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Select Committee · Defence Committee

Defence and Climate Change

Status: Closed Opened: 12 May 2022 Closed: 11 Dec 2023 4 recommendations 12 conclusions 1 report

What needs to be done to achieve the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy’s number one international priority of meeting climate change and biodiversity loss commitments over the next decade? What will be the impacts of climate change on future conflict and how are UK Armed Forces adapting to them? Are UK … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Eighth Report - Defence and Climate Change HC 179 18 Aug 2023 16 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
9 Conclusion Eighth Report - Defence and Climate Cha… Rejected

Measuring total defence carbon emissions provides a gold standard for military reporting.

Measuring and reporting against the total defence carbon emission figure would support both the Government’s agenda of reducing emissions to net zero by 2050, but also provide a gold standard of military emissions reporting for other countries to emulate. Good practice would be to ensure these figures are independently verified. Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states it already publishes emissions data in its Annual Report and Accounts and re-baselined in FY21-22 to capture more directly influenced emissions, with its methodology verified internally. However, it explicitly states there are no plans to independently verify its emission reporting and it …
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Ministry of Defence
10 Recommendation Eighth Report - Defence and Climate Cha… Rejected

Publish in-depth annual review of Defence climate performance and explain reporting discrepancies.

The Ministry of Defence should return to publishing a more in-depth, stand-alone annual review of its climate and sustainability performance, with independent verification of emissions measuring and reporting. It should commission work to better understand total defence carbon emissions. It should also explain the apparent discrepancy in reporting overall emission … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government explains the discrepancy in reported emissions figures as due to a re-baselining in FY21-22 that expanded the scope of reporting. However, it explicitly states there are currently no plans to return to a stand-alone annual review of its climate and sustainability performance.
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Ministry of Defence
12 Conclusion Eighth Report - Defence and Climate Cha… Rejected

Adopt Science-Based Targets for Defence and develop carbon reduction plans for suppliers.

We welcome the Ministry of Defence’s efforts to expand coverage of carbon emissions, but more needs to be achieved to ensure all Defence emissions are measured. Best commercial practice for promoting emissions reductions and net-zero targets are the Science Based Targets initiatives (SBTi), which can also apply to major suppliers … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government explicitly states it is not planning on using Science Based Targets (SBT) for Defence, citing potential undermining of capabilities. While major suppliers were already obliged to publish climate reduction plans from September 2021 under PPN 06/21, HMG guidance states SBTs are not aligned …
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Ministry of Defence
16 Conclusion Eighth Report - Defence and Climate Cha… Rejected

Appoint a dedicated Ministry of Defence climate change director for focused decarbonisation coordination.

The Ministry of Defence should appoint a dedicated climate change director who would be able to fully focus on coordinating carbon reductions across the whole of Defence, including holding separate commands and organisations to account for progress in reducing emissions against their individual goals and measuring and reporting that progress … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation to appoint a dedicated climate change director, stating that the existing Levelling Up, Union, Climate Change and Sustainability (LUCCS) Directorate already coordinates these areas, and that combining these responsibilities brings together the three pillars of sustainability within the MOD.
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Ministry of Defence

Oral evidence sessions

6 sessions
Date Witnesses
23 May 2023 John Kerry · Executive Office of the President of the United States View ↗
21 Mar 2023 Baroness Annabel Goldie, Minister of State, Brig. Adrian Reilly · Ministry of Defence, James Clare · Ministry of Defence, Lt. Gen. Richard Wardlaw OBE · Ministry of Defence, Major General Robert Walton-Knight · Ministry of Defence, Nick Gurr · Ministry of Defence, Shimon Fhima · Ministry of Defence View ↗
6 Mar 2023 David Beasley · UN World Food Programme View ↗
28 Feb 2023 Dr Tim Clack · Climate Change and (In)security Project, Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Dr Andrew Sharpe · Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research (CHACR) View ↗
24 Jan 2023 Dr Stuart Parkinson · Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR), Linsey Cottrell · The Conflict and Environment Observatory View ↗
22 Nov 2022 Lt. Gen. Nugee (Rtd), Lead of Ministry of Defence’s 2021 Climate Change and Sustainability Review View ↗

Who gave evidence

14 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Baroness Annabel Goldie, Minister of State — 1
Brig. Adrian Reilly · Head of International Security Ministry of Defence 1
David Beasley · Executive Director UN World Food Programme 1
Dr Stuart Parkinson · Executive Director Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) 1
Dr Tim Clack · Co-director Climate Change and (In)security Project 1
James Clare · Director of Levelling Up, The Union, Climate Chan… Ministry of Defence 1
John Kerry · United States Special Presidential Envoy for Clim… Executive Office of the President of the United States 1
Linsey Cottrell · Environmental Policy Officer The Conflict and Environment Observatory 1
Lt. Gen. Nugee (Rtd), Lead of Ministry of Defence’s 2021 Climate Change and Sustainability Review — 1
Lt. Gen. Richard Wardlaw OBE · Chief of Defence Logistics and Support Ministry of Defence 1
Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Dr Andrew Sharpe · Director Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research (CHACR) 1
Major General Robert Walton-Knight · Director Strategy and Plans, Defence Infrastructu… Ministry of Defence 1
Nick Gurr · Director of International Security Ministry of Defence 1
Shimon Fhima · Director of Strategic Programmes Ministry of Defence 1