As the planet nears critical ecological thresholds, the carbon clock is ticking down. According to the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, at current emission rates, we have just four years left before we exhaust the carbon budget required to limit warning to 1.5°C. Every decision we collectively make now either deepens the crisis or lessens its impacts. Yet in this rapidly narrowing window of existential action, governments continue to pour billions into warfare — one of the most destructive, carbon-intensive undertakings under any circumstances.

The carbon footprint of war is often unaccounted for in national inventories, and it remains invisible in climate negotiations — yet the earth’s atmosphere does not recognize these exemptions. More than 5 per cent of global emissions are linked to conflict or militaries. Recent research estimates that 15 months of Israel bombing Gaza, including arms production, military operations, and post-conflict reconstruction has and will contribute 32 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent (tCO2e) from October 2023 — January 2025. That’s more than the annual emissions of 41 of the lowest-emitting countries and territories........

© National Observer