Emissions Mitigation as a National Security Investment

Abstract

Germany's first National Security Strategy identifies sustainability as a pillar of peace and stability. However, in navigating the recent energy crisis resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the government has prioritized short-term crisis management over long-term climate goals. If the Zeitenwende is to be a larger policy shift, Chancellor Olaf Scholz needs to drive the cabinet to re-prioritize rapid decarbonization to meet climate obligations. Fostering independence from fossil-fuel autocracies and averting the disintegration of the multilateral efforts to protect the global commons lay the basis for freedom and security.