Greening the armies : is a sustainable approach to national defence possible?

The need to reconcile climate and defence priorities is becoming increasingly pressing, especially at a time of significant increases in military activities and expenditure. This has received explicit support from the NATO Secretary General, who, in line with efforts undertaken so far by the EU, underlined the importance of having armed forces that are both robust and environmentally responsible. This paper investigates this topic, although it does not address the broader issue of the impact of warfare itself on C02 emissions and the environment. The first part highlights the potential win-win strategies of bringing together climate and defence objectives. The use of green resources already looks feasible for military installations and training activities, but could also offer very real operational advantages, something which is already being explored by several countries.