No Climate Justice in a World at War

US-Israeli Military Aggression Against Iran Threatens Climate Progress and Global Stability

PRESS RELEASE – for immediate release 9 March, 2026

[South Africa] Members, the steering committee and the secretariat of the Climate Justice Coalition condemns the unlawful, unprovoked aggression of the United States (US) and Israel against Iran and the subsequent war that has broken out. The Coalition further denounces how this instigation of war undermines international diplomacy, including the fragile nuclear negotiations process between Iran and the USA. War and imperialist aggression only serve to harm the environment, the people, and the life it sustains.

We recognise that war is central to US foreign policy — a strategy that Israel replicates — to secure their interests and hegemony over land and resources by undermining the sovereignty of independent nations. The senselessness of this aggression, and the escalation we are witnessing, threaten global peace, endanger civilian lives, disrupt global supply chains and energy markets, and unnecessarily exacerbate climate change by increasing global emissions.

The war has already affected global energy markets. Essential transport routes such as the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) flows — have been shut, halting ships and raising insurance costs, triggering sharp spikes in oil prices and volatility across global markets. For South Africa, rising global oil prices translate directly into higher fuel costs, increasing transport prices and placing additional pressure on households already struggling with high food and energy costs.

This escalation also reinforces a fossil fuel–dependent global order. Military confrontation in oil-producing regions entrenches the strategic centrality of crude reserves and maritime chokepoints, and is used to justify expanded extraction, higher defence spending, and new investments in oil and gas infrastructure under the banner of “energy security.” At the same time, escalating military operations divert political attention and funding toward immediate security concerns and away from long-term challenges like climate change. As global oil prices surge and fears of supply disruption grow, powerful economies are pivoting back toward fossil fuels to stabilise prices and secure energy supplies. These responses risk locking countries into long-term fossil fuel dependence, increasing emissions, delaying decarbonisation efforts and a just energy transition, deepening the structural power of petro-states and multinational energy corporations, and undermining the possibility of a sustainable and equitable energy future.

Historically, global climate forums and agreements have depended on cooperative diplomacy and multilateral progress. When conflict dominates diplomatic channels, opportunities for consensus on critical climate issues — from carbon pricing to adaptation financing and loss and damage, as well as international nuclear negotiations such as those between the US and Iran — are diminished.

Higher oil prices ripple across the world, driving up costs in transportation, agriculture, and basic goods. For many African countries already struggling with food insecurity and economic instability, this means deeper poverty, higher inflation, and reduced fiscal space to invest in climate adaptation and renewable energy transitions. The war does not happen in isolation in the Middle East; it fuels global economic shocks that exacerbate climate vulnerability in regions least responsible for global emissions.

Shipping disruptions have forced many vessels to reroute around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks to journeys, increasing fuel consumption, and significantly spiking global carbon emissions. Perishable goods such as fresh fruit, vegetables, and other refrigerated products are particularly vulnerable to delays, increasing the risk of spoilage and food losses before they reach markets. Recognising again the pervasive food insecurity due to climate change, this is another way conflict can disrupt food distribution to further threaten the availability and affordability of essential food supplies.

More broadly, the environmental cost of wars and military aggression is immeasurable, accelerating climate breakdown, undermining adaptation efforts, and aggravating global inequities. When land is cleared for military operations, wetlands are drained, or critical infrastructure is destroyed, both ecosystems and communities pay the price — in their lives, livelihoods, and their capacity to absorb carbon. Climate justice is not separate from broader struggles against systemic violence.

Historically, the USA has lobbied within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to exclude military emissions from national emissions counts, even though military and war-related activities are among the most fossil fuel–intensive sectors. The world’s militaries collectively account for an estimated 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions: roughly equivalent to the emissions of an entire industrialised nation. Yet the climate impact of global military operations remains underestimated and underdiscussed.

The Climate Justice Coalition calls on the South African government, the African Union, and the international community to urgently advocate for:

• An immediate ceasefire and a return to diplomatic negotiations,
• Respect for international law and the protection of civilian lives,
• Full transparency and mandatory reporting of military emissions within global climate frameworks, including the UNFCCC.

We urge civil society, labour, faith-based organisations, and progressive movements to reject war and imperialist aggression, and to stand in solidarity with affected communities. Climate justice requires peace, demilitarisation, and a rapid, just transition away from fossil fuels. There can be no meaningful climate action in a world at war.

This statement is endorsed by the secretariat, the steering committee and the undersigned members of the Climate Justice Coalition:

Working for Climate

Middleburg Environmental Justice Network (MEJN)

Qunu Community Advice Office

Botshabelo Unemployed Movement

Sunny Morgan

Shakeelah Ismail (Open Secrets)

Eastern Cape Environmental Network

Tshwaraganang Ma-Afrika

Themba Ngcezula

Tshwaraganang Basadi Environmental Justice Network

Carolina Eco-Green Economy

New Environmental Justice Solutions

Sekhukhune Combined Mining Affected Communities

Monyakeng Old Age Caregivers Organisation

Eric Dumisane Mabaso

Laudato Si’ Movement South Africa Chapter

Debt and Reparations

Tswelopele Climate Justice Foundation

CONTACT:

Shaazia Ebrahim,

Climate Justice Coalition

comms@climatejusticecoalition.org

+27 83 320 2255

About the Climate Justice Coalition: The Climate Justice Coalition is a coalition of South African trade unions, civil society, grassroots and community-based organisations working together on advancing a transformative climate justice agenda, which tackles the inequality, poverty and unemployment that pervades South Africa.