No Climate Justice Without Justice for the Displaced — Statement from Displaced International on COP30
Displaced International welcomes the outcomes and renewed ambition of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, which place implementation, justice, and finance at the heart of the global climate agenda. As extreme weather, environmental degradation, and resource scarcity intensify, climate change has become a major driver of displacement and a powerful threat multiplier for vulnerable communities worldwide. It is no longer a distant risk but a lived emergency for millions already uprooted—or on the brink of losing their homes.
Globally, the United Nations estimates that more than 250 million people have been displaced in the past decade by climate-related disasters—droughts, storms, floods, and extreme heat—amounting to over 67,000 displacements per day, with the heaviest burdens falling on the Global South. In 2024 alone, sudden-onset climate disasters forcibly displaced over 20 million people within their own countries, and projections warn that by 2050, more than 216 million people may be forced to migrate internally due to intensifying climate impacts, according to the World Bank’s Groundswell Report. These pressures exacerbate existing drivers of displacement, including conflict, governance failures, and economic shocks. Today, three in four forcibly displaced people live in states exposed to “high-to-extreme” climate threats, according to the UNHCR Climate Vulnerability Assessment. Refugee camps—especially in Africa and South Asia—face mounting risks; by 2050, some sites may endure nearly 200 days of hazardous heat annually, making them unsafe for children and families. Meanwhile, the humanitarian system is stretched to breaking point, with less than one-quarter of climate finance reaching those most in need.
Displaced International urges governments, donors, and negotiators to ensure that COP30 becomes a turning point for climate-affected and displaced populations by:
- Prioritizing equitable, climate-resilient solutions for displaced people, refugees, and frontline communities in national and global National Adaptation Plans.
- Ensuring that adaptation finance, Loss and Damage commitments, and disaster-preparedness resources reach the countries and regions most affected by climate migration.
- Embedding human rights, protection needs, and durable solutions for climate migrants into the core of climate action—so those forced to move can do so safely and with access to opportunities, in line with the Global Compact for Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees.
As COP30 moves the world from promises to implementation, it is vital that those already displaced—or at risk of being uprooted again—are recognized as central to global climate action, not as an afterthought. As Ambassador Ashraf Haidari, President and Founder of Displaced International, emphasizes: “If climate action does not protect the people it has already displaced, then it is not justice—it is triage. Governments must move beyond symbolic pledges and deliver real protection, real finance, and real pathways to stability for communities on the frontlines of climate chaos.”
Only through solidarity, accountable climate finance, and an unwavering commitment to human rights can the world confront the accelerating tide of forced displacement and secure a just, livable future for all.
