'Huge' Carbon Footprint Of Wars Overlooked By COP25 Agenda - Anti-War Movement Chief
Umer Jamshaid Published December 10, 2019 | 10:28 PM
Wars leave behind a carbon footprint disproportionate to the funds that are invested in mitigating it, yet some countries are embarrassed to bring up this issue at international platforms like the 25th UN Climate Change Conference (COP25), David Collins, head of the Movement for the Abolition of War in the United Kingdom, told Sputnik
"We think the UK is one of the most war-like states, almost continuously at war, and somewhere in the world all the time. The UK makes a security risk assessment, how much percent of the risk, but the risk we have here is 100 percent. Yet the funds are going to the military side of a huge proportion. And the states finance for international climate change mitigation is 0.3 percent of the military budget," Collins said.
The anti-war movement chief believes that redirecting this money toward the fight against climate change is a better investment than toward military expenditures "that simply cause even more problems in the future."
"The carbon footprint of war is huge. If you take 220 ships, billions of liters of petrol [are needed] to supply those troops in the Iraq war.
Then you have all these aircraft, tanks, armament manufactures all that is creating an enormous amount of carbon," Collins continued.
According to him, deforestation and petrol fires are only some of the dreadful environmental impacts of heavy military investments.
"But this is not on the agenda at all. There is not one single speech linked between war, the military and climate change. Britain would be embarrassed to bring this subject up when it's all over the world causing all these troubles. I think that's quite a significant thing that is not on the agenda," Collins said.
He added that their organization was put on a waiting list to speak at the COP25 and that wait continues.
The COP25 launched on December 2 in the Spanish capital of Madrid and will run through Friday. The agenda is focused on the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement on climate change. The treaty's most well-known premise is to try to keep the global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels and to ideally pursue an even lower limit of 1.5 degrees.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Journalists call for global action to end Gaza’s humanitarian crisis
CM for generating opportunities to bring direct int'l investment
Pakistan retains position in FTSE secondary emerging market
High Commissioner of Malaysia hosts Iftar dinner reception
NEPRA announces 2nd quarterly adjustment in power bills with Rs 1.68 cut per uni ..
Hoopo Inc. Collaborates with SAU to Install Solar-Powered RO Plant
04 killed in Spain as Storm Nelson looms
Russian military jet crashes into sea off Crimea: Governor
Rain-windstorm/thunderstorm likely at various parts of country
Implementation of Sindh Agriculture Workers Act-2019 demanded
Pandemic accord talks heading for extra time
Khawaja reiterates PM commitment to judiciary
More Stories From World
-
Bus plunges off S.Africa bridge killing 45: ministry
4 hours ago -
S.Africa's ex-president Zuma barred from May election
4 hours ago -
Tax the rich: slow progress on the international front
5 hours ago -
Bus plunges off S.Africa bridge killing 45: ministry
5 hours ago -
Russia sentences journalist to 2 years in prison, detains others
5 hours ago -
France asks for foreign help for Olympics security: officials
5 hours ago
-
04 killed in Spain as Storm Nelson looms
6 hours ago -
Russian military jet crashes into sea off Crimea: Governor
6 hours ago -
Pandemic accord talks heading for extra time
6 hours ago -
French parliament backs bill against hair discrimination affecting black women
6 hours ago -
Russia says 'evidence' links Ukraine to Moscow attack
6 hours ago -
Russian shelling kills three in Ukraine, officials say
6 hours ago