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<\/p>\nLisa Ellram, Ph.D.<\/p>\n
Fulbright Distinguished Scholar of Economics and Business<\/p>\n
\/*! elementor – v3.11.5 – 14-03-2023 *\/
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Climate refugees. These are people who are displaced,\u00a0 who have been forced to leave their homes due to the effect of climate change on the environment. I have heard of this term in passing a number of times, but have not\u00a0thought much about it until lately. I have heard about it a great deal the past few months. I have spent the last three plus months visiting Hanken University in Helsinki as a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar of Economics and Business. I have been working in the area of supply chain management throughout my career, and am very interested in sustainability and human impact on climate change. Of course there is also a huge climate change impact on people.<\/p>\n
I study sustainability and climate change it mainly from the perspective of what businesses are doing with regard to the impact of their activities on climate change. The good news is that businesses are talking\u2014and\u00a0many are acting more than ever to reduce their impact in the natural environment. Every day, new businesses commit to the Science-Based Target Initiative\u2122(SBTi), where they develop substantive plans for cutting today\u2019s carbon emissions in half by 2030, and meeting the UN\u2019s target of net carbon neutrality by 2050.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n Yet, as we prepare and begin to get our carbon output in line to save the planet, it is too late in some places. As early as 2018, the World Bank warned that the growing climate crisis could displace 143 million First, I use the word climate refugee here to indicate\u00a0people who have to leave their home because of environmental events. The term\u00a0climate migrant doesn\u2019t set the proper tone for urgency. It sounds too\u00a0voluntary, like \u201cI may want to move somewhere else to get better weather.\u201d For\u00a0example, a friend\/colleague of mine recently indicated that his 20-something\u00a0daughter and husband are leaving Arizona due to the negative impacts of climate\u00a0change (heat and water shortage) in the state, convinced that it will only get\u00a0worse. That meets the definition of climate migration and most of us have\u00a0empathy for the desire to move for those reasons. However, what about the person\u00a0whose home has been destroyed by a hurricane, in an area where hurricanes are\u00a0occurring with increased regularity? Or a person whose house is now in a flood\u00a0zone, and has been advised to move? What about a person who lives in a place\u00a0with constant drought, and no end in sight, and has already had to move because\u00a0there is no work, no food, no water? Does this qualify as a climate refugee?<\/p>\n One of the problems with the status of climate refugee is\u00a0that it currently does not have an agreed upon definition. And some\u00a0organizations are fighting to legitimize the and formalize the term and status\u00a0of climate refugee, while others are resisting the acknowledgement of the\u00a0status \u201cclimate refugee.\u201d[3]<\/a>\u00a0Both sides have good reasons for their stance. The side in favor of\u00a0acknowledging climate refugees as a formal status argue that this is a real and\u00a0growing problem that needs to be acknowledged. These refugees should be granted\u00a0rights and displaced person status like other refugees. They should be eligible\u00a0for humanitarian relief as displaced persons. The problem has not yet come to a\u00a0head because many of the climate refugees have sought to resettle elsewhere in\u00a0their own country, or wait for return home within their own country. On the\u00a0other side, a complicating factor to refugee status is that climate change is\u00a0often an additive factor contributing to displacement, as climate change\u00a0exacerbates other problems such as job losses, water and food shortages. [4]<\/a>\u00a0In addition, many countries really do not want to feel like they must take in\u00a0additional refugees, and denying refugee status is a way to make the entry of\u00a0migrants more voluntary and less politically charged. Further, it is noted that\u00a0this could make it more difficult for other refugees who are fleeing for issues\u00a0of more immediate urgency might be put at a disadvantage in terms of\u00a0humanitarian relief if a vast number of people became \u201cclimate refugees\u201d rather\u00a0than climate migrants. [5]<\/a><\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Clearly, this is a complex problem, and an\u00a0emotionally-charged problem. While the issue is not being ignored, it is also\u00a0not being addressed head-on. To complicate matters further, not all climate refugees want to migrate. There are potential climate refugees, or migrants, in very challenging conditions due to climate change\u00a0 that have no interest in leaving their home country. Do we have the will, and the resources to relocate people who fit intothis category? [6]<\/a>\u00a0 The answer to both of these questions is probably not.<\/p>\n So what needs to be done? The obvious, but difficult solution is to slow down and stop the effects of climate change as fast as we possibly can, in an effort to slow down the effects of climate change. Climate change is not a laboratory experiment. Once we hit a certain level of GHG and climate impact\u2014in terms of drought, extinctions, desertification and related issues, we won\u2019t be able to turn the effects back even if we halt emissions of manmade GHG, which seems unlikely in the near term. The problem of climate change needs to be acted on at a swifter pace, which will require global cooperation the likes of which we have not seen since the ozone crisis. [7]<\/a>\u00a0This must be an ongoing effort.<\/p>\n In the meantime, the countries that are suffering the most outsized effects of climate change are asking for help. They maintain that it was the developed world that has contributed most robustly to climate change. They do not have the same growth economic opportunities as developed nations, yet they are now receiving the brunt of climate change impact in terms of extreme weather conditions, drought, and related issues. They want reparations, and ways to pay to support relief for the refugee crises that they face within their own borders due to the impacts of climate change. Climate reparations are\u00a0meant to help pay for the economic costs of damages incurred due to the toll that accelerating climate change disasters have reeked on a country. These problems can hamper future economic growth. At this time, the funding is not meant to pay for mitigation of future problems—but rather to help offset the damage that could not be prevented through mitigation or adaptation. While developing nations have blocked this discussion as recently as 2021, it now has support as an agenda item at the UN, and is backed by a coalition of 134 developing nations known as the G77, plus China. [8]<\/a><\/p>\n This is a topic is not going away, but may become more heated as indigenous people also demand reparations for the impact on their communities due to climate change and climate injustice. [9]<\/a>\u00a0The good news for those displaced by climate change now and in the future is that this issue currently has global attention, and can\u2019t be blocked as a topic from global climate summits. Climate reparations have been discussed at COP26[10]<\/a>, brought up at COP27 and were part of a call to action at COP28. [11]<\/a>\u00a0Companies and countries are also acting towards reducing the impact of climate change. We need to have this conversation and face the implications and remedies with our eyes wide open. We can\u2019t slow the momentum now.<\/p>\n Lisa Ellram is the Fulbright Distinguished Scholar in Economics and Business at the Hanken School of Economics. Professor Lisa Ellram focuses her work and studies on circular supply chains, sustainable economy, and environmentally conscious business practices. When not in Helsinki, Finland, she is a co-editor of the Journal of Supply Chain Management, and is a University Distinguished Processor at Miami University in Ohio.<\/p>\n Interested in becoming the next Hanken Fulbright scholar? Find more information here:\u00a0https:\/\/www.hanken.fi\/en\/external-cooperation\/international-networks\/fulbright<\/p>\n [1]<\/a> [2]<\/a> [3]<\/a>\u00a0Mia [4]<\/a>\u00a0 Rachel Dobbs, Climate change is likely to [5]<\/a> [6]<\/a> [7]<\/a> [8]<\/a>\u00a0 Sarah Schonhardt. 5 things you should know [9]<\/a>\u00a0https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/essay\/the-case-for-climate-reparations-in-the-united-states\/<\/a><\/p>\n [10]<\/a> [11]<\/a>\u00a0T. https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/cop28-president-designate-calls-climate-180100095.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9kdWNrZHVja2dvLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJf0Qixb6NhFgrTL5ti6R0fV5qyoP9lWt1QpKOPTxy6B1KNTt7Bpz4lI8rkWCrh3NQdxfXIdodcV9TyiujvwkhhAp68zWLTmO2s_HrjXCpsqqNgVo_DFSa4n7ODqhvU8MSpVbvPOPi5-Cg2RE0zKeuA9lg6ibsGUsqZ59MWT_T0q<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Climate refugees. These are people who are displaced, who have been forced to leave their homes due to the effect of climate change on the environment. I have heard of this term in passing a number of times, but have not thought much about it until lately. I have heard about it a great deal the past few months. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":854,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-practitioners"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=851"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/851\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":859,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/851\/revisions\/859"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\npeople by 2050, [2]<\/a>\u00a0while recent estimates from other sources indicate even higher numbers. What is
\nhappening, and what can be done?<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/humlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/05\/lisa-crop-otdoors-2-983x1024.jpg\")
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\nFor more information, see Science Based Target Initiatives at\u00a0https:\/\/sciencebasedtargets.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n
\nJohn Podesta , The climate crisis, migration, and refugees. Brookings
\nInstitute. July 25, 2019.\u00a0https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/research\/the-climate-crisis-migration-and-refugees\/<\/a><\/p>\n
\nPrange Climate Change Is Fueling Migration. Do Climate Migrants Have Legal
\nProtections? Council on Foreign Relations, Last updated December 19, 2022.\u00a0https:\/\/www.cfr.org\/in-brief\/climate-change-fueling-migration-do-climate-migrants-have-legal-protections<\/a><\/p>\n
\nincrease migration. The Economist, November 22, 2022. \u00a0\u00a0https:\/\/www.economist.com\/the-world-ahead\/2022\/11\/18\/climate-change-is-likely-to-increase-migration?utm_medium=cpc.adword.pd&utm_source=google&ppccampaignID=17210591673&ppcadID=&utm_campaign=a.22brand_pmax&utm_content=conversion.direct-response.anonymous&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmN2iBhCrARIsAG_G2i5ZV8B6aBXNotpee2flLMg4xDICBKcPwW4g8cQT6p1wkLzfyrWeVygaAqOpEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds<\/a><\/p>\n
\nDina Ionesco.\u00a0\u00a0 Let\u2019s Talk About Climate
\nMigrants, Not Climate Refugees, United Nations. June 6, 2019. https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/blog\/2019\/06\/lets-talk-about-climate-migrants-not-climate-refugees\/<\/p>\n
\nAbrahahm Lustgarten, The Great Climate Migration has begun. New York Times
\nMagazine, July 23, 2022.\u00a0\u00a0https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2020\/07\/23\/magazine\/climate-migration.html<\/a><\/p>\n
\nKelsey Piper, Why the ozone hole is on track to be healed by mid-century. Vox,
\nJanuary 10, 2023.\u00a0https:\/\/www.vox.com\/future-perfect\/22686105\/future-of-life-ozone-hole-environmental-crisis-united-nations-cfcs<\/a><\/p>\n
\nabout Climate change Reparations. Scientific American, October 22, 2022. https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/5-things-to-know-about-climate-reparations\/<\/p>\n
\nCOP refers to the U.N. Climate Change Conference.<\/p>\n
\nIda, \u00a0Climate refugees \u2013 the world\u2019s
\nforgotten victims. World Economic Forum. 2021, June 18. Retrieved from\u00a0https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/agenda\/2021\/06\/climate-refugees-the-world-s-forgotten-victims\/<\/a>;
\nUnited nations. UNHCRS\u00a0Grandi
\nurges world leaders not to forget displaced people. UNHCR,\u00a0\u00a0November 7, 2022.\u00a0\u00a0https:\/\/www.unhcr.org\/news\/news-releases\/unhcrs-grandi-urges-world-leaders-not-forget-displaced-people-cop27<\/a>;
\nCOP28 President-Designate Calls for Climate Action that Hits 2030 Targets,
\nUnlocks Climate Finance, and Leaves No One Behind, PR Newswire, May 2, 2023.<\/p>\n