Climate Migration
Local Leadership. Global Impact.
#ClimateMigrationMayors
Cities are on the frontlines of two of the most pressing and interrelated global issues of our time: climate change and migration. Rising sea levels, acute desertification and greater frequency and severity of extreme weather events are and will continue to drive and shape human mobility in the decades to come, with the UN Migration Agency (IOM) estimating that by 2050 between 25 million to 1 billion people could be moving either within their countries or across borders for climate-related reasons. Most of these journeys will lead to cities.
Whether cities are at the origin, transit point, or destination of climate-related movement, mayors and city governments have positioned themselves as champions. From developing inclusive climate action policies that put people at the center, to planning for people who are leaving their homes as a result of climate push factors, cities have demonstrated capacity to drive solutions locally while influencing policy making at higher levels of governance through joint advocacy. But to date they have done so with limited resources and fragmented policy and financing regimes, especially when it comes to addressing the intersectional urban impacts of climate and migration.
The Mayors Migration Council supports mayors in their leadership by offering:
Frontier practical knowledge on the urban dimension of climate-induced mobility and inclusive climate action;
An advocacy platform to elevate local successes and needs to a global audience; and
Resources and partnerships to bolster and further scale the critical work cities are doing in practice on the ground.
To learn more and get involved, email contact@mayorsmigrationcouncil.org.
The Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees
The second chapter of the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees directly supports cities’ responses to the unmet needs of people displaced by the climate crisis.
Initiative Spotlights
C40-MMC Global Mayors Action Agenda on Climate and Migration
The Global Mayors Action Agenda on Climate and Migration outlines bold steps to accelerate global responses to the climate crisis and human mobility.
C40-MMC Global Mayors Task Force on Climate and Migration
The C40-MMC Global Mayors Task Force on Climate and Migration is a mayor-led initiative to address the impact of the climate crisis on migration in cities.
Cities, Climate and Migration: The Role of Cities at the Climate-Migration Nexus
This joint-C40 report explores how the complex dynamics of climate change and migration are playing out in cities worldwide.
US Local Governments Call for Equitable and Inclusive Action on Climate Migration
U.S. mayors’ joint letter called on President Biden to support cities’ responses to climate migration.
Partners
C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group
Since its founding, the MMC has maintained a critical partnership with C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) to build new knowledge, practical tools and best practices, and a common advocacy and diplomatic agenda for city leaders on climate-induced mobility and inclusive climate action.
Platform on Disaster Displacement
The MMC is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Platform on Disaster Displacement, a State-led initiative working towards better protection for people displaced across borders in the context of disasters and climate change. Established in 2016, the PDD works to follow up on the framework laid out by the Nansen Initiative and to implement the recommendations of the Protection Agenda.
In the News
