Appendix
A.8 Estimation of the greenhouse gases caused by the German Bundeswehr
Scope 1 data (NIR / UNFCCC).
The National Inventory Register (NIR)1https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/en/publikationen/submission-under-the-united-nations-framework-7 lists data for „combustion-related emissions from the military sector“ (Scope 1) in category 1.A.5. The following is based on the 2022 edition of the NIR data, which is broken down as follows:
1.A.5.a stationary in Section 3.2.13.1.
Value for 2020: 744 kt CO2e.
1.A.5.b mobile in NIR Table 92 (from 2022 report) – figures in kt CO2e.
|
Year |
Total mobil |
Portion Aircraft absolute and percentage |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
2015 |
580 |
275 |
47 % |
|
2016 |
562 |
284 |
51 % |
|
2017 |
341 |
111 |
33 % |
|
2018 |
281 |
76 |
27 % |
|
2019 |
482 |
277 |
57 % |
|
Average |
441 |
186,5 |
39 % |
|
Tab. A-8: Emissionen mobile from NIR-table 92 (2022) Note in NIR Section 3.2.15: „The German emissions inventories do not record emissions from international missions of the German Armed Forces, under NATÖ or UN mandates; instead, they list them as „not estimated“ (NE) memo items. The reason for this is a lack of information regarding the fuel quantities (activity data) required/used in the framework of such mandates.“ The table excerpt shows that the official figures are highly dependent on fluctuating air traffic. |
Another category is 2.G.2.a: Applications Military AWACS. However, SF6 emissions are classified and are only included in the NIR in cumulative form with other applications.
Note on official values: figures are not consistent because both fossil fuel consumption figures in TerraJoules and GHG emission factors are retroactively corrected with each new NIR.
Note in NIR section 4.8.2.1.5: „SF6 is used as an insulating medium for radar in Boeing E-3A (NAEWF; formerly, AWACS) aircraft, which are large military surveillance aircraft. It is used to prevent electrical arcing, towards the antenna, in waveguides with high voltages in excess of 135 kV. Öngoing emissions are relatively high, since SF6 is released to equalize pressure as aircraft climb.“
Scope 2 data (Ministry of Defence / Sustainable report).
The development of stationary electricity consumption (according to Scope 2) is presented in the BMVg Sustainability Report (SA) 2020 as follows in section 7 (electricity and thermal energy consumption):
Over the years 2015 to 2019, there is a relatively constant consumption of approximately 1.0 million MWh. The CO2 emission factor for conversion into million t CO2 was 0.5 during this period.
However, due to the strongly increasing share of renewable energies, the factor 0.4 is used below.32 This corresponds to per capita emissions of 1.7 tons.
This results in emissions from electricity consumption of approx. 400 kt CO2e.
The total stationary emissions from Scope 1 and 2 thus amount to approx. 1140 kt CO2e.
Estimation Scope 1 to 3
In the study „Under the Radar“ (Parkinson u. Cottrell, 2021), Germany’s total military carbon footprint, including indirect emissions from upstream processes and the supply chain, was projected to be approximately 4.5 million t CO2e. However, the basis for the calculation is incorrect. A recent working paper by these authors2https://www.sgr.org.uk/publications/estimating-military-s-global-greenhouse-gas-emissions adopts a new methodological approach to determine Scope 3 emissions. Based on comparative figures from other global economic sectors, the emissions from operational activities (corresponding to NIR category 1.A.5.b) are multiplied by the factor 5.8. For Germany, this would result in a value of 2.6 million t CO2e .
Since the data on operational emissions (mobile share) are more or less questionable in contrast to stationary emissions, the authors use a fixed ratio as a calculation factor. However, this value is much higher for the USA and UK as well as the EU average than for Germany. It follows that the mobile emissions in the German NIR are incomplete and that the above-mentioned factor of 5.8 would result in a much higher emission value.
