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Militarism and the Climate Crisis: From Baku to Belém
Militarism and the Climate Crisis: From Baku to Belém
A feminist call for demilitarisation in the UN climate process
Peace Boat, as part of the Peace & Demilitarisation Working Group of the Women & Gender Constituency, is pleased to invite you to an upcoming webinar organised for the Global Week of Action for Peace and Climate Justice, in support of the wider Draw the Line mobilisation.
Friday, 19 September 2025, 2pm UTC
Duration: 90 minutes
Registration link: HERE
How does militarism drive the climate crisis, and why is it ignored in UN climate talks? This webinar will unpack the links between war, military spending, emissions, fossil fuels, nuclear power, and climate injustice. We will reflect on the outcomes of COP29 in Baku, highlight the gaps in addressing peace and demilitarisation, and look ahead to COP30 in Belém — an “Implementation COP” that must confront militarism as a barrier to climate justice and a Just Transition.
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Speakers include:
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Deborah Burton – Founder, Tipping Point North South / Transform Defence
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Stuart Parkinson – Executive Director, Scientists for Global Responsibility
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Makoma Lekalakala – Director, Earthlife Africa Johannesburg
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Dennis Opondo – International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW)
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Katrin Geyer – Environment Advisor, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
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Fatemah Khafagy – Board of Directors, Alliance for Arab Women
Moderator: Karen Hallows, Peace Boat
About the event
Global military spending reached a record USD 2.7 trillion in 2024, while militaries are estimated to account for around 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Despite this, under the Paris Agreement, countries are not required to report military emissions, and military budgets remain absent from climate finance discussions. The imbalance is stark: while trillions are poured into weapons and war, only a fraction is invested in adaptation, loss and damage, or the care economies that sustain life.
Militarism is more than a question of spending or emissions. It is a system of violence, inequality, and extractivism that undermines peace and blocks a Just Transition to equitable, sustainable futures. From the promotion of nuclear power as a false climate “solution” to the deep ties between militarism and fossil fuel dependency, military agendas actively obstruct climate justice.
At COP29 in Baku, the Presidency launched the Climate and Peace Action Hub — a step forward in recognising the links between climate and security. Yet militarism itself was left unaddressed. As we look toward COP30 in Belém, framed as an “Implementation COP,” the stakes are clear: implementation must mean confronting militarism as a structural barrier to climate action and justice.
What the webinar will cover
This webinar will bring together feminist voices, researchers, and advocates to:
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Expose the blind spots: how military spending and emissions drive the climate crisis yet remain unaccounted for in UN climate processes.
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Challenge false solutions: the dangers of nuclear power with its links to nuclear weapons, and military greenwashing in climate spaces.
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Highlight global perspectives: how militarism undermines resilience, displaces communities, and prevents equitable transitions.
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Connect movements: building bridges between feminist, peace, and climate justice struggles.
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Look ahead to COP30: strategies for making militarism visible in Belém, ensuring that climate action is peace-positive, demilitarisation-positive, and feminist.
Why now?
This year’s Global Week of Action for Peace and Climate Justice, under the banner of Draw the Line, is calling to Demilitarise for a Just Transition. The message is clear: we cannot achieve climate justice while militarism continues to drive emissions, drain resources, and fuel violence.
This session is organised by the Peace & Demilitarisation Working Group, a cross-constituency group hosted by the Women & Gender Constituency, one of the nine constituencies of the UNFCCC, bringing together feminist and civil society advocates to advance this urgent call.