New Research Urges Policy Action to Align ESG Frameworks with Climate-Migration Challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa
A newly published article (Jan 2026), “Systematic review of business strategies for climate-induced migration adaptation through ESG in Sub-Saharan Africa”, by Dr. Cedric Nkiko calls for stronger policy integration between corporate sustainability frameworks and climate migration responses in one of the world’s most climate vulnerable regions. The study, appearing in Discover Sustainability, examines whether Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies which are widely used by firms to manage environmental and social risk, are effectively supporting broader adaptation policy goals amid rising climate-induced displacement across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
Climate-induced migration, driven by drought, flooding, and land degradation, presents complex policy challenges with implications for labor markets, social protection, urban development, and regional stability. Nkiko’s systematic review finds that while ESG practices increasingly address risk management and community engagement, they largely overlook migration dynamics. Most corporate sustainability efforts focus on environmental performance and social investments without explicitly linking them to climate mobility pressures, a disconnect that limits ESG’s policy utility as a tool for climate adaptation.
To bridge this gap, the paper introduces the Sustainable ESG–Migration Integration Framework (SEMIF), a policy-relevant model designed to help organizations incorporate migration considerations into ESG governance. SEMIF encourages explicit risk recognition, deeper engagement with affected populations, targeted adaptation planning, and inclusion of migration indicators in corporate reporting and monitoring.
The study’s findings have clear implications for policymakers and regulators seeking to strengthen climate adaptation frameworks. By embedding migration-sensitive criteria into ESG regulations, investment guidelines, and public-private partnerships, governments and development institutions could better align private sector activity with national adaptation plans thereby enhancing resilience and socio-economic stability across climate-stressed communities in Sub Saharan Africa.
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