Cees Loggen is Regional Minister of the Province of Noord-Holland and President of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR).
On 13 November, the COP26 ended with a global agreement to accelerate action on climate this decade. Whilst it recognised the role of regions in delivering climate action, it fell short in terms of recognising the link between climate change and migration. This is despite the fact that in September 2021, the World Bank presented the combined findings of two reports that looked at the impact of climate change in sub-Saharan Africa (possibly 86 million climate migrants by 2050), South Asia (40 million) Latin America (17 million) East Asia and the Pacific (49 million), North Africa (19 million) and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (5 million). Western Europe was not included in the study.
Climate induced migration is already a reality, and this trend will only increase over the coming years with catastrophic consequences if efforts are not stepped up to combat the effects of climate change. In recent years, as the climate emergency has unfolded, the link between climate change and migration has become an increasingly visible topic in international policy discussions and initiatives. The European Union and its neighbouring countries will not be spared. Extreme weather events in Europe in 2021 alone caused the displacement of thousands of people. Movements of populations within the continent will be increasingly commonplace as these phenomena become more frequent and more intense. Regional authorities will be on the frontline to manage the needs on the ground that arise as a consequence.
Or course, countries in the global south face the greatest risks linked to climate change, where many environmental effects are now considered unavoidable. Climate change will only exacerbate the already existing multiple drivers of migration in these parts of the world by destroying livelihoods, increasing poverty and social inequalities and escalating tensions and conflict. The World Bank predicts that people will migrate from areas with lower water availability and crop productivity and from areas affected by sea-level rise and storm surges. Hotspots of internal climate migration could emerge as early as 2030 and continue to spread and intensify by 2050.
Although most empirical evidence shows that people tend to remain within their country or wider region, it is unpredictable how these trends will evolve.
Migration therefore cannot be ignored as a strategy for adaptation, and Europe needs to be prepared to receive and protect those who are often being described as “climate refugees”, even though there is no internationally recognised definition as such. In this regard, one solution is to reinforce legal pathways to allow planned and orderly migration when necessary. Many European regional and local authorities have proven that they are ready to do their part to ensure the effective reception, integration and inclusion of refugees and migrants in their territories and will continue to do so.
Urgent action to help the most vulnerable countries develop their resilience is also of major importance. Because of their geographical situation on Europe’s coasts, CPMR regions are some of the most vulnerable to climate change, some are at the forefront when it comes to the reception of migrants, and some are also the most pioneering when it comes to developing and implementing mitigation and adaptation actions. They therefore have the potential to contribute to this goal through their own international solidarity partnerships and other schemes such as twinning initiatives, territorial partnerships, and decentralized cooperation by providing investment aid, sharing good practices and transferring know-how. The CPMR is keen to work with the EU institutions as well as international organisations and fora to explore how to further develop and support this role, in particular through the new Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation -Global Europe Instrument.