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Is Climate Displacement in Legal Limbo? An examination of the protection of climate migrants in international refugee and climate change law

Eklund, Emmie LU (2023) LAGF03 20231
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
This thesis examines international legal protection for persons displaced across boarders due to climate change. Rapid climate change and escalating climate threats are projected to displace up to 2.1 billion people, roughly 25% of the global population, by 2050. This impending mass migration crisis necessitates an evaluation of the existing legal framework for climate migrants and displaced persons.

The study examines the Refugee Convention, UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement, which constitute key legal instruments in refugee and climate change law. The interpretation and analysis of the conventions are informed by reports, publications, and decisions from United Nations bodies as well as academic and legal literature. The... (More)
This thesis examines international legal protection for persons displaced across boarders due to climate change. Rapid climate change and escalating climate threats are projected to displace up to 2.1 billion people, roughly 25% of the global population, by 2050. This impending mass migration crisis necessitates an evaluation of the existing legal framework for climate migrants and displaced persons.

The study examines the Refugee Convention, UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement, which constitute key legal instruments in refugee and climate change law. The interpretation and analysis of the conventions are informed by reports, publications, and decisions from United Nations bodies as well as academic and legal literature. The study indicates that a revised refugee definition could provide protection for certain groups displaced by climate change under the Refugee Convention. The UNFCCC obliges the Parties to consider climate change in their migration policies. The Paris Agreement in its entirety is interpreted with respect to the rights of migrants and vulnerable groups and includes binding provisions that can be interpreted as requiring Parties to take actions and introduce policies with regards to persons displaced due to climate change.

This thesis concludes that a new treaty regulating protection for persons internationally displaced due to climate change is one of the feasible solutions, given the lack of political will to establish national or regional regulations. However, this process may be protracted due to the politically sensitive nature of migration and climate change in the international community. Regional and national solutions are therefore preferable. Initiatives exist to establish such cooperation, inspiring future regulation of climate displacement. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Denna uppsats redogör för det folkrättsliga regelverket som tillerkänner personer som tvingats migrera på grund av klimatförändringar skydd. Snabba
klimatförändringar och eskalerande klimathot förväntas tvinga upp till 2,1
miljarder människor, ungefär 25 % av världens befolkning, till flykt år 2050.
Denna annalkande massmigrationskrisen gör att en utvärdering av det befintliga rättsliga skyddet för klimatmigranter och -tvångsförflyttade personer är
lämplig.
Studien undersöker Flyktingkonventionen, Klimatkonventionen, Kyotoprotokollet och Parisavtalet, vilka utgör de centrala rättsliga instrumenten inom internationell klimat- och flyktingrätt. Konventionerna tolkas och analyseras
med hjälp av rapporter, publikationer och beslut från... (More)
Denna uppsats redogör för det folkrättsliga regelverket som tillerkänner personer som tvingats migrera på grund av klimatförändringar skydd. Snabba
klimatförändringar och eskalerande klimathot förväntas tvinga upp till 2,1
miljarder människor, ungefär 25 % av världens befolkning, till flykt år 2050.
Denna annalkande massmigrationskrisen gör att en utvärdering av det befintliga rättsliga skyddet för klimatmigranter och -tvångsförflyttade personer är
lämplig.
Studien undersöker Flyktingkonventionen, Klimatkonventionen, Kyotoprotokollet och Parisavtalet, vilka utgör de centrala rättsliga instrumenten inom internationell klimat- och flyktingrätt. Konventionerna tolkas och analyseras
med hjälp av rapporter, publikationer och beslut från FN:s organ samt akademisk litteratur. Studien konstaterar att en reviderad flyktingdefinition kan ge
upphov till skydd för vissa grupper som tvingas fly på grund av klimatförändringar i enlighet med Flyktingkonventionen. Klimatkonventionen förpliktar
parterna att beakta klimatförändringar i sin migrationspolicy. Parisavtalet tolkas i sin helhet med beaktande av migranters och sårbara gruppers rättigheter.
Vidare innehåller Parisavtalet bindande bestämmelser som kan tolkas som att
de ålägger parterna att vidta åtgärder och införa rättsligt skydd för personer
som tvingas flytta på grund av klimatförändringar.
I uppsatsen dras slutsatsen att en ny konvention som reglerar skydd för personer som fördrivs mellan länder på grund av klimatförändringar är den mest
genomförbara lösningen på grund av brist på politisk vilja att etablera nationella eller regionala föreskrifter. Att etablera internationellt bindande instrument är dock en långdragen process, inte minst på grund av den politiskt
känsliga naturen av frågor som berör migration och klimatförändringar. Regionala och nationella alternativ är därför att förespråka. Initiativ för att etablera sådant internationellt samarbete finns, vilka inspirerar framtida lagstiftning för att hantera klimatmigration. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Eklund, Emmie LU
supervisor
organization
course
LAGF03 20231
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Public International Law, Refugee Law, Climate Change Law, Climate Displacement, Climate Migration, Climate Refugee
language
English
id
9115983
date added to LUP
2023-06-29 09:30:34
date last changed
2023-06-29 09:30:34
@misc{9115983,
  abstract     = {{This thesis examines international legal protection for persons displaced across boarders due to climate change. Rapid climate change and escalating climate threats are projected to displace up to 2.1 billion people, roughly 25% of the global population, by 2050. This impending mass migration crisis necessitates an evaluation of the existing legal framework for climate migrants and displaced persons. 

The study examines the Refugee Convention, UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement, which constitute key legal instruments in refugee and climate change law. The interpretation and analysis of the conventions are informed by reports, publications, and decisions from United Nations bodies as well as academic and legal literature. The study indicates that a revised refugee definition could provide protection for certain groups displaced by climate change under the Refugee Convention. The UNFCCC obliges the Parties to consider climate change in their migration policies. The Paris Agreement in its entirety is interpreted with respect to the rights of migrants and vulnerable groups and includes binding provisions that can be interpreted as requiring Parties to take actions and introduce policies with regards to persons displaced due to climate change.

This thesis concludes that a new treaty regulating protection for persons internationally displaced due to climate change is one of the feasible solutions, given the lack of political will to establish national or regional regulations. However, this process may be protracted due to the politically sensitive nature of migration and climate change in the international community. Regional and national solutions are therefore preferable. Initiatives exist to establish such cooperation, inspiring future regulation of climate displacement.}},
  author       = {{Eklund, Emmie}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Is Climate Displacement in Legal Limbo? An examination of the protection of climate migrants in international refugee and climate change law}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}