Climate Change
How the Military-Industrial Complex Fuels Climate Breakdown
The connection between climate change and militarism is undeniable—and yet often overlooked. The world’s most powerful military forces are among the largest institutional polluters on the planet. The U.S. Department of Defense, for instance, emits more greenhouse gases than entire countries like Portugal or Sweden. From jet fuel consumption and weapons testing to the construction of sprawling bases and deployment of fossil-fuel-dependent fleets, militaries worldwide are driving climate change at every level.
But the environmental cost of militarism doesn’t end with emissions. Warfare and military training exercises destroy ecosystems, pollute water supplies, and render land uninhabitable. In conflict zones, entire communities are displaced and forced to live under environmental stress. At home, military installations frequently contaminate air, soil, and drinking water in neighboring communities—often communities of color.
Diverting Resources from Climate Solutions
Each year, billions of dollars that could be used to invest in clean energy, climate resilience, and community-led sustainability projects are instead funneled into weapons manufacturing, war planning, and military expansion. The 2024 U.S. defense budget surpassed $800 billion, while spending on renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and global climate adaptation efforts remains a fraction of that total.
This is not just a question of misplaced priorities—it is a structural failure to meet the most pressing threat to human survival. A just transition to a livable planet cannot occur alongside an ever-expanding war economy.
🌱 The Peace Economy Project’s Perspective
At Peace Economy Project, we believe that the climate crisis is inseparable from the crisis of militarism. Our work aims to expose the environmental toll of endless war and to push for a bold reimagining of national security—one that centers human and ecological well-being, not military dominance.
A true peace economy is one where public funds are directed toward solutions that sustain life, not destroy it. This means advocating for significant cuts to the defense budget, ending the militarization of foreign policy, and demanding climate justice for communities harmed by military pollution and war.
We support movements that call for:
- Environmental demilitarization – including the closure of polluting bases and the cleanup of toxic military sites
- Divestment from fossil fuel-intensive defense industries
- Investment in green infrastructure, climate resilience, and peacebuilding strategies
- An end to extractive military interventions driven by oil, gas, and rare mineral interests
What You Can Do
- Contact your representatives to demand defense budget cuts and climate-focused reinvestment.
- Support climate and anti-war coalitions working to link environmental justice with peace advocacy.
- Educate your community about the climate cost of war and help reframe security through the lens of sustainability and cooperation.
Together, we can challenge the dominant narrative that war makes us safe—and replace it with a vision of peace that truly protects people and the planet.
PEP Articles About Climate and Militarism
Organizations Working On Climate and Militarism
350 Seattle – At the intersection of US militarism and the climate crisis, Anti War X Climate works in coalition with the Seattle Antiwar Coalition and Washington Against Nuclear Weapons.
Climate and Clean Air Coalition – CCAC promotes actions to reduce short-lived climate pollutants that have quick impacts on global warming, air quality, food security and human health.
Veterans for Peace – VFP’s Climate Crisis and Militarism Project is part of the world-wide movement to mitigate the climate crisis and promote peace and justice (climate, racial and economic).