Building Global Governance for 'Climate Refugees'

The document asserts that existing international laws and policies are based on the flawed assumption that displaced persons can return home, which is often impossible for those affected by climate change. It highlights that climate-induced migration is a complex phenomenon—ranging from sudden disasters to slow-onset events like sea-level rise—that defies current legal definitions. Consequently, the authors argue that the G20 must lead efforts to reform governance to better protect the rights and obligations of people and governments in countries of origin, transit, and destination.

• Current global governance systems for refugees and forced migration are not equipped to handle the projected volume of people displaced by climate change.
• International law incorrectly assumes that displaced individuals can return to their origins once conditions improve, a premise that does not apply to many climate-affected populations.
• Climate-induced migration is a diverse phenomenon encompassing sudden disasters, slow-onset environmental degradation such as ocean acidification and sea-level rise, and climate-aggravated conflicts, necessitating a reform of governance to address the needs of origin, transit, and destination countries.

APA

Vaughan, S., & Axworthy, L. (2017). Building Global Governance for 'Climate Refugees'. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/building-global-governance-climate-refugees

Chicago

Vaughan, Scott, and Lloyd Axworthy. Building Global Governance for 'Climate Refugees'. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2017. https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/building-global-governance-climate-refugees.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Vaughan |first1=Scott |last2=Axworthy |first2=Lloyd |title=Building Global Governance for 'Climate Refugees' |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=24 May 2017 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/building-global-governance-climate-refugees |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vaughan2017building, author = {Vaughan, Scott and Axworthy, Lloyd}, title = {{Building Global Governance for 'Climate Refugees'}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2017}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/building-global-governance-climate-refugees}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }