A new article from Prothom Alo examines how the world's largest military powers hide their greenhouse gas emissions. While China accounts for 32 percent of global carbon emissions and the US for 13 percent, the military sector alone is estimated to be responsible for 5.5 percent of all global emissions. Yet the Paris Agreement does not require disclosure of military emissions, leaving a major blind spot in climate accountability. The article highlights that many of the 60 biggest military spenders fail to fully report their carbon footprints. Russia reported a drop in emissions during its invasion of Ukraine, which is physically impossible given the fossil fuel intensity of war. The piece calls for mandatory disclosure of military emissions and an end to what it calls the 'carbon bootprint' of armed conflict. For carbon market professionals, the article raises important questions about the completeness of national emissions inventories and the credibility of climate pledges. If military emissions remain unaccounted for, global carbon accounting is incomplete and offsets or credits based on national targets may be based on flawed data.
