The Gaza war's emissions in just two months surpassed the yearly carbon output of a score of the world's most climate-vulnerable nations, a groundbreaking study indicates.
The conflict produced 281,000 metric tons of CO2, mainly from Israel's military actions, equivalent to burning 150,000 tons of coal.
U.S. cargo planes delivering military supplies to Israel contributed nearly half of these emissions.
Rebuilding Gaza's damaged infrastructure will further exacerbate the climate crisis, with emissions comparable to New Zealand's annual output.
Key quote:
“This study is only a snapshot of the larger military boot print of war … a partial picture of the massive carbon emissions and wider toxic pollutants that will remain long after the fighting is over.”
— Benjamin Neimark, Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary, University of London.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg visited Kyiv on Thursday to draw attention to environmental damage caused by war in Ukraine and criticized the world's response to the June 6 collapse of the vast hydro-electric Kakhovka dam.
The military may be taking the threat of climate change seriously, but without reporting requirements, there’s a lack of transparency and accountability.
