Reframing an Established Order? An Analysis of the Defense Departments’ Climate Change Strategies of EU and NATO Member States

Abstract This article examines the climate strategies of defense departments (DoDs). Climate change is of significant importance to armed forces as they are both large emitters and landholders, but also critical providers of humanitarian relief in the wake of disasters. This paper presents an inductive, thematic analysis of climate strategies by the Departments of Defense (DoDs) of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states and European Union member states, published since 2020. It sheds light on their framing of climate change, their anticipated impact on the organizations, and their planned responses to it. The article highlights two main points. Firstly, it demonstrates that the strategies exhibit considerable overlap, providing a foundation of shared perspectives on which actions may be based. Secondly, it argues that while armed forces publicly position themselves as proactive in addressing climate change and achieving environmental targets, this engagement remains largely confined within established understandings and alliances. DoDs primarily frame climate change as a “threat multiplier,” are concerned about the adverse effects on operational readiness, and find solutions in technical developments, innovations, and—primarily existing—collaborations. These outlined approaches and solutions do not fundamentally reconfigure the military’s established norms, values, or core objectives to incorporate a deep commitment to climate change mitigation.