LONDON, Nov. 28, 2023programs as an effective mechanism to improve their resilience to the impacts of climate change and mitigate other sustainability risks. Besides phasing out fossil fuels, the other two core themes for the upcoming UNFCCC COP28 conference in Dubai, UAE, are building climate-resilient societies and investing in climate solutions. In its inaugural Henley Wealth and Sustainability Reportpublished today, the international residence and citizenship advisory firm highlights how investment migration can assist in addressing both these significant global challenges.
The innovative study analyzes over 150 data points across five key sustainability and wealth parameters including population density and CO2 emissions per capita, achievement of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. The report focuses on G7 nations, BRICS member states, including the six new countries that will join the bloc in January 2024 (Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE), and a selection of 19 countries that host investment migration programs, which enable investors to acquire residence or citizenship in return for making a significant contribution to the economy.
The G7 brings together seven of the world's most advanced industrial economies in the Global North, while the new BRICS plus Six configuration represents major emerging economies in the Global South. As Dr. Juerg Steffen, CEO of Henley & Partners, points out in the report, both groupings represent a significant share of the global economy and population, and both aim to tackle pervasive global issues such as climate change. "Investment migration can provide much-needed foreign direct investment to help meet our sustainability challenges. Several countries are already channeling program inflows into projects to boost their countries' climate resilience for the benefit of their citizens. Grenada, for instance, has strengthened its resilience against natural disasters by offering investors citizenship in exchange for a contribution to the country's National Transformation Fund, which supports a range of industries including alternative energy. A non-refundable contribution to Antigua and Barbuda'sNational Development Fund is another example of how a country is driving its transition to renewable energy through citizenship by investment."
Prof. Trevor Williams, former Chief Economist at Lloyds Bank Commercial banking, says the Henley Wealth and Sustainability Reportcan assist those looking for opportunities, either private or public, to invest in sustainability projects and other carbon-reducing initiatives. "The framing allows those seeking areas where climate change is less threatening, where adaptation is occurring fastest, and as a result where threats to sustainability are lowest to locate to achieve that goal. Through this approach, these individuals are also able to see which countries allow investors to acquire residence status through various programs, and where the opportunities for mitigation and adaptation will offer the highest returns on investment. It also shows where the best investment options are for funds that are seeking returns through sustainability and green and carbon-reducing projects and investment activities."
Commenting in the report, Dr. Areef Suleman, Director of Economic Research and Statistics at the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Institute, says the analysis provides a data-driven perspective on how residence and citizenship by investment programs can be leveraged to enhance investment resilience and sustainability. "Investment migration countries consistently performed better than G7 and BRICS plus Six countries in key areas such as environmental responsibility, infrastructure reliability, healthcare and education quality, economic growth, and wealth accumulation. These insights underscore the wisdom investment migration offers high-net-worth individuals in securing a sustainable future for them and their progeny. In an ever-changing world, data and evidence-based decision-making provide the right compass for investors and families seeking a path to economic prosperity and sustainability."
Read Full Press Releaseand the Henley Wealth and Sustainability Report.
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