Fighting in a warming world: The emergence of climatic considerations in the conduct of hostilities under international humanitarian law

Abstract This article seeks to assess the extent to which climatic considerations may be integrated into international humanitarian law (IHL). With evidence of significant greenhouse gas emissions from military actions in conflicts such as Gaza and Ukraine, the article highlights the climate impacts of armed conflict, showing how military activities contribute to global warming and threaten ecosystems. This challenges the traditional framework of IHL, which was not designed to address climate change. Against this background, the article tries to assess whether the term ‘natural environment’ within IHL can be interpreted as to include climatic elements. Current international climate treaties, such as the Paris Agreement, do not refer to military activities and fail to establish mandatory reporting of military emissions, creating data gaps and complicating compliance with climate change obligations. On the other hand, existing instruments such as the Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions provide avenues for a broader understanding of environmental protection in IHL. Based on this, the study shows how military decision‐making could be influenced by the recognition of climate impacts and suggests that IHL rules on the protection of the natural environment could encourage the reduction of military emissions. This would align the defence sector's actions with global climate commitments, thereby helping to mitigate military contributions to climate change.