Clean Energy Wire, 10 May 2023
Germany should introduce a ‘climate passport’ for people displaced by the effects of climate change, an independent government advisory panel has proposed in its annual report.
The Expert Council on Integration and Migration (SVR) said that Germany, as a high CO2 emitter and natural resource consumer, has a special responsibility to reduce its emissions and support countries disproportionally affected by climate change, and should be an international pioneer in helping climate refugees.
They suggest the introduction of a ‘climate passport’, a ‘climate card’ and a ‘climate work visa’. The passport, which would offer permanent residency in the country, should be limited to people whose “entire territory” was lost due to the consequences of climate change, such as islands disappearing under sea level rise, the council suggested. The latter two offers should be available to people from countries that are significantly affected by the impacts of climate change but it would envision their return after the most serious consequences have been mitigated and adaptation measures implemented.
