The Defence Committee has published its report “Defence and Climate Change”, finding that work remains to be done to contribute to the UK’s 2050 net zero carbon emissions target.   

The report found that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) “can do much more to measure and reduce its emissions – without eroding military capability.”

Insufficient targets   

The report calls out the MOD’s decarbonisation targets as “insufficiently demanding”. Despite producing half of all central Government’s carbon emissions, the MOD has among the least demanding targets for reducing emissions.

To meet its 2025 target of reducing overall emissions by 30%, the MOD will be able to rely purely on the ongoing decarbonisation of the National Grid, without the need to take any action of its own.

“Targets are hardly stretching if they can be met without any effort,” the report finds, and calls for Defence to adopt much more demanding targets for the next round of Greening Government Commitment (GGC) targets from 2026-2030.

However, the report notes the RAF’s ambitious plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2040, a decade ahead of the Government’s 2050 target.

Measurement too narrow  

The Committee also calls on the MOD to measure a much broader range of emissions to generate an accurate picture of its own carbon footprint. GGC targets do not consider Service family accommodation and fuel used by the Services, which are a large portion of MOD’s true emissions.

Lack of coordination   

The report urges the MOD to appoint a dedicated climate change director, able to focus their entire effort on coordinating decarbonisation efforts and holding the separate commands and organisations across Defence to account for their progress in reducing emissions.

Emissions reporting   

The report calls for the MOD to demonstrate global leadership through robust reporting of defence emissions, offering an international gold standard. In particular, the report says the MOD should return to publishing a standalone annual review of its sustainability performance – which has not been published since 2018 – and for its figures to be independently verified.

It calls on top-level budget holders across Defence to better measure progress by reporting their emissions separately and publicly.

Chair of the Defence Committee, Tobias Ellwood MP, said:  

“The scientific consensus on climate change is clear and overwhelming: we must reduce carbon emissions dramatically and quickly.  While we welcome the progress that has been made so far, our report finds that there is much more that the MOD can do to play its part.

“The MOD is responsible for half of all central Government’s emissions and will need to play an essential role in meeting the Government’s target of becoming net zero by 2050.

“Maintaining the UK’s military capabilities must be given primacy and cannot be subject to compromise. However, the MOD must not hide behind maintaining capabilities as an excuse to avoid making progress elsewhere. In particular, the scope for improving the defence estate is huge – but this may require investment.

“The MOD's reporting of emissions has become too opaque. The UK is a global leader in both climate change and defence – we should be setting a gold standard for emissions reporting, that other countries can follow.

“The MOD should also ensure that its targets are sufficiently demanding. A target that can be reached by the decarbonisation of the National Grid alone is simply not ambitious enough for the challenge we face. Sitting back and doing nothing cannot be a valid option for such a high-emitting area of Government.

“The RAF’s committed target – intending to decarbonise a full decade before the Government’s deadline – proves that net zero ambition exists within Defence. But it is vital for the MOD to march as one, with coordination across the Services and teams. This is one of the many reasons why we recommend the MOD create a dedicated climate change director, who is able to give full focus to this critical task.

“Climate change is a long-term challenge that will impact generations, but strong action is needed now. The MOD can play an important role in delivering net zero – it just needs to show leadership and ambition.”