If you listen to this podcast, chances are you’ve heard of the global target of “net zero emissions” by 2050. You’ve probably also heard about how off track we are from meeting it. But what if I told you we’re even more off track than you might think, because thanks to some effective lobbying, governments don’t have to count the emissions from their militaries, despite their being some of the world’s foremost consumers of fossil fuels. Like me, you might be wondering how that happened, and what special treatment for the military might mean for our ability to tackle climate and ecological crisis.

Here to answer these questions and many more is Khem Rogaly, Senior Researcher at Common Wealth, our partners in The Break Down. In today’s episode, we break down the complex, often hidden, but vitally important relationship between militaries and the climate crisis, from their long-standing role in upholding the fossil fuel economy to the enormous extent to which governments prioritise military spending over other urgent tasks — not least addressing a climate crisis that makes us all more insecure.

Khem Rogaly is a Senior Researcher at Common Wealth whose work focuses on the military industry, green industrial planning and housing. He has previously worked on decarbonisation and energy efficiency at E3G and on housing policy at Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Further Reading

‍Khem Rogaly et al., "Less War, Less Warming: A Reparative Approach to US and UK Military Ecological Damages", Common Wealth & Climate + Community Project.

Khem Rogaly, "Welfare to Arms: Shareholder Payouts in the Arms Industry Since 2010", Common Wealth.

Neta Crawford, "Pentagon Fuel Use, Climate Change and the Costs of War", Watson Institute, Brown University.

Rachel Havrelock, "Pipelines in the Sand: The Middle East After Sykes-Picot", Foreign Affairs.