Gaza conflict emissions equal to the annual carbon footprint of 16 coal plants, study finds

Approximately 54.5 million tons of CO2 have been released since October 2023 in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, according to researchers at Queen Mary University of London, about equal to the annual carbon footprint of 16 coal-fired power plants.

That includes direct emissions from military hardware, as well as the emissions associated with construction materials to rebuild devastated urban areas in Gaza.

Conflict-related emissions aren’t covered by the Paris Agreement, which many observers see as a gaping loophole that lets combatants avoid responsibility for the environmental toll of military decisions.

In an interview at COP29, Gideon Behar, Israel’s climate envoy, said responsibility for those emissions lies solely with Hamas, “clear and cut,” and said the war has disrupted collaboration between Israel and its neighbors on climate issues like improving water access.

But he said when the time comes to rebuild, “reconstruction for the whole region should be done in a more environmentally friendly way.”

In a separate interview with Politico, Behar also said it would be “better” for incoming US President Donald Trump not to drop out of the Paris Agreement.