UNIPATH STAFF
Moving toward a more environmentally friendly military, the Defense Ministry, the Lebanese Army and the European Union launched a study in May 2017 as an initial step toward cutting energy use. The study, “Sustainable Energy Strategy of the Lebanese Armed Forces,” collected data on energy usage within military buildings that will be used to set annual usage targets. The Army’s goal is to achieve a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in buildings by 2030.
“This innovative energy sustainability strategy…greatly complements the cooperation between the EU and Lebanon in the field of sustainable development,” EU Ambassador Christina Lassen said at the study’s launch. The study is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
“We really thought about how the Lebanese Army is the largest public institution in the country and the most respected institution,” said UNDP Project Manager Hassan Harajli.
The study comes on the heels of other nationwide initiatives to tackle pollution and climate change. In April 2017, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri participated in Beirut’s launch of a public bicycle-sharing system, which aims to promote a “clean transport” culture.
“Climate change really is a national security issue because it will affect our social fabric. It is not something to be taken lightly,” Hariri told Lebanon’s The Daily Star. “It requires the cooperation of institutions both public and private.”
Lebanon’s is the first military in the region to have placed environmental sustainability on its list of priorities.
“This study is the first of its kind in the entire Middle East and beyond, where an army takes the initiative to lead by example and commit to perform its duties in ways that take into account the environment,” wrote Sigrid Kaag, U.N. special coordinator for Lebanon, in an official statement. Source: The Daily Star