Analysis of Pathways to Reach Net Zero Naval Operations by 2050

With the backdrop of net-zero emissions as an essential element of national security, this study undertook an analytical approach to evaluate current Department of the Navy (DON) emissions and understand energy needs to support mission readiness while reducing emissions over time.

Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California

This report is based on a broad study of strategies for the Department of the Navy (DON) to achieve net zero global emissions by 2050 to comply with recent Executive Orders and goals set out for the Department of Defense (DOD) and the DON (Melillo, 2022). In January 2021, Executive Order 14008 called for a government-wide approach for meeting climate related challenges in the U.S. and set goals for agencies. In December 2021, Executive Order 14057 set the specific goal of net zero emissions from overall federal operations, including DOD, by 2050 and a 65 percent emissions reduction by 2030.

These are challenging targets for the DOD: 2019 data shows that the DOD consumed 682 trillion BTUs, which represents up to 77 percent of federal government energy use. The Navy uses fuel for jets, vehicles, ships, ground equipment, and for generating electricity for forces in the field and for powering operations at Navy installations. Fuel is required for mission readiness and fuel demand depends on operational needs and the tempo of operations. Depending on the year, up to 75 percent of that energy use is operational; for the DON, that means ships and aircraft - two of the most difficult sectors to decarbonize, both in the military and in the private sector.