VOW and WILPF Canada recently sent a letter to the Minister of Environment & Climate Change expressing concerns about carbon-intensive military procurement and rising military expenditures in the midst of a climate emergency and calling for for ending the war, cutting military spending for climate finance, demilitarization for decarbonization and gender-responsive climate action.
“VOW and WILPF also want to bring to your attention that among all federal departments and agencies, it is the military that has the biggest carbon bootprint. DND including the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) consumes the most fossil fuel and is the largest emitter of GHGs. Carbon emissions from the military account for over 61% of all emissions by the federal government. Yet, military emission reductions are absent from Canada’s latest Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) because of the National Safety and Security exemption. As well, they are ignored in the federal government’s 2020 plan, A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, and from the 2021 report, Canada’s Climate Actions for A Healthy Environment and A Healthy Economy.”