THE AIMS OF COP26

COP26, the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties that took place in Glasgow from 31 October to 12 November 2021, was branded as an attempt to “[unite] the world to tackle climate change”. Though undoubtedly an important goal, the Conference’s agenda neglected a vital consequence of climate change: climate migration. This failure has potentially harmed the sustainability of the negotiations and suggests that one of the most devastating consequences of climate change is being swept under the rug.

The key goals of COP26 included solidifying the target included in the 2015 Paris Agreement; namely, to limit the increase in the average global temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Additionally, the aims of the negotiations were to:

●        reduce emissions;

●        strengthen adaptation to and resilience in the face of climate change;

●        scale up climate finance and support.

The summit’s introductory document, website, and published targets hardly mention climate-induced migration. Indeed, negotiations only approached the topic during one single day, under the theme of “adaptation, loss and damage”. Additional items included on the agenda ranged from the World Leader’s Summit to discussions relating to finance, energy, nature, science, and innovation.

Whilst the importance of the conference as a positive step in the right direction should not be downplayed, it must be acknowledged that sidelining climate-induced displacement means ignoring some of the most devastating impacts of climate change on individuals, cultures and communities. Though the COP26 website mentions that “the international community must unite and support people who are most vulnerable to the impacts of the changing climate,” there did not appear to be any elements of this conference that were dedicated to those who are, and will be, forced to flee their homes as a result of increasingly hostile climates.

THE NEED TO ADDRESS CLIMATE-INDUCED MIGRATION

Given that there are so many topics relating to climate change to cover, and such a long road ahead before the rights of those forced to leave their homes are upheld, why should climate change migration issues feature in today’s discourse? The answer is simple: there is no time to wait. Climate migration will become one of the most important issues over the next 50 years, since climate change is causing environmental degradation in more and more areas of the world.

For example, if the average global temperature rises by 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, tropical areas that stretch either side of the equator will reach “the limit of human adaptation,” meaning that more and more people living in these areas will be living in “potentially lethal conditions”. This will be in addition to many others across the globe forced to flee due to increases in flooding, natural disasters, extreme weather events and rising sea levels. People have already begun to flee, not only from natural disasters and short-term environmental damage, but also from slow onset environmental decay. The World Bank’s 2018 Groundswell Report suggests that by 2050, if no action is taken, there will be more than 143 million climate change migrants in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America alone.

THE UNITED KINGDOM’S STANCE

Holding the Presidency of COP26, the United Kingdom led and hosted the conference towards the end of 2021. The UK’s leadership page heavily focuses on financial moves it has taken to tackle climate change. Whilst it is true that long-term, durable solutions to the climate crisis do require financial backing, emphasising this at the expense of the lived experiences of vulnerable people severely undermines the possibility of developing tenable and inclusive solutions which support people across the globe who live in countries with different levels of purchasing power.

Moreover, statements released by the UK Government about COP26 can be considered as empty words, given its own hostility towards immigration. Indeed, on the one hand, the UK Government’s explanatory document on COP26 includes the following quotation from Boris Johnson: “Securing a brighter future for our children and future generations requires countries to take urgent action at home and abroad to turn the tide on climate change”. However, this seems to stand firmly in opposition to the UK’s policy with regard to refugees, as outlined in the Government’s New Plan for Immigration and associated Nationality and Borders Bill. At a time when the UK is seeking to penalise, criminalise, and limit protections for those fleeing their homes as a result of persecution and violence, it seems sadly fitting that provisions for those made to leave their homes for environmental reasons are neglected. The Government’s hostility towards displaced persons, including climate migrants, seems glaringly unfair, given the fact that Western nations are often heavily and disproportionately responsible for factors that drive displacement in the first place.

Furthering the rights of displaced people in the UK, including those displaced by the effects of climate change, will therefore be an uphill battle. As long as hostile policies continue to be imposed on individuals fleeing persecution, furthering the rights of those displaced through the effects of climate change will also remain a struggle.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Despite the fact that COP26 had good aims in terms of climate change prevention and financial steps to challenge it, it failed to mention the need to tackle climate-induced displacement. In turn, this could lead to a lack of funds, resources, and political will aimed at providing help to people who have witnessed the destruction of their homes, livelihoods, and countries.

Climate change migration deserves more attention from academia, policymakers and political leaders. Individuals at risk of becoming displaced deserve protection from long-lasting environmental damage, and those already displaced deserve international support and access to their full human and legal rights. Alongside affected communities, it is up to activists, environmentalists, and the general population to raise awareness of the causes of climate migration, and to establish a protection and assistance framework. 

This article was originally published in the Earth Refuge Archive as part of our collaboration with Earth Refuge on the COP26 Summit.

Johanna Wassong is in her final year, studying International Relations at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, specialising in human rights and refugee rights in sub–Saharan Africa. She is currently writing her dissertation on the refugee politics following the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Johanna initially started working with refugees in her hometown Cologne, Germany during the European Migrant Crisis in 2015-2016 and was specifically confronted with the issues of environmental migration following the flooding in Ahrtal in Summer 2021.