Obnovitelně.cz | Military Buildup or Emission Reduction? Defense Spending and Decarbonization Are Not Mutually Exclusive

The argument that we cannot afford the green transition due to defense spending is flawed. Security is not just about having enough military equipment. On the contrary, Europe must invest in decentralized and renewable energy sources, infrastructure, and energy storage precisely for the sake of energy security. Ukraine experiences daily attacks on the backbone of its energy system. If we do not decarbonize our energy grid and thus diversify the risk, a few precisely targeted attacks could completely disable our energy system.

Some politicians propose covering rising defense expenditures with funds allocated for decarbonization. One frequently mentioned argument is that the emissions trading system should not be expanded to include household heating and fuels, and that the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) should be abolished. However, revenues from these measures are expected to flow into the EU budget, which is intended, among other things, to finance the strengthening of the defense industry. If these funds are missing, higher defense spending at the European level will not materialize. Moreover, member states will have to compensate for the missing funds from their own budgets, as they will be reluctant to cut other EU expenditures, such as cohesion policies or agriculture. Currently, the Czech Republic receives up to 95% of its EU funding from these areas.

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