world today there is not an adequate response to the cause.”
New areas of conflict were likely to emerge as a result of the climate crisis, the committee heard. One key concern for the military was the melting ice caps, the report said. Scientists predict in 10-15 years’ time the Arctic will be open water in the summer, creating an international scramble for resources which were previously undiscoverable. The Arctic will also become a key trade route, but Russia has already said it considers the Arctic waters to be its own internal sea waters, raising the prospect that it will block access.
“The increasing exploitation of the Arctic for international trade and exploration for critical minerals gives greater importance to the role of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) as a security alliance in the ‘high north’,” the report said. “The Ministry of Defence should assess how the JEF might need to be adapted in the face of climate-change induced developments in the Arctic and beyond.”
MPs said the MoD was not doing enough to reduce its emissions, which make up more than half of the government’s total emissions. MPs highlighted what they said was a lack of ambition in the targets it had set itself and called for the appointment of a dedicated climate change director, to give full focus to the critical task.
Not enough was being done to transform the defence vehicle fleet away from fossil fuels, the report found. In the next few years the MoD would take delivery of 1,000 Challenger 3, Ajax and Boxer armoured vehicles, all powered by diesel, many of which will still be in service by the 2050 target date for the UK to reach net zero.
Tobias Ellwood, the Conservative chair of the defence committee, said the scientific consensus on climate change was clear and overwhelming. “We must reduce carbon emissions dramatically and quickly … there is much more that the MoD can do to play its part.
“Maintaining the UK’s military capabilities must be given primacy and cannot be subject to compromise. However, the MoD must not hide behind maintaining capabilities as an excuse to avoid making progress elsewhere.”
He said doing nothing was not a valid option for such a high-emitting area of government.
“Climate change is a long-term challenge that will impact generations, but strong action is needed now. The MoD can play an important role in delivering net zero – it just needs to show leadership and ambition.”
