An Innovative Golden Passport? Exploring Nauru’s New Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program

Abstract

In November 2024, at COP29, Nauru launched the ‘Nauru Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program’ (NECRCP), becoming the first Pacific Island state to explicitly link a citizenship-by-investment (CBI) program with climate adaptation finance. With fees starting at US$105,000 for a single applicant, NECRCP presents citizenship both as a mobile asset and as a financing tool for coastal restoration, water security, and environmental recovery. This In Brief draws on early insights from my PhD research on investor-citizenship in the Pacific region, focusing on structural and symbolic factors rather than personal motivations. NECRCP serves as a pilot study showing how island states reshape citizenship programs under pressures of climate risk and economic instability Show more