A new report has issued a stark warning that the accelerating global arms race is actively undermining efforts to combat the climate crisis. The study reveals that critical minerals essential for renewable energy technologies are being diverted in large quantities to fuel the development of advanced weaponry.
Military Stockpiling vs. Green Transition
The research, conducted by the Transition Security Project – a joint US and UK initiative – found that the US Department of Defense, the Pentagon, is amassing huge reserves of materials crucial for a sustainable future. At least 38 minerals and metals, including lithium, cobalt, graphite, and rare earth elements, are being systematically stockpiled for military purposes.
This stockpiling is happening through the Pentagon's National Defense Stockpile programme. Since President Donald Trump passed significant legislation earlier this year, the programme has earmarked billions of dollars to secure these materials. They are destined for use in next-generation military hardware, from precision-guided missiles and advanced communications to emerging AI-driven autonomous warfare platforms.
The Staggering Scale of Diversion
The report quantifies the direct conflict between military and climate priorities. It highlights that the Pentagon's Defense Logistics Agency plans to stockpile nearly 7,500 metric tons of cobalt. Analysts calculate this cache alone could instead be used to produce approximately 80.2 GWh of battery capacity.
To put that in perspective, this amount is more than double the existing grid-scale energy storage capacity in the entire United States and could power around 100,000 electric buses. "Every ton of cobalt or graphite stockpiled for the military could be used instead for electric buses, large-scale energy storage or other renewable technologies," said Lorah Steichen, the report's author.
A Cycle of Militarism Over Sustainability
Khem Rogaly, co-director of the Transition Security Project, criticised the Pentagon's priorities. "The Pentagon’s trillion dollar budget supports a global infrastructure designed for US military domination, not national security," Rogaly stated. The report argues that the Department of Defense, the world's largest institutional emitter of greenhouse gases, is now further exacerbating the climate emergency by cornering the market for transition minerals.
This new direction marks a shift from previous Pentagon concerns about climate impacts on its operations. The report notes that under the current administration, such considerations have been dismissed. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth explicitly posted on social media platform X that the Department "does not do climate change crap."
The Pentagon's immense influence allows it to shape global mineral supply chains. The study found it has funded or signalled support for at least 20 mining initiatives in the US and Canada worth almost $1 billion since 2023, including taking direct equity stakes in companies – an unprecedented move in recent US policy.
The report concludes that by capturing these essential materials, the Pentagon not only drains resources from urgent climate solutions but also perpetuates a destructive cycle of militarism that crowds out civilian needs and threatens the possibility of a just, global energy transition. The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment on the report's findings.
