Nauru’s Golden Passport Scheme: A Climate Response Initiative

Nauru offers citizenship for $105,000 to combat climate crises, planning to relocate citizens to safer areas. The initiative aims to raise funds amidst threats from rising sea levels, while ensuring that individuals with criminal backgrounds are excluded. The government anticipates significant revenue and seeks to monitor the program’s impact, reinforcing a global trend of citizenship investment for climate resilience.

Nauru, a small island nation in the Pacific, is offering citizenship for $105,000 (over ₹91.44 lakh) through a “golden passport” scheme aimed at addressing the challenges of climate change. This initiative seeks to raise funds for relocating Nauru’s 12,500 citizens to safer, higher ground, given the threats of rising sea levels, storm surges, and coastal erosion.

The President of Nauru, David Adeang, emphasized the need for proactive measures, stating, “While the world debates climate action, we must take proactive steps to secure our nation’s future.” In an effort to mitigate exploitation, individuals with criminal backgrounds will be excluded from this citizenship opportunity.

This is not the first iteration of Nauru’s passport program; previous attempts were marred by scandals, including a significant incident in the 1990s involving two alleged terrorists arrested in Malaysia. Kirstin Surak, a political sociology professor, noted that such initiatives allow individuals to pursue “global lives”.

Nauru’s new citizenship program grants visa-free access to 89 countries, including the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. The government anticipates generating over $5.6 million in its first year, potentially increasing to $42 million annually, contributing 19% to total government revenue.

With a cautious approach, the government aims to monitor the program to avoid any unintended negative consequences, as stated by the CEO of the Nauru Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program. Nauru is not alone in this endeavor; Dominica has operated a citizenship-by-investment program since 1993 to bolster its climate resilience initiatives in aiming to be the first climate-resilient nation by 2030.

In summary, Nauru’s citizenship initiative reflects an innovative approach to combating climate change by directly funding the relocation of its citizens to safeguard against environmental threats. While this scheme has the potential to generate significant revenue, the government is taking steps to prevent exploitation and monitor the program closely. Additionally, Nauru’s initiative parallels similar efforts by other nations, emphasizing the increasing trend of citizenship-based solutions to address climate-related challenges.

Original Source: www.business-standard.com