NATO chief: Armies must keep pace with global climate efforts

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg poses for a picture during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, November 2, 2021. REUTERS/Phil Noble

GLASGOW (Reuters) - The world's armies must keep pace with global efforts to tackle climate change and cut their huge carbon footprints according to clearly defined benchmarks, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday.

Little reliable data exists on emissions created by military activities but there is no doubt they are big: a 2019 report conluded the U.S. military would be the world's 47th largest emitter of greenhouse gases if it were a country.