The accelerating global arms race is hindering climate action as critical minerals that are key to a sustainable future are being diverted to make the latest military hardware, according to a report
The study from the Transition Security Project – a joint US and UK venture – reveals how the Pentagon is stockpiling huge stores of critical minerals that are needed for a range of climate technologies including solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles and battery storage.
It found that since the US president, Donald Trump, passed his “one big beautiful bill” earlier this year, the Pentagon – through its National Defense Stockpile programme – has earmarked billions of dollars to secure a growing list of critical minerals for use in military hardware – from precision-guided weaponry and advanced communication systems to an emerging arsenal of military technologies such as “AI-driven autonomous warfare platforms”.
Khem Rogaly, co-director of Transition Security Project, said: “The Pentagon’s trillion dollar budget supports a global infrastructure designed for US military domination, not national security. Using precious resources to feed the expanding military industrial complex, rather than addressing the existential threat of the climate crisis, demonstrates the global insecurity produced by the Pentagon.”
Military spending has increased in large areas of the world in recent years after growing tensions between the US and China and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The report warns this new arms race is halting attempts to tackle the climate crisis as countries scramble to secure critical minerals for the next generation of weapons.
The study found that at least 38 minerals and metals, including lithium, cobalt, graphite and rare earth elements that form the basis of the energy transition are being stockpiled by the Pentagon with potentially devastating effects on climate action.
It found the Pentagon’s Defense Logistics Agency plans to stockpile almost 7,500 metric tons of cobalt. The report calculates that could instead be used to produce 80.2 GWh of battery capacity – more than double existing energy storage capacity in the US and enough to produce approximately 100,000 electric buses.
Lorah Steichen, the report’s author, said: “Every ton of cobalt or graphite stockpiled for the military could be used instead for electric buses, large-scale energy storage or other renewable technologies needed for the energy transition. These materials should accelerate decarbonisation, not fuel the insatiable war machine.”
The US Department of Defense is the largest institutional emitter of planet-heating emissions in the world, responsible for about 80% of the US government’s emissions and generating more pollution than entire individual countries.
Pentagon officials have long been concerned the consequences of the climate crisis could hinder its activities, by flooding coastal bases or destabilising countries through the…
Source link
Disclaimer
We strive to uphold the highest ethical standards in all of our reporting and coverage. We blogs.grocliq.com want to be transparent with our readers about any potential conflicts of interest that may arise in our work. It’s possible that some of the investors we feature may have connections to other businesses, including competitors or companies we write about. However, we want to assure our readers that this will not have any impact on the integrity or impartiality of our reporting. We are committed to delivering accurate, unbiased news and information to our audience, and we will continue to uphold our ethics and principles in all of our work. Thank you for your trust and support.
Website Upgradation is going on for any glitch kindly connect at [email protected]
