Military legitimation strategies in the epoch of climate change

The environment has long been victim to militarism – in armed conflict, pollution during so-called peace time from the archipelago of Western military bases across the globe, and post-conflict all see unimaginable destruction. In the age of climate change, excessive Carbon Dioxide emission is now front and center, Western militaries fare no better in this regard. This has not stopped NATO, the largest military alliance in the world, from presenting themselves as positive actors in climate action. The Alliance goes beyond mere greenwashing, they offer themselves as an essential entity in a climate changed world. I trace how this contradiction and ask how the world’s worst polluter transforms to climate champion. I investigate the discourse put forward by NATO, its affiliate organizations, and sponsored programs through the theory of legitimation. With this theoretical backing, I parse out three overriding themes the organization uses to legitimize in the age of climate change, threat construct, response to the threat, and utilization of diverse voices and their audiences. This research allows me to shed light onto the contradictory discourse of NATO as arbiters of climate action and peace, and their discourse of increased threat which, in turn, creates a rapid acceleration of military spending and subsequent rising CO2 levels.