Climate Damage From Armed Conflict And Emerging Erga Omnes Environmental Obligations

Armed conflicts generate consequences that extend far beyond immediate humanitarian devastation and geopolitical instability. Warfare is also increasingly recognized as a significant driver of environmental degradation and climate change. Recent studies indicate that military operations, destruction of infrastructure, landscape fires, and post-conflict reconstruction generate substantial greenhouse gas emissions and long-term ecological damage.

Recent conflicts illustrate the scale of these impacts. The war in Ukraine, for example, has generated approximately 230 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions between February 2022 and early 2025, resulting from military operations, landscape fires, destruction of energy infrastructure, and reconstruction activities.