Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of divestment in the UK defence industry as a consequence of (a) the Paris Climate Agreement and (b) UK Climate Transition Benchmarks.

We have not carried out an assessment into the impacts of divestment in the UK’s Defence Industry due to (a) the Paris Climate Agreement and (b) UK Climate Transition Benchmarks. This is because we see no conflict between investment in Defence and sustainable investment. The Defence Industrial Strategy - Statement of Intent, published in December 2024, identified the mobilisation of additional private sector investment as essential to the Government’s agenda to strengthen our nation’s defences and grow our economy.

Reducing the carbon footprint of Defence is not differentiated from this investment. Accelerating the development and adoption of dual use energy and circular economy technologies can deliver operational advantage and resilience while reducing emissions. For example, trials integrating alternative fuel sources and renewable energy technology can further unlock an ability to operate for longer periods without resupply and at greater reach across a dispersed battlefield.

Our ambition is for a better, more integrated, more innovative and more resilient defence industry and we will be publishing a Defence Industrial Strategy aligned to this ambition.