Environmental impact of 100 billion Euro for armaments investments

Problem outline and short study

The study contains a compact presentation of existing methods that enable an eco-balancing of the 100 billion investment package (“extra asset”) for the German military, which was fixed by law and constitution in springtime 2022.

In detail these are:

• Life-cycle cost (LCC) management for military equipment.

• Standards-based sustainability reporting for the armament industry

• Organisational life cycle assessments (O-LCA)

• Progress reports by the Federal Ministries – with the involvement of the Ministry of Defence – on the implementation of the German Climate Protection Act

• International expansion of the UNFCCC reporting system on greenhouse gas emissions in a mandatory form, including all supply chains (Scope 1, 2 and 3).

Core technical statements of the study are:

• The life-cycle costs of armaments must at least be included with estimates in investment projects. In fact, the actual procurement and follow-up costs are considerably higher due to the technological demands of the military.

• The very high technological requirements for new armament projects lead to a shortage of globally limited minerals and metals. At the same time, these are necessary for the expansion of ecological energy production.

• A national and international comprehensive reporting system for the production and use of armaments must be established. This is the only way to achieve a drastic and efficient reduction in the consumption of industrial resources caused by military activities and the associated greenhouse gas emissions.

As a political outlook, the study points out that a continuation of confrontational, global armament is contrary to the common security of the world’s population in times of combating climate change and the adaptation measures that are already necessary for this.