A central focus throughout discussions was a clear recognition that children and young people regularly opt for migration as an adaptation strategy, and on ways in which we can harness the potential of climate mobility to improve protection and wellbeing outcomes while mitigating the risks of unsafe movement.
Participants acknowledged that migration can provide opportunities for children and young people to pursue aspirations, diversify their skills and contribute to their new community, and that in the context of the urgent low-carbon transition, there will be significant skills and workforce gaps that the migration of young workers between cities or countries can help fill. Furthermore, supporting the upskilling of young people to fill jobs focused on sustainability can help us move towards a low carbon economy.
To this end, in-depth presentations explored opportunities to equip displaced youth and those living in climate-vulnerable location with green skills, and approaches to improving safe and empowering migration pathways and relocations.
However, participants also acknowledged that there are few public policies that speak to the promotion of migration as adaptation in the context of climate change and that for it to truly contribute to adaptation, it must be carefully managed with all the right precautions in place to protect children’s rights.
Potential next steps:
- Explore options for youth-led research migration as adaptation for children and young people.