Disarmament is vital for climate justice and health – GWC Mag

In December 2023, the 28th UN climate summit (COP28) set a landmark with the adoption of two new themes on “health” and “relief, recovery, and peace.”1 Almost 2000 health professionals attended, which reflected awareness that the climate crisis is a massive public health threat.2 They were advocating throughout the event to ensure human and environmental health are at the centre of decision making.

The conference had several fruitful outcomes, including calls to transition away from fossil fuel energy systems and the establishment of the Loss and Damage funds for vulnerable communities.34 But the conference lacked urgent action to phase out fossil fuels and failed to acknowledge the damage caused by global militarisation to people and the planet.5 We must condemn militarisation and the military industrial complex, including mass investment in military technology and the modernisation of nuclear weapons.

The launch of the COP28 Declaration on Climate, Relief, Recovery, and Peace3 was another positive outcome that focused on solutions and mobilisation for more climate action in countries and communities affected by war and conflict. These actions included strengthening partnerships to improve disaster preparedness, early warning systems, and climate resilience. International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW)6 organised crucial action at COP28 to draw attention to the military industrial complex. The IPPNW, with our partners Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, advocated for a unified international focus on demilitarisation with demonstrations and discussion, and by providing information at the conference. With war in Ukraine, Gaza, and many other countries across the world, there was a call for peace, decolonisation, demilitarisation, and an end to occupation for social and climate justice. Policy makers were made aware that there have been few records of massive military carbon dioxide emissions since reporting was made voluntary after the Kyoto Agreement in 1997.7

Military greenhouse gas emissions accelerate climate breakdown, posing a severe threat to health and the climate. Military activity is estimated to contribute 5.5% of global emissions.8 Research in 2017 found that US defence operations produced more carbon emissions than Sweden or Portugal in the same year.9 Countries and military organisations should be part of negotiations and agree to the binding reporting of their emissions according to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change to meet the 1.5°C threshold.

Disarmament and demilitarisation can help finance mitigation of climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s recent report stated that moderate reductions in military spending, by resolving conflicts and international agreements on arms limitations, could free up considerable resources to tackle the climate crisis.10 In 2022, world military expenditure rose to $2240bn11 with $82.9bn spent on nuclear weapons alone. A recent report found that the $1.26tn of NATO’s military spending in 202312 would cover the most polluting nations’ unfulfilled promise of climate finance of $100bn a year for 12 years, or African countries’ climate adaptation and mitigation for four years.

Militaries and defence organisations are drafting climate strategies, but there is no evidence supporting the effectiveness of “greening” the military,13 and most military equipment will long outlast the 2050 closing window for climate action. Arms are being exported to countries that are climate-vulnerable and experiencing violent conflict, thereby exacerbating the double impact of violence and climate crisis.

Nuclear weapons pose an acute existential threat to human and environmental health. Even a so-called “limited”14 nuclear war would have catastrophic consequences on global climate. A new study by IPPNW15 shows that a nuclear war between India and Pakistan, both states with nuclear weapon capacity that are often in conflict, using less than 3% of the world’s nuclear arsenals, could kill up to every third person on earth. Climate agreements should urge that all governments join the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons16 at the earliest possible date.

Cooperation and human security should be at the centre of politics and decision making. The new “health” and “relief, recovery, and peace” days at COP28 open a tremendous platform for the health community to have a strong medical and public voice for existential threats—nuclear weapons and the climate crisis—through research, education, and advocacy. We need collaborative, intergenerational action to raise public awareness on demilitarisation for climate justice and health.