Decarbonising and Diversifying Defence: A Workers’ Enquiry

Just Transition highlights the urgent need to transform our societies so as to avert irreversible environmental harm while also securing workers' rights and livelihoods. This project will focus on the transition of the defence sector as one of the most environmentally damaging spheres of the global economy. Many governments and defence companies now express a willingness to decarbonise and/or diversify this sector. Some also recognise that the views of the workers are important in this process so as to enable a rapid and effective transition. However, it appears that dialogue with defence sector workers has often been opaque, minimal or absent. We will, therefore, undertake a workers’ enquiry to aid understanding of the needs, aspirations, concerns and ideas of the defence workforce for a Just Transition in this sector. The United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) will be the geographical focus as the two largest defence exporters globally.

Dr Karen Bell, University of West England, Bristol; Dr Keith Mc Loughlin, University of Bristol; Professor Vivian Price, California State University; Dr Lara Skinner, Cornell University