Migrants4Climate Award (M4C)

The climate emergency is a defining reality of our present and future. Across the world, climate impacts reshape where, when, why, and how people migrate. Many people on the move experience hardships and danger. However, migration is also a story of hope, resilience, and opportunities.

At the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Egypt, the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) launched the initiative Migrants4Climate: A New Decade to Act on Climate Change and Migration, under the leadership of the CVF Ghana Presidency and in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

One of the activities is the Migrants4Climate Award. The M4C Award is a CVF-led initiative in partnership with IOM and the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD), and benefits from the
expertise of the Right Livelihood Award. The Award aims to aims to counterbalance negative narratives on migration by giving visibility to initiatives led by or - inclusive of and targeting - migrants and diaspora and that feature a strong engagement in climate action and environmental sustainability. 

The four criteria for the M4C Award 2023 Edition are: Inclusion, Innovation, Impact and Inspiration.

1. Inclusion: Initiatives with a migration focus, or led by migrants and diasporas, such as migrants’ reintegration in home countries, migrants’ integration in host countries, diasporas’ investments, skills and remittance transfers will be prioritized.
2. Innovation: Initiatives contributing to climate action, spanning across a wide spectrum of activities such as clean energy, water management, land rehabilitation, agroecology, reforestation, ocean and maritime solutions and ecosystems preservation will be considered.
3. Impact: Climate action-focused Initiatives that have a demonstrated impact at the local and community levels will be selected.
4. Inspiration: Initiatives that can be scaled up, with a potential to further develop, grow and inspire more action will be examined.

The Winners of the 2023 M4C edition have been selected based on the four "i" criteria, by a high-level jury.

The high-level Migrants4Climate Jury is composed of:

• Ambassador Emmanuel Antwi, representing Ghana’s CVF Presidency lead of the M4C Award Initiative
• Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont, representing France GFMD Chair
• Ms Ugochi Daniels, IOM Deputy Director General for Operations
• Ms Runa Khan, Founder and Executive Director of Friendship NGO Bangladesh
• Ms Elizabeth Mullings-Smith, Managing Director of Maya Blue Limited and Global Jamaica Diaspora Council Lead for Development Issues Sector

Winners of the M4C Award 2023

1. First Prize: Projet Route De La Jacinthe D’Eau | Benin
Led by NGO-JEVEV, the project shows how environmental challenges can be transformed into opportunities when local stakeholders join forces with migrant returnees and diaspora communities. It is an innovative project inspired by endogenous ecological practices improving both water quality and land management.

2. Reusable Bags | Ghana
This social enterprise, showcases the leading role that a young migrant and entrepreneur can play when their vision and skills are turned into action. Reusable Bags Gh contributes to the construction of a plastic-free environment by producing fashionable reusable bags made in the world’s largest second-hand textile market in Accra.

3. Liter of Light | Philippine
The project depicts how supporting community-led initiatives is crucial to strengthen the resilience of people most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Liter of Light enables local communities to build simple solar lights using plastic bottles, PVC pipes and bamboo to bring light to populations displaced by disasters due to natural hazards.