Select committee: Defence Committee
Conclusion 2
Eighth Report - Defence and Climate Change
Published 18 Aug 2023
Paragraph 29
Addressed to Ministry of Defence
Defence Committee Defence and Climate Change All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Military equipment will need to be adapted to operate effectively under the more extreme temperature ranges that are predicted, as well to help reduce emissions, although this should be achieved without compromising military capability. This process cannot be delayed; more than a 1,000 new tanks and other armoured vehicles with conventional diesel engines will enter service in the next few years and will still be in service after the 2050 net zero target. Armed Forces training will also need to be adapted in the face of rising global temperatures, so military readiness to respond to crises is not eroded.
From: Defence Committee, Eighth Report - Defence and Climate Change (HC 179), paragraph 29, 18 August 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 8 November 2023 (deadline 18 October 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The MOD welcomes the inquiry and says its climate work is "already aligned to many of the Inquiry's recommendations", while stating that it will "never damage our national security for the sake of sustainability targets".
- On the Committee's recommendation for more demanding Science Based Targets, the MOD says it is "currently not planning on using Science Based Targets", because they "could undermine or drive perverse decisions" about current capabilities.
- On independent verification of emissions and a standalone annual climate report, it says there are "no plans" for either, citing the scale and complexity of its activities for verification.
- On separate emissions reporting by Top Level Budget holders, the MOD says only that it "will assess whether" these organisations' emissions "should also be reported" in its Annual Reports and Accounts.
- On the housing stock and MACA tasks, it commits to timed reviews: an accommodation investment strategy review "planned to conclude by the end of 2023" and a DSTL review of MACA and HADR activity "to be complete by end 2023".