Across the world, people are already using migration as a way of coping with climate change. Climate change is intensifying disasters like droughts, and individuals are relocating to protect their lives and livelihoods. Governments negotiating at COP must acknowledge this new reality.

By making migration safer, we enable more people to use it as a means of building their climate resilience. People on the move always face risks. Creating new, safe, and legal migration options for climate-vulnerable communities should be viewed as a key adaptation strategy. Governments must begin to cooperate and reach agreements to protect the rights of people on the move.

What Our Report Recommends:

Creating Safe, Meaningful Work Opportunities for People on the Move: Across the world, people are leaving climate-vulnerable locations and seeking work in new places. Creating secure, safe, and meaningful work in potential destination locations is vital. Assisting individuals who want to move in gaining the skills and knowledge they need to access these jobs will also be important.

Creating New Legal Migration Options for Climate-Vulnerable Communities: As the impacts of climate change grow, more people will need to access safe, legal migration options. Governments should work to create these new migration options, make existing migration routes safer, and strive to protect the rights of people on the move.

Finance and Responsibility: The people facing the most acute climate risks are those who have contributed the least to global heating. All governments must begin to address climate-driven migration, but the governments of high-emitting countries have a special responsibility to provide financial support and new legal migration options.