Queen Mary academic’s work featured in The Guardian exposing climate cost of war in Gaza
A landmark study co-authored by Dr Benjamin Neimark, Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London’s School of Business and Management, has been featured in The Guardian, revealing the devastating environmental toll of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The Guardian article, titled “Carbon footprint of Israel’s war on Gaza exceeds that of many entire countries”, draws on newly released research to show that the carbon emissions generated during the first 15 months of the war are greater than those of over 100 individual countries — including the combined 2023 emissions of Costa Rica and Estonia.
Dr Neimark’s contribution is part of a growing body of work examining the environmental and climate-related impacts of military conflict. The study estimates that over 31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent could be emitted through destruction, clearing, and rebuilding efforts in Gaza — a staggering figure that underscores the often-overlooked climate consequences of war.
Speaking to The Guardian, Dr Neimark emphasised that:
“Militaries need to reckon with the fact that their own national security and operational capacity is being compromised due to a changing climate of their own making.”
The findings are based on a scope 3+ methodology, which includes both direct and indirect wartime emissions such as infrastructure destruction, displacement, aid convoys, and post-conflict reconstruction. The work highlights the critical need for governments and international bodies to account for military emissions in global climate targets.
This important study contributes to the School of Business and Management’s mission to interrogate pressing global challenges through interdisciplinary research — particularly at the intersection of sustainability, conflict, and justice.
Dr Neimark’s research continues to bring attention to the hidden environmental dimensions of war, helping shape discourse on climate accountability and international policy.
Learn more about Dr Benjamin Neimark and his research at the School of Business and Management at Queen Mary University of London.