Many of the countries contributing the most to UN Peacekeeping operations contribute the least to UNFCCC military GHG emissions reporting.
To mark this week’s UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin, Ellie Kinney explains its potential role in improving transparency over the reporting of military GHG emissions and shares recommendations that would help encourage decarbonisation.
Introduction
Since 1948, UN Peacekeeping operations have supported peace and security in dozens of countries, guided by the principles of consent, impartiality, and non-use of force (except in self-defence and defence of the mandate). Today, peacekeeping operations are also used to protect civilians, support elections, protect human rights and assist in disarmament.
But like all armed forces, UN Peacekeeping is carbon intensive, representing 41.6% of the UN system’s reported emissions. This means that peacekeeping has a key role to pay in the UN’s journey to net zero, but it is also uniquely positioned to push for progress on transparency and decarbonisation across the military sector.
Setting the standard for reporting
The UN has already taken important steps to reduce the climate and environmental impacts of its peacekeeping operations. Since the launch of the Environment Strategy for Peace Operations in 2017, peacekeeping and special political missions have begun to reduce their emissions, and the updated Way forward: Environment Strategy for Peace Operations 2023-2030 prioritises both reducing energy consumption and transitioning to renewable energy. Transparent reporting has been central to this progress; by measuring and reporting energy use, the UN has been able to track progress and identify areas for improvement.
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions cannot be effectively managed without being measured. However, while reporting military emissions to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) remains voluntary, most countries do not require their militaries to provide any meaningful GHG emissions reporting and as a result, data is unreliable and inconsistent. This outdated reporting exception is sometimes attributed to national security concerns, but the unique nature of UN Peacekeeping missions means that this argument isn’t relevant to this context, even if it made sense in the first place. Therefore, introducing standardised reporting to the UN Department of Operational Support (DOS) could make a significant impact in filling the data gap around military emissions, providing essential data to track progress and promote much-needed transparency in the military sector.
In addition to this, data gaps are often the most significant from militaries of Non-Annex 1 countries — those judged to have been in the process of industrialising in the 1990s. This is because they enjoy fewer reporting obligations to the UNFCCC and as a result, report very little if anything of their military emissions. Non-Annex 1 countries include India and Pakistan, who are within the top military spenders globally. However, both India and Pakistan, as well as Nepal, Rwanda and Bangladesh, are also some of the top contributors of personnel to UN Peacekeeping missions. This means that more comprehensive and transparent reporting of UN Peacekeeping missions could help unlock much needed and hard to access data to better understand the impact of Non-Annex 1 militaries on global emissions.
An opportunity to innovate
In addition to improving sector-wide transparency, UN Peacekeeping missions are also an ideal testing ground for renewable energy projects. This is because missions are often deployed in remote, conflict-affected areas with limited infrastructure, where camps must predominantly be self-sufficient — particularly in terms of energy, water and waste management. Renewable energy projects and improved environmental management also brings additional operational benefits, such reducing the strain on host countries, improving reputation, and fostering better relationships in communities.
For example, the Slovenian armed forces trial of a plug-in hybrid diesel generator cut fossil fuel use by 70%, and resulted in a quieter and less disruptive environment. This progress was driven by a vision to develop a zero-emission military camp by 2050, and is one of multiple innovations that have been fostered through decarbonisation-oriented partnerships between defence and civil stakeholders.
Training is also a key part of improving environmental management and states are already beginning to lead the way in providing pre-deployment climate and environmental training for military and peacekeeping personnel, such as the Slovenia-based Peace Operations Training Centre and the International Centre of Excellence on Environmental Protection, established by the Italian Carabinieri in Rome.
Finally, because mine action, and weapons and ammunition management are integral to peace operations, ensuring that these activities align with environmental standards such as International Mine Action Standard 07.13, can also help reduce emission and environmental harm, and support the climate resilience of communities.
Time to lead by example
The DOS is already supported by the Group of Friends for Leading on Environmental Management in the Field (LEAF): a group of UN member states co-chaired by Bangladesh and Italy. However, every country contributing personnel to UN Peacekeeping missions has the opportunity to make change and lead by example through reducing their emissions, setting high standards for reporting, and supporting the adoption of renewables.
The 2025 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial is a critical moment to turn ambition into action, providing an opportunity to deepen and scale these efforts. Troop contributing states can demonstrate leadership by committing to the following:
- Standardised emissions reporting: UN Peacekeeping should adopt a standardised framework for monitoring emissions across scopes 1, 2 and 3 of the GHG Protocol, which contributing states should commit to.
- Clear and communicated targets: All missions should set and communicate emissions reductions targets that are aligned with the 2015 Paris Agreement, integrating these into Mission Determined Contributions. Contributing states should share strategies, lessons learnt and case studies.
- Policy integration: All states should support the inclusion of military GHG emissions reduction protocols and environmental protection measures in relevant UN resolutions, decisions and documentation.
- Training and capacity building: Climate and environmental training should be mandatory for all UN Peacekeeping personnel before deployment, covering mitigation practices, and should support local community resilience to the effects of climate change and environmental degradation.
- Investment in solutions: Contributing states should commit resources and capital investment to support training, energy efficiency initiatives and proven low-carbon technologies that reduce overall environmental footprints.
As the climate crisis intensifies, the world’s militaries face growing pressure to reduce their climate and environmental impact. UN Peacekeeping has a unique opportunity to improve transparency and progress decarbonisation across the wider defence sector, and the progress made so far demonstrates that meaningful change is not only possible but already underway. The 2025 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial is a key moment to embed climate action and leadership into the future of peace operations — setting a precedent for militaries worldwide that encompasses improved emissions reporting, progress towards decarbonisation and greater environmental awareness among personnel.
Ellie Kinney leads CEOBS’ climate advocacy and has worked with the Slovenian Ministry of Defence to promote this decarbonisation agenda for UN Peacekeeping ahead of this year’s Ministerial. The key points from this post are available in this briefing note.
