European Parliament Calls for Closure of Military Emissions Gap

Nov 22, 2023 | Ellie Kinney
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The European Parliament prepares an annual resolution ahead of each UN climate conference, with new amendments proposed and debated, and which build on the text of previous years. This year’s text P9_TA(2023)0407 UN Climate Change Conference 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (COP28), was adopted by the plenary on 21st November, and marks the end of several months’ work by MEPs on new amendments in the parliament’s environment subcommittee.  

The first amendment passed at plenary was proposed by MEPs from the Left in the European Parliament and highlights the role that the defence sector has to play in reducing global emissions: The second half of this amendment, proposed by Greens-European Free Alliance MEP Pär Holmgren, addresses the fact that military emissions reporting to the UNFCCC is voluntary, and calls on the EU to be active in changing this:

As a signatory to the Paris Agreement, the European Union has a responsibility to limit warming to 1.5oC and its European Green Deal is driving the policies aiming to do this. While this week’s vote is very welcome, we now look to the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Commission and the Council to progress this commitment, as well as the recommendations already outlined in the Climate Change and Defence Roadmap.