The environmental costs of armed conflict

A thematic brief for funders

Militarism is an often overlooked driver of climate change and ecological degradation. From mass death and pollution to adverse generational health outcomes, the impacts of militarism extend far beyond the moment and site of conflict.

Military operations consume enormous quantities of fossil fuels and often enable extraction through conflict and occupation. Militarized policing and repression weaken the civic space necessary for frontline communities to defend their land and resources.

Movements are responding to increasing militarism by securing legal accountability, restoring ecosystems, strengthening community-governed food and energy systems, and resisting the expansion of extractive industries.