The war machines and lucrative arms industries are at the heart of our climate crisis. They are fossil fuel dependent, largely rooted in the big economies and are the manifestation of decades of colonial, neo-colonial, imperialist policy-making. It has resulted in a century and more of perpetual war waged on innocent civilians and our home planet.
To abolish war is to eliminate a major contributor to death, environmental destruction and climate chaos. To abolish war is to begin to see the end of the military-fossil fuel relationship. To abolish war is one necessary step in pursuit of the end of fossil fuels and the zero-carbon world we must achieve. This report unpacks the issue, gives an historical context and offers up ways forward.
Recommendations
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- Decarbonisation of the military-oil-industrial complex: All nations to include their militaries and the associated supply chains (eg the military technology industry) in their GHG emission reduction plans and targets in NDCs and NAPS.
- Implement Article 2.1.(c) of the Paris Agreement which obliges states to “making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development”. Increasing and high military spending undermines the mandate of Article 2.1.(c) and should therefore be progressively reduced to bare minimum.
- Proposal for demilitarisation: since military spending accelerates the climate emergency, a Working Group should be formed led by progressive nations that wish to support research, advancement and implementation of route(s) by which nations can agree on the universal and equitable redirection of wasted military spending to climate finance and just transition.
- UN general and complete disarmament (GCD) goal: Restart UN’s longstanding GCD process, and this time not just in words but in practical and tangible actions. Let’s help the United Nation make war ‘history’.
Accompanying blog post is available here.
Ending Fossil Fuels and Abolishing War: A Crossroads Reached is one of Tipping Point North South’s Transform Defence for Sustainable Human Safety series of reports and briefings that offer fresh new thinking for addressing military emissions as well as progressively converting military spending into funding for climate finance, strengthening sustainable human safety, and averting climate catastrophe.
September 2026
Written by Dr Ho-Chih Lin and Deborah Burton.
