QinetiQ : DSEI – Meeting Global Climate Commitments

Global commitments to carbon reduction can be the catalyst for further operational advantage, not a hindrance.

With an ever-evolving global landscape, militaries around the world are continually facing up to complex and diverse security challenges. Embracing innovation and harnessing new technologies is vital in maintaining advantage on the battlefield, ensuring we and our allies are prepared to defend ourselves and counter threats from adversaries.

This continued desire to modernise offers the ideal opportunity for militaries across the world to adapt and develop new sustainable ways of operating. For example, access to renewable energy generation can improve the resilience and agility of a force, whilst simultaneously reducing carbon emissions. In addition, the hunt to find new ways of improving energy efficiency can lead to an opening in new technologies that can also help to deliver improved military effectiveness, particularly around communications and logistics. Global commitments to carbon reduction can prove to be the catalyst for further operational advantage, not a hindrance.

At DSEI 2023, a panel titled "Meeting global commitments to climate change whilst exploiting opportunities to further our operational advantage", featuring Lucia Retter, Director of the Centre for Defence Economics and Acquisition, RAND, Cathy Davis CEng, Technology & Innovation Sustainability Director, BAE Systems and Linda Knutsen, Division Head, Exploration - Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) explored this further.

Effective action can only be undertaken if all Defence stakeholders come together and commit to change. Allied militaries are all facing the same challenge and as Lucia Retter, Director of the Centre for Defence Economics and Acquisition, RAND said, "It's vital that NATO learns from and with its allies".

Whether it's adaptation, communications or R&D, every organisation who works with and within Defence need to be closely aligned to help drive the shared commitment to tackle climate change, whilst ensuring military edge on the battlefield through greater efficiency. NATO has recently released its sustainability strategy.

More people, particularly younger generations, are enthusiastic and interested in contributing towards a more sustainable future. As Linda Knutsen, Division Head for Exploration, Dstl stated, "Scientists are very keen to work on and explore sustainability technology". There was acknowledgement amongst the panel that those companies which deliver and promote climate resilience will more likely to attract the brightest minds.

Green initiatives attracts a new generation of talent who are very passionate and interested in combatting climate change and yearn for a more sustainable way of living. How we act now depends on talent acquisition for the future. Through a desire to change to a more sustainable way of operating, the future workforce can help to deliver the operational advantage that Defence is looking to achieve.

It's imperative to make change but it's a complex challenge that includes culture change. It is widely acknowledged that the cost implications of not bringing in change are significant. For example, those nations who still use fossil fuels as part of their military operations in 50 years' time may struggle to access fuel, lose public support and be denied access to regulated areas such as green ports. Those who adapt to more sustainable technologies may have the potential to influence and shape the market. This is a crucial switch to active rather than passive 'fast following': understanding and influencing development of new solutions to avoid costly retrofits.

There is a need to model what the world will look like in the coming decades, ensuring that equipment and military assets can withstand changing conditions on the battlefield. This includes temperature changes, but also political, security and supply chain changes that will all have a direct impact on the demands on militaries and the options available to them.

More investment in digitisation and electrification now, paves the way for further opportunities down the line. By utilising digital capability, we can increase the development and use of synthetic training, saving huge amounts of money and carbon in live demonstrations that may not be needed or instead, could be just as advantageous in smaller quantities with greater knowledge and data. Synthetic training is a "great way to bring down emissions," according to Cathy Davis, Technology & Innovation Sustainability Director, BAE Systems. "It is vital to demonstrate the power this can bring and build knowledge on how to do this in practice."

The journey to decarbonise has only just begun. The threats and opportunities of future operating contexts will be substantially different to todays, across environment, technology, security and more. It is our duty to embrace the duality of this mission - meeting global commitments to combat climate change while exploiting opportunities to further the military advantage. Ultimately, we have the power to shape a more sustainable future for all, while also safeguarding our nations from emerging security challenges.