Science Business: European Defence Industry Looks to Kickstart its Green Revolution
Chair of ASD’s Task Force on climate and defence, and Sustainability Group Director at BAE Systems, Deborah Allen was interviewed for Science Business on the European defence industry's push for sustainability.
There's a growing recognition from industry and governments that the sector cannot be excluded from Europe’s climate goals. Deborah Allen is quoted as saying “There’s a perception of defence as not only bad, but also dirty. And that’s something we’re trying to correct.”
There’s a concerted effort within the industry to collectively address sustainability challenges. This includes implementing eco-design concepts and transitioning to more efficient and sustainable products and processes.
The article discusses calculating the sector’s carbon footprint, and the challenges the industry faces in making changes. “Not only does the operational capability have to be there, but products such as fighter jets take a long time to develop, and can then remain in service for years or even decades, meaning major changes require long-term thinking.”
Where we can really make a difference is either by changing out a product together, say replacing a fighter jet with a simulation for training pilots, or by changing the fuel they operate on and designing them to be more efficient
Climate and defence
Read more about GHG emissions from the defence sector and industry; work on reducing emission across the lifecycles of defence-related products; and the lower-emission technologies already being developed, tested and used in the defence industry.