Net Zero Militaries: Retaining Operational Effectiveness in a Low Carbon World
Climate, Sustainability and Defence Webinar Series
From November 2023 to May 2024, the NETZMIL Project at Loughborough University partnered with the Sovereignty and Climate Centre, and the Centre for Defence Economics and Force Development (NCAD) at the Brazilian Superior Defence College, to run a series of webinars on ‘Climate Change, Sustainability and Defence’.Supported by the Brazilian Association of Industries of Defence Materials (ABIMDE) and Loughborough University, the series drew together leading experts and practitioners in the field. The outcomes of the webinars, including analysis and recommendations, have been published in Portuguese and English.Full recordings of the webinars and the mentioned reports are available on the links below.
Later this year, the organisers will host another event to launch a complete compendium of the reports. Further details to follow.
1st Webinar: Climate Change and National Defence
The first webinar, ‘Climate Change and National Defence’, took place on November 16th 2023, with the participation of Gen Sergio Etchegoyen (ret., Brazilian Army), Gen Richard Nugee (ret., British Army), Dr Duncan Depledge, Dr Tamiris Santos and was moderated by Dr Peterson Silva (ESD). The discussion focused on defence’s means to implement climate change and sustainability agenda, as well as its practices regarding achieving operational advantage across different scenarios and theatres of operation, particularly having the following context as a background: a future in which the availability of fossil fuels will be lower and, consequently, the competition for strategic resources, as well as the vanguard of cutting-edge technology will increase significantly.
2nd Webinar: Sustainable Innovation and Defence Economics
The second webinar, ‘Sustainable Innovation and Defence Economics’, took place on March 1st 2024, and brought together experts from Brazil and the UK to discuss the intersection between sustainable innovations and defence economics, highlighting key aspects such as decarbonisation, the role of academia, research and innovation, as well as the challenges and opportunities for sustainable innovation in the public and private sectors. Ms. Larissa Querino (ABDI), Mr. William Rospendowski (FINEP) and Dr Sarah Ashbridge (DSTL) protagonised the discussions, moderated by Dr Tamiris Santos.
3rd Webinar: State, Defence Industry and Energy Transitions
The third webinar, ‘State, Defence Industry and Energy Transitions’, took place on April 26th 2024, and shed light on energy transition challenges from the government and the defence industry standpoints, particularly addressing topics related to energy security, technology, research and development and the ongoing investments for these purposes. Additional issues related to the opportunities and initiatives providing significant impact for Brazil and the UK, such as the potential of critical minerals. Dr Roberto Gallo (ABIMDE), Mr Valmir Dias (FCDO/UK Embassy in Brazil) and Ms. Victoria Doherty (QinetiQ) discussed those issues and much more, moderated by Dr Peterson Silva (ESD).
4th Webinar: Defence and New Sustainable Technologies in the Aviation Sector
Drawing the series to a close, the fourth webinar, ‘Defence and New Sustainable Technologies in the Aviation Sector’, took place on May 24th, 2024. The discussions, led by Dr Amanda Duarte (RBQAV), Dr José Luis Gonçalves (SENAI CIMATEC), Mr Tiago Pereira (ANAC) and Mr Andrew Sweeney (RAF), brought insights and thoughtful comments on how air mobility may be redefined, particularly considering the road towards Net Zero and operational effectiveness amidst unprecedented climate-related challenges and the potential of ongoing sustainable technology. This session was moderated by NETZMIL Principal Investigator, Dr Duncan Depledge.
