NATO's New Climate Change Agenda: Public Expectations and Military Realities
Last year NATO Allies agreed on an ambitious Climate Change and Security Action Plan, which seeks to mainstream Earth system evolution considerations across the entire NATO enterprise. Based on four pillars, the Action Plan envisions a series of steps to adapt NATO to a new strategic environment, while also identifying measures to mitigate the challenge.
On Awareness, NATO will undertake a comprehensive Climate Change and Security Impact Assessment, which will examine the consequences of Earth system evolution for NATO's strategic environment, for military installations, assets, missions, and operations, as well as resilience and civil preparedness. On Adaptation, NATO will integrate Earth system evolution considerations into all its major work strands, such as defense planning, capability delivery, procurement, and resilience work. On Mitigation, NATO will develop a greenhouse gas emissions mapping and analytical methodology that could serve as a basis for future reductions. On Outreach, NATO will strengthen exchanges with partner countries and other international organizations to share best practices on Earth system evolution and security issues.
The implementation of the Action Plan is now in full swing. However, there remains a tension between public expectations regarding military emissions reductions and the military requirement for operational effectiveness. New "clean" military technologies will play a major part in overcoming such tensions.
Michael Rühle is currently Head of the Hybrid Challenges and Energy Security Section, in the Emerging Security Challenges Division in NATO's International Staff. Previously he was Head, Speechwriting, and Senior Political Advisor in the NATO Secretary General's Policy Planning Unit. Mr. Rühle has published over 400 articles and book chapters on transatlantic security issues, including in International Affairs, Parameters, Politico, and NATO Review. His latest publication is the NATO chapter in the new edition of the Routledge Handbook of Diplomacy and Statecraft.
