We've recently supported the Ukrainian government in developing guidance for documenting how war and occupation have impacted its Emerald Network nature reserves.🧵 ceobs.org/new-guidance... #Ukraine #biodiversity 1/4

Hard to think of a dumber 21st Century energy and security policy than Trump's insistence that the Pentagon buy more coal power. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Thoughtful exploration of the relationship between government political and economic policies during #Syria's current transition and deforestation rates, another case of trees being most at risk following conflicts. peoplesplanet.substack.com/p/syria-tart...

For a few years it looked as if #EU climate and security policies were aligning; the bloc's #CBAM carbon border policy is an example of how this is unraveling ceobs.org/how-the-eus-...

#Military activities are a source of #PFAS pollution but DEFRA's UK plan to tackle PFAS pollution is woefully weak, leading with "Their use in defence equipment and military capability contributes to protecting national security." www.gov.uk/government/p... 1/x

During the past week #Israel has been conducting aerial #glyphosate spraying in border areas of #Lebanon and #Syria. UN peacekeepers suspended patrols; meanwhile Lebanon's president called it “an environmental and health crime” and a violation of sovereignty www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f... 1/4

We're stoked with the line-up for the roundtable we're co-convening at the @ecsa.ngo 2026 conference next month. It'll explore the potential and applications of #CitSci in areas affected by armed conflicts, with perspectives from UKR, PAL, IRQ, SUD and DRC nomadit.co.uk/conference/e...

In the absence of state regulations, gold mining in #Afghanistan’s remote province of Badakhshan "has become a free-for-all, with no accountability or control" impacting critical water resources in the climate-exposed country. thediplomat.com/2026/01/afgh...

#Military activities are a source of #PFAS pollution but DEFRA's UK plan to tackle PFAS pollution is woefully weak, leading with "Their use in defence equipment and military capability contributes to protecting national security." www.gov.uk/government/p... 1/x

Discussion on how southern #Lebanon bears the ecological scars of war: orchards are gone, beehives destroyed and livelihoods lost; fields and forests were burned by white phosphorus, while explosive remnants of war remain. theconversation.com/lebanons-orc... 1/2

#Ukraine's scientists are working under enormously difficult conditions to conserve nature, even as the war overtakes protected areas and vital research facilities and staff are called up to fight www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The EU's new #CBAM carbon border tax contains a military exemption that not only undermines industrial decarbonisation, it also places military supply chains at risk, meaning it runs counter to both EU #climate and defence policy. Our new post explains more: ceobs.org/how-the-eus-...

The human cost of our appetite for critical minerals. “More than 200 people were victims of this landslide, including miners, children and market women. Some people were rescued just in time and have serious injuries,” www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

Last June we tracked the environmental consequences of the war between #Israel and #Iran. With war again on the horizon, this overview identifies some of the trends that may again emerge ceobs.org/the-emerging...

The World Heritage Convention is often touted as a vehicle for environmental protection during conflict but for years its shown limited success in protecting the unique #biodiversity of #Yemen's #Socotra archipelago from pressures linked to the war english.elpais.com/climate/2026... #PERAC

UK intelligence has assed the threats to national security from #biodiversity collapse, it's grim reading and its findings are applicable globally. The good news is that it recognises that nature is "a foundation of national security": www.gov.uk/government/p... 1/3

'Attention on climate security and adaptation must not distract from the parallel need for assertive action to address the cause of climate change and work to reduce NATO’s own GHG emissions,' says NATO STO's new report on #ClimateChange and security: www.sto.nato.int/document/the... 1/3

The Al-Sunut Forest Reserve in #Khartoum #Sudan largely survived the war but social media footage suggests deforestation following the recapture of the city. Wartime deforestation rates are very high across Sudan as people seek fuelwood and charcoal. 1/2 #EyesOnSudan

Last week Doug was in Amman as part of a @fesonline.bsky.social project on war and the environment in the Middle East and beyond. He's working with @annackermann.bsky.social on a chapter exploring what regional lessons can be gleaned from #Ukraine's sustainable recovery discourse.

"In a world without climate breakdown, #Iran’s decades of water mismanagement may not have mattered quite so intensely. But coupled with the grinding impact of sanctions, the entire system has been tipped into what could be a terminal crisis." www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

War devastates lives, displaces communities, and shatters societies. According to @ceobs.org, global militaries are also responsible for roughly 5.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions, more than the entire aviation and shipping industries combined, deepening the environmental crisis.

Heavy winter rains in #Gaza have flooded displacement camps, spreading misery and disease. As these @unrwa.org images show, already vulnerable people in tents and shelters are highly exposed. The flooding has also drawn attention to conflict pollutants. 1/3

Heavy winter rains in #Gaza have flooded displacement camps, spreading misery and disease. As these @unrwa.org images show, already vulnerable people in tents and shelters are highly exposed. The flooding has also drawn attention to conflict pollutants. 1/3

#Ukraine is increasingly targeting Russian oil assets in the Black and Caspian seas. While tankers such as the QENDIL - grounded near Turkey's Bozcaada island - have not been carrying oil when attacked, they are carrying fuel oil, presenting a marine pollution risk. Image via @tombike.bsky.social

Government bodies, local authorities and civil society are planting trees in #Syria, as a small step towards environmental recovery. But in the face of deforestation, wildfires and climate change the country also needs to reseed environmental governance. english.noonpost.com/p/syrias-ref...

The #Indonesian military is helping drive deforestation in #Papua #biodiversity hotspot: “It’s hard to justify this project from any perspective . . . environmental, climate and the wellbeing of local communities.” www.ft.com/content/27a6...

#Iraq is 5th globally in exposure to the #ClimateCrisis and this story of wheat intersects with drought, water governance, economy and security. www.reuters.com/business/env...

It's confirmed! Our roundtable on #CitSci in conflict areas as part of @ecsa.ngo's 2026 conference in Oulu, Finland. Featuring research and perspectives from #Ukraine, the #OPT, #Iraq, #Sudan and the #DRC. www.ecsa2026.ngo/programme/#1...

This example from #Sudan shows that belligerents can reach agreements on the protection of critical infrastructure. While Heglig and its oil pipelines are vital to the economy of #SouthSudan, it does present the question of what else could be protected? www.reuters.com/world/africa...

Positive to see more references to armed conflicts and military activities in #GEO7, the 7th Global Environmental Outlook, including our work on military GHG emissions. Reflects growing harm but also greater visibility and better research.

Need a quick and accessible backgrounder on the biggest wartime environmental accountability story this year? Check out our overview of the International Criminal Court's new environmental policy. #UNEA7

The policy also commits the OTP to interdisciplinary investigations, normalises reliance on #OSINT and civil-society documentation. This lowers barriers to early evidence collection and reflecting the realities of conflict environments where ground access may be impossible. 3/3

Last week the International Criminal Court issued a new policy on pursuing environmental war crimes. Here we examine what the policy says, what it could and won't do, and revisit the case of Ukraine's Khakovka Dam in light of its proposals: ceobs.org/has-the-icc-... 1/3 #PERAC #IntLaw

Russia's war against #Ukraine is thought to have harmed #BlackSea dolphins and porpoises. Regional conservation body ACCOBAMS has proposed a recovery plan but research on conflict-linked marine threats is needed to inform it, we examine some here: ceobs.org/evidencing-a... 1/4

Good to be back in #Nairobi for #UNEA7. This weekend we're taking part in the civil society forum, before UNEA proper begins on Monday. Looking forward to catching up with partners and colleagues to talk conflict, militarism and environment.

🚨 The #ICC Office of the Prosecutor has launched its Policy on Addressing Environmental Damage through the #RomeStatute, www.icc-cpi.int/news/policy-...

Russia's war against #Ukraine is thought to have harmed #BlackSea dolphins and porpoises. Regional conservation body ACCOBAMS has proposed a recovery plan but research on conflict-linked marine threats is needed to inform it, we examine some here: ceobs.org/evidencing-a... 1/4

Our new joint report with @npaid.bsky.social is a technical report but its also really exciting. It details the roll-out of the Green Field Tool for #MineAction in 7 of NPA's country programmes. We developed the tool together and now it's in the wild: ceobs.org/strengthenin... 1/2 #22MSP

We're at the #22MSP of the Mine Ban Treaty this week in #Geneva where we're co-hosting an event on #MineAction and the environment with @npaid.bsky.social. We'll look at embedding new environmental standards, our Green Field Tool and on how to respond to growing environmental and climate needs.

📍Join the NPA & @ceobs.org #22MSP side event this afternoon to learn how #MineAction programmes are embedding the IMAS 07.13, the Green Field Tool, and other climate and environment frameworks in the field. 📅 13:00–14:30 📌 Concordia 5 (2nd floor)

Fascinating examination of how non-state armed groups in #Pakistan are instrumentalising climate and environmental narratives. The international community has a long history of neglecting NSAG policies like these, in spite of their role in conflicts. gnet-research.org/2025/11/03/i...

#Gold is a key component of #Sudan's war economy. Our new post explores whether it's possible to track gold mines and processing sites using #OSINT and #RemoteSensing. It is, but it's not straightforward 🧵1/4 ceobs.org/monitoring-s... #EyesOnSudan @thesentryorg.bsky.social @saferworld.bsky.social

#Gold is a key component of #Sudan's war economy. Our new post explores whether it's possible to track gold mines and processing sites using #OSINT and #RemoteSensing. It is, but it's not straightforward 🧵1/4 ceobs.org/monitoring-s... #EyesOnSudan @thesentryorg.bsky.social @saferworld.bsky.social

“Why are military emissions still not on the agenda here?” @militaryemissions.org reflects on #COP30, the little that it achieved for the global climate, and on the growing public pressure for #military and conflict GHG emissions to be addressed, somehow. ceobs.org/remind-us-wh...

New study estimating the GHG emissions from landscape fires caused by Russia's invasion of #Ukraine examines both immediate releases and lost sequestration capacity www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

How does war reshape ecosystems? What gets damaged, lost, or overlooked? Yesterday we went into a deep dive with the Conflict and Environment Observatory @ceobs.org . Listen back by searching 'Stage Talks with Bellingcat': rss.com/podcasts/bel...

As #Ukraine announced that it will seek climate damage reparations from Russia, we spoke to Time about the climatic and wider environmental impact of war time.com/7335449/ukra...

War doesn’t just devastate societies—it leaves lasting scars on the environment. Later today, @ceobs.org joins us to discuss the hidden ecological costs of conflict, demonstrating how open-source data can lead to accountability. Join us live on the link below👇

Explosive weapons are causing acute and chronic environmental harm in urban areas of #Ukraine, #Gaza and #Sudan. Our joint policy brief explores how governments should mitigate their environmental risks: ceobs.org/joint-briefi...

If armed forces were a country, they’d be the 4th-largest emitter.