According to a new analysis, Canada is one of the best investment migration options to improve climate change resilience
Climate change will displace people and for those with wealth, Canada should be one of their top destinations.
Canada scores a top 5 spot in a new analysis of countries that score highly for climate change resilience and offer a pathway to those seeking investment migration options to acquire residence rights or alternative citizenship.
The United States takes the top ranking, with Germany, UK, and Switzerland also ahead of Canada.
Henley & Partners has revealed its new Investment Migration Climate Resilience Index and says that alarming stats on global warming will drive a significant increase in climate and investment migration to countries and cities where people, assets, and infrastructure are likely to be better protected from the now inevitable impacts of climate change.
Looking at 180 countries, the index separates them into higher, medium, and lower bands for climate change resilience based on key factors such as vulnerability, readiness to leverage climate investments, and economic ability to adapt.
Canada’s higher resilience position – one of only 15 countries in this category - makes it an attractive option for investment migrants.
Most of the countries analysed fall in the lower resilience category with five sub-Saharan nations at the bottom: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Central African Republic, and Chad.
Ironically, the countries that have contributed the least to climate change will suffer its most devastating impact.
“Climate change is already impacting, and will certainly do so increasingly in the future, on virtually all businesses and on all aspects of our lives,” said Dominic Volek, group head of private clients at Henley & Partners No one should be planning for the long term without considering the climate change factor. The countries and cities that are most resilient to climate change will attract global talent and investors in search of ‘climate havens’ that have prepared for what lies ahead.”
Investment migration programs
Several of the countries in the index offer investment migration, with Canada’s Start-Up Visa Program among the highest-ranking nations.
The only country in the southern hemisphere that makes the higher resilience group and has an investment migration program is Australia.
“By investing in a more climate resilient country, investors gain the right to relocate their families, their assets, and critical infrastructure to a more resilient place that will be able to better withstand future climate shocks,” said the firm’s CEO, Dr. Juerg Steffen.
