ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the connections between climate change, global power and military spending. First, the concept of the Global Triangle of Power is presented and discussed. It consists of transnational corporations (most of them extractive), the Military-Industrial Complex and global financial entities that form a tightly connected network. Second, the authors argue that climate change is an unavoidable by-product of this Triangle of Power. They point out that all its agents are located in the Global North, while the countries most threatened by climate change are in the Global South, where the largest oil reserves and the highest number of armed conflicts appear. Third, the link between military spending and climate change is presented. The authors argue that military spending, as the first stage of the process of militarization of a country, involves environmental effects, mainly due to the oil consumption of the military apparatus, the degradation and contamination of lands and waters due to military activities, and the opportunity costs of military expenditure, that prevent the financing of policies aimed at mitigating climate change. The conclusion is that a global reduction of military spending, together with a redirection of these funds to cover human needs, would be a tool to mitigate the effects of climate change and an opportunity to finance policies aimed at enhancing global human security.
