It is day three of Texas Impact’s witness of COP28 in Dubai, UAE. As this is my second COP I am coming into the event with a bit more preparation and perspective, yet, once again I am struck by the intersectionality of the climate negotiations. COP continues to be the focal point of social justice issues and global inequity. Actors from all over the world are given a platform to talk about the disparate effects of climate change and discuss how climate highlights inequities in other realms such as health, race, and development. This year, A particular focus has been the inclusion of other sub-topics within climate change, most notably health and climate.
With something as massive and complex as climate change, it can be challenging to encompass all of the different facets of the issue in multilateral negotiations. Much to the frustration of civil society, this often leads to key factors being left out of high-level talks such as human rights. While there is an urgent need for an immediate energy transition, it also needs to be done justly and intentionally to address international inequities. By ignoring such aspects we put ourselves at risk of leaving behind those most affected by (and least responsible for) climate change.
One such aspect is climate-induced migration. Currently, the world has the highest number of displaced people since World War II. Climate change is a major contributing factor, causing disasters such as floods, hurricanes, mudslides, and desertification that destroy communities. It is estimated that by 2050 there will be over 140 million displaced people worldwide. Despite such alarming statistics, it is difficult to get high-level negotiations to focus on climate-induced migration or other sub-topics.
That is why civil society and the faith community need to be present at the climate negotiations, to keep pressure on world leaders and call for a just transition. Texas Impact had just the opportunity to do so on day one of COP. Several Texas Impact delegates, including myself, were able to attend a United Nations repertoire with civil society. The event allowed advocates to discuss their concerns with current climate negotiations directly with UN officials. At the repertoire, I was able to explicitly speak on our concerns with creating safe pathways for migration.
Climate change is not only causing more displacement of people but is also making migration more dangerous. With the loss of infrastructure and more frequent climate disasters, travel will become more difficult, leading people to choose more desperate routes. This is exacerbated by the fact that fragile countries are more likely to not have climate-resilient infrastructure. To address anticipated migratory waves, the global community needs to invest in creating safe pathways internal and external to states. This means not just investing in infrastructure, but also upholding international law and protecting the human right to migrate.
While we are grateful for the chance to work on this issue at the international level, we also have to work on this domestically. Texas continues to criminalize migration. The US is failing to address its encumbered and ineffective immigration system. To have legitimacy in global negotiations, we have to address the issues we advocate for at home. The intersection of climate and migration is not only about immigration into the US but also about our potential need to emigrate from parts of the US due to climate shocks like extreme heat and drought. If we do not address our climate resiliency, then Texans could become climate-induced migrants ourselves. It is incumbent on us to demand our legislators look at the reality of our situation and start implementing solution-based legislation rather than policies based on demagoguery.