By Cristina Patriarca, Anti-Slavery International, United Kingdom

Since 2023, Anti-Slavery International has actively contributed to the discussions at the UNFCCC COPs, advocating for a rights-based approach to adaptation, loss and damage financing and for a genuinely “just” transition to green economies. Our goal is to protect individuals who are vulnerable to exploitation and forms of modern slavery, such as forced labour and debt bondage. As UNFCCC parties increasingly focus on human mobility, they must address the heightened risk of severe exploitation in the context of climate mobility.

Despite some progress at COP29 to acknowledge the connection between climate change and human mobility, significant gaps remain. Commitments made to increase funding for climate-affected communities do not adequately address the widespread impacts many are facing. Additionally, many of these financial commitments lack accountability measures to ensure funding reaches the most vulnerable people, and thus may well be ineffective in addressing the risks of exploitation they face.

The struggles of climate-affected communities

Growing evidence shows that climate change impacts and environmental degradation are impacting individuals and communities worldwide. They push them into different forms of mobility and, in the process, expose them to increased vulnerability to diverse forms of modern slavery.

In Ghana, climate-driven migration is leading young women to fall into situations of debt bondage, with risks being exacerbated by intersecting issues, such as gender norms. In Bolivia, environmental degradation is pushing Indigenous communities to leave their homes in search of new livelihoods, facing forced labour risks. Recent reports also point to (migrant) workers in sectors as diverse as construction and agriculture experiencing significant health impacts related to their employment due to climate change. Tragically, there have been cases of migrant workers dying due to extreme temperatures in countries such as Qatar and Italy.

People disadvantaged by intersecting factors (such as gender or migration status) face heightened vulnerability to modern slavery in the context of climate change impacts and mobility. For example, women and girls who are displaced by climate change often become targets of traffickers. Migrant workers from marginalised groups are also often excluded from social protection mechanisms, which may push them into situations of forced labour.

Mobility and climate change also closely intersect with human and labour rights abuses in sectors that are key to the green transition, such as transition minerals and renewable energy. A significant share of the workforce in these industries is composed of migrant workers, including people who have moved due to the impacts of climate change at home. There is a high risk that migrant workers will continue to experience vulnerability to severe exploitation and human rights abuses as these industries grow and expand their labour force, due to heightened demand for renewable forms of energy. This has been shown in recent NGOs investigations in the Gulf region, for example. Hence, for the transition to be truly sustainable and just, the human and labour rights of workers, including migrant workers, must be at the centre of policy and action.

What action do we need to see

To effectively mitigate and address the human and labour rights implications of the climate crisis, several concrete actions are needed:

1. Governments must ensure that every person who moves in the context of climate change has access to fundamental rights.
2. Governments should develop and implement legal frameworks that protect migrant workers in sectors such as agriculture, construction and renewable energy, where they are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and modern slavery risks.
3. Governments need to commit to funding solutions that support community-led adaptation solutions that enable people to migrate out of choice rather than need. They should also support migrants and displaced populations to adapt to climate change impacts.
4. UNFCCC parties must specifically address the just transition by formalising the UNFCCC Just Transition Work Programme and linking it to other UNFCCC and national policies on just transition. The programme must include protections for the rights of workers in climate-vulnerable sectors and in the entire supply chain (extraction, processing, manufacturing) of transition minerals.

As we look to COP30, we will continue to advocate for stronger frameworks that explicitly incorporate protections for migrants, displaced people and refugees impacted by climate change. Furthermore, more needs to be done to address modern slavery risks in the transition to green economies, while fostering solidarity among affected communities worldwide. Anti-Slavery International remains committed to advocating for the adoption of critical measures and ensuring that the voices of the most affected communities are at the heart of climate action.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this piece are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of AIDMI.