MADRID

NATO would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday, as he announced the first emission targets for the military alliance.
 

Stoltenberg’s remarks came at the High-Level Dialogue on Climate Change and Security.

Noting that NATO has the responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, he said that for this purpose, it has developed a methodology for measuring NATO's gas emissions, both civilian and military, for the first time.


"It (methodology) sets out what to count and how to count it. And it will be made available to all allies to help them reduce their own military emissions," he said.

"Based on this new methodology, I can announce today the first emission targets for NATO as an organization. By 2030, we will reduce emissions by at least 45%, reducing to net-zero by 2050," Stoltenberg added.

"We have conducted a thorough analysis of how to do this, it will not be easy, but it can be done," he said.

About the ongoing technological revolution in the transition to green energy, Stoltenberg said: "I believe that in the future, the most advanced military vehicles and the most resilient armed forces will be those that do not rely on fossil fuels."

"By making our equipment more efficient, and by taking full advantage of new technologies, we can improve our militaries and strengthen our security, as well as help tackle climate change. It will also increase our resilience," he added.