In 2025, citizenship by investment programs are getting the overwhelming attention of a large community of people who are seeking second citizenship benefits, including a secure and stable future for themselves and their families. The individuals invest in the best CBI programs, and the countries offering those programs in return get a significant amount of economic benefits from these investors. But it is very important that we realize that, as much as global mobility is important in our lives, the responsibility to protect our environment is also very crucial. We do need freedom of travel in different beautiful and successful countries of the world, but it does not mean that we neglect the significance of the ecological environment in our lives.
Thus, it is high time we not only invest in citizenship by investment programs by real estate, government bonds, and donations, but also invest in the projects that bring sustainability to our environment. In this way, the CBI programs can be enhanced as “Green CBI programs.”
What is a Citizenship By Investment Program?
In the modern day world, the second passport is a crucial pathway to many global opportunities like low tax policies, access to safe banking systems, and visa free travel to more than a hundred countries, which is very beneficial for individuals who suffer from poor mobility in their home country. Thus, a large number of people are investing in citizenship by investment programs through various investment options, including real estate, where individuals own or buy a property in the respective country, government bonds, which is a very lucrative option, and donations to government approved funds.
How is CBI enhanced in the Green CBI Program?
Although citizenship by investment programs hold a remarkable significance in the era of globalization, some of the investments in these CBI programs are just contributing to the economy of the country, not its environment. So, it is crucial that we further propose it as a ‘Green Citizenship Program’ where the investments are directed towards projects that bring sustainability to the environment of a country and thus positively influence the world.
By enhancing the CBI programs in this way, they will emerge as green citizenship programs that will provide a better, eco-friendly environment, which is beneficial for the health of citizens and the success of a country. The word green here symbolizes eco-friendly citizenship and eco-tourism CBI programs.
Why Should CBI Countries Promote Sustainability?
Sustainability is no longer just an idea for a successful future, it is now an essential factor for countries offering CBI programs to attract smart investors who take an interest in eco-friendly investments.
Global Shift Towards Eco Friendly Investments
For promoting citizenship by investment programs, it is crucial that we analyze the importance of sustainability for investors. Lately, many global investors have recognized that sustainability plays a vital role in providing an eco-friendly environment. According to a Key ESG article, nearly 80% of investors say that ESG is critical for their investment decisions. ESG here stands for environmental, social, and governance standards that analyze the environmental and social impact of an organization. These standards are typically used in the context of investments. According to data compiled in the 2025 Report, Investment decisions that considered ESG standards a key factor apart from other metrics represent half of all professionally managed investments, which total up to around $35 trillion.
This highly signifies that a huge investment rate is directed towards sustainable citizenship by investment programs. By the notable global shift of investments, a large number of companies are focusing on green buildings, which reduce negative impacts on the environment and health. Around 90% of public companies have adopted sustainability to secure investor confidence.
Significance of Sustainability for Countries
The Green Citizenship by Investment program is a key factor behind the global reputation of a country. With the increasing interest in investments towards the sustainability sector, it is critical that countries prioritize sustainable investments and green citizenship programs to attract socially responsible investors. This will not only greatly contribute to the eco friendly projects of the country but also create jobs in the renewable and eco tourism sectors.
Retrofit projects are also very important to improve health and air quality. According to statistics, around 37% of greenhouse gases come from materials used to form buildings, like cement and steel, so it is important to make sure that the buildings are upgraded instead of demolished and built again. This will help mitigate climate change and will align with the global efforts to reduce the negative impacts of climate change on the environment.
Moreover, the countries should design CBI programs under the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). According to Global Consistent ESG Reporting, young investors are more interested in ESG standards than older investors. Therefore, sustainability will become a competitive advantage for countries offering citizenship programs.
Future of Ethical Citizenship By Investment
Today, Golden Visa programs focus on wealth and contribution to the economy, but in the future, the green passports will focus on sustainability and contribution to humanity. The green citizenship by investment programs, apart from providing global mobility privileges to the investors, will also provide them with a safe and green environment. The investment in renewable energy is crucial for ESG initiative projects, as it reduces emissions and brings long-term sustainability in the corporate sector. Therefore, the high net worth individuals want eco friendly investments. Hence, the countries offering CBI programs will impose regulations that require the investments to contribute to healthcare and renewable energy projects. In this way, the green CBI programs will make sure that it becomes the social responsibility of every investor to contribute towards the betterment of the environment. Thus, the purpose of sustainable citizenship by investment programs will not only be to raise the economy but also to direct the attention of individuals towards ethics and accountability.
Conclusion
Sustainability is an important factor that needs to be considered when investing in a citizenship program of a country, as the properties and buildings with weak ESG standards are nowadays considered as liabilities. According to a JLL survey, conducted in February 2025, to gain insights on how sustainability has affected investment decisions, the data concluded that around 76% of the UK and European respondents claimed that they considered sustainability key factor for making investment decisions in the past 12-24 months, where 35% bids got rejected because of poor sustainability and around 30% of individuals decreased their offers.