European Commission Consultation on Migration and Climate Change
The European Commission is holding a number of consultations to inform their planned proposal on how to enhance the external dimensions of the EU Global Approach to Migration. In May 2011, Professor Richard Black spoke on behalf of the project at the European Commission’s consultation on Migration and Climate Change. The consultation is to inform a specific area within their package of proposals, which will directly focus on issues also central to Foresight’s own project on Global Environmental Migration.
In May 2011, Professor Richard Black spoke on behalf of the project at the European Comission’s consultation on Migration and Climate Change.
Professor Black presented the work of the project to delegates representing a broad range of European and international organisations, national governments and academic institutions including:
- United Nations Environment Programme,
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,
- EuropeAid Development and Cooperation,
- International Organization for Migration,
- DG Climate Action,
- DG Home and the Norwegian Refugee Council; as well as
- member states.
The Foresight project was covered in the first session: “Forecast Scenarios and Issues at Stake”. This session explored both the current state of research in this field and how future migration may be affected by climate change. A key topic for discussion was the identification of knowledge gaps on climate change and migration. Foresight’s migration project aims to narrow this gap by exploring the reasons behind why people move, where they go and the policy implications for those who move and those who remain behind; going beyond other studies which have focused on the numbers of future environmental migrants. Professor Black’s presentation was followed with interesting questioning and discussion on the project from the assembled group of experts.
