As world leaders at COP29 in Baku grapple with the challenge of mobilising USD 1 trillion annually in climate finance, investment migration has emerged as an innovative financing solution for climate-vulnerable nations. This will be a central focus at the upcoming 18th Global Citizenship Conference in Singapore next week, where government leaders and investment migration experts will explore how citizenship and residence by investment programs can provide immediate, debt-free climate funding for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
The Pacific island nation of Nauru last week launched the groundbreaking Nauru Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program — the world’s first citizenship program specifically designed to address climate change challenges, reflecting a new financing model for integrating economic development and climate solutions. It represents an emerging trend, whereby countries access private sector funding for urgent climate adaptation projects by offering residence rights or citizenship in return.
Speaking after the program’s launch at COP29 in Baku, H.E. David Adeang, President of the Republic of Nauru, emphasized the transformative potential of investment migration. “It provides small and vulnerable nations like ours with a powerful mechanism to mitigate sustainability risks and enhance climate resilience. Our citizenship program sets a new standard in this regard, channelling investments directly into projects that safeguard our nation’s future and contribute towards safeguarding key global biodiversity hotspots. This innovative approach offers a tangible example of how nations can leverage private investment to address pressing environmental challenges.”
Leveraging private capital for climate action
The leading international investment migration advisory firm, Henley & Partners, was mandated by the Government of Nauru to design, implement, and promote the Nauru Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program. Under this mandate, the firm will also oversee the operation of the Nauru Program Office, which is responsible for processing all citizenship applications and for conducting the due diligence checks together with the government and external, independent, and specialised due diligence firms.
Speaking at COP29, Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners, highlighted investment migration’s unique advantage in mobilizing capital for sustainable solutions: “The programs offer more than economic benefits. They attract global citizens who are committed to environmental sustainability, thereby fostering a network of advocates invested in the future of vulnerable regions. When designed with impact in mind, citizenship and residence by investment programs become a powerful lever, transforming private wealth into public climate resilience and illustrating how global citizens and at-risk regions can form mutually beneficial partnerships against climate change.”
More than 400 delegates from over 50 countries are expected to attend the 18th annual Global Citizenship Conference, which takes place 27–29 November in Singapore. The Hon. Mohamed Nasheed, Secretary-General of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, representing 70 climate-vulnerable nations, will address the conference and underscored the ethical obligation at hand: “The call for climate finance extends beyond investment; it is a moral imperative. Those with wealth and global mobility are uniquely positioned to act, carrying a duty to future generations to protect the planet’s resilience. The concept of ‘climate justice’ emphasizes this responsibility, as developing nations — many of which contribute the least to emissions — are often the hardest hit by the impacts of climate change.”
Leading the way in climate finance through investment migration
To strengthen its advisory capabilities in this rapidly evolving space, Henley & Partners has appointed Jean Paul Fabri as its Chief Economist. Fabri brings extensive experience in advising governments on economic development and climate resilience. His expertise and leadership in this field have contributed to projects related to competitiveness, economic diversification, and ecosystem development on a global scale.
Fabri emphasized the economic rationale of using investment migration as a gateway for climate financing: “For high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, investing in climate finance is not just an ethical duty; it’s also a significant economic opportunity. The green economy offers promising avenues for impactful investment, from renewable energy and sustainable agriculture to cutting-edge green technologies. Climate resilience-linked residence and citizenship by investment programs enable conscientious investors to actively participate in projects with both social and environmental impacts, allowing them to contribute to meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals while also realizing personal returns.”
The timing of these developments is crucial, given that, as COP29’s president Mukhtar Babayev emphasized recently, “the onus cannot fall entirely on government purses” and private sector participation is essential for climate solutions. While traditional climate finance mechanisms such as carbon taxes and fossil fuel levies face significant implementation challenges, investment migration programs offer an immediate, practical solution for channeling private capital to climate-vulnerable nations.
Henley & Partners, which has raised over USD 15 billion in foreign direct investment through government advisory mandates across 20 jurisdictions, has seen increasing interest from both sovereign states and private investors in climate-focused citizenship and residence programs. Its 18th annual Global Citizenship Conference next week will feature in-depth discussions on structuring investment migration programs for maximum climate impact, ensuring transparency and accountability in fund deployment, and creating sustainable partnerships between global investors and climate-vulnerable nations.
Further information – Henley & Partners