
Are ESG standards the scapegoat for stalling defence growth?
Think tank: RUSI
Author(s): Dr Linus Terhorst
September 25, 2025
This report from UK think tank RUSI examines whether ESG standards are the scapegoat for stalling defence growth.
Europe’s defence industry needs investment to meet growing security demands. The real problems are not ESG standards, but bureaucracy, banks’ reputational concerns and the general defence market.