CLIMATE FINANCE REPORT CALLS FOR INVESTMENT MIGRATION TO FUND RESILIENCE

KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 (Bernama) -- Henley & Partners and the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) released a groundbreaking climate finance report that highlights failures in funding urgent climate action and explores how investment migration can unlock vital resources for nations most affected by climate change.

The CVF, representing 70 climate-vulnerable countries with a combined population of 1.75 billion people, accounts for just six per cent of global emissions yet faces the most severe impacts of climate breakdown.

According to a statement, by 2030, these nations will require an estimated US$500 billion annually to fund climate action, development, and nature preservation. (US$1=RM4.44)

Henley & Partners Chief Executive Officer, Dr Juerg Steffen stressed that mobilising private capital can provide immediate, non-debt funding for climate resilience projects, helping vulnerable nations while encouraging global climate action.

However, according to CVF Secretary-General Mohamed Nasheed, global climate finance remains sluggish, restrictive, and largely inaccessible, forcing frontline nations to fight for survival without adequate support from industrialised countries.

To address this crisis, Henley & Partners has been advising governments on investment-based residence and citizenship programmes, successfully generating over US$15 billion in foreign direct investment. One such initiative, the Nauru Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program, directly funds climate adaptation projects, including coastal reinforcement, water management, and sustainable food production.

The report introduces Investment Migration Resilience Funds (IMRFs), which would direct private capital into critical climate resilience projects without increasing national debt. These funds, linked with natural capital endowment trusts, could finance projects such as coastal protection, carbon offset initiatives, and blue economy expansion.

Successful models of this approach include leveraging blue bonds, eco-tourism, and carbon credit markets to generate funds for climate adaptation and economic diversification.

-- BERNAMA