Borders have taken on substantial significance in the modern world because of the complicated geopolitical environment and escalating national safety challenges. In addition to acting as physical restrictions, borders function as economic, political, and social lines of segmentation that influence how countries collaborate. Although boundaries have existed for centuries, they now play a more significant role in determining how states interact. Rising nationalism, protectionist policies, and the emergence of populist figures are characteristics of the current global setting. It has made borders more restrictive and national interests more prominent, undermining efforts to promote global cooperation. The paper argues that borders have a detrimental effect on international cooperation efforts because they obstruct advancement in issues related to climate change, economic development, moral perspective, the flow of people in the realm of immigration, and the governance of the global environment while exacerbating political tensions in the context of closed borders, raising the question of the roles of various nations concerning border policies.

Climate change vulnerability

Conflicting policy choices across such a broadly fragmented policymaking environment present significant issues, as scholars of global environmentalism noted, which is among the main barrier to cooperation. Initially, a lack of standard regulations may jeopardize the efficacy of the initiatives chosen by various groupings of nations or at different tiers of the decision-making process. For example, suppose the United States fails to adhere to the process. In that case, the worldwide trading of carbon dioxide regime envisioned by the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 may produce negative incentives concerning climate change policy. Furthermore, strict environmental laws implemented by one set of governments can significantly impact the global trade system, among other policy fields (Biermann & Pattberg, 2008). Subsequently, it is also possible that corporate actors exploit regulatory variation to select between various levels of responsibility, igniting a fight to the bottom within and between industry sectors. This is because a fragmented design lowers the barrier to entry for players. Increasingly, many actors do not agree that immigration is promoted as a climate change mitigation approach.

According to Benveniste et al. (2020), when borders are open to travel, it is an essential driver of financial stability for developing nations through donations, especially in climatic changes that lead to disasters. Population movements alter the degree to which people are exposed to and vulnerable to the effects of climate change when there is a paucity of collaboration. By keeping people in more vulnerable places and susceptible than elsewhere, stringent border policies can enhance susceptibility and prolonged exposure (Benveniste et al., 2020). Substantial ramifications for policy, primarily the 2018 United Nations (UN) Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, encourages examination of immigration policy as a significant involvement in international climate change policy debates. Additionally, it is essential to comprehend global migration patterns about environmental consequences to consider the varying degrees of development between regions. Therefore, lowering inequality across nations would additionally reduce the necessity for and advantages of using worldwide immigration as a strategy for coping with the effects of climate change.

Economic growth and borders

Opening frontiers offers a significant source of revenue for countries of origin, frequently more vulnerable countries, which might be leveraged to lessen sensitivity to environmental impacts within these regions. It is demonstrated by depicting bilateral immigration and monetary transfers across regions. Greater openness to borders could especially help Southeast Asia, the small islands of the United States, and Central America since they would receive greater remittances. In contrast, China and those areas would suffer the most if all borders were closed. (Benveniste et al., 2020). Open borders allow public stakeholders at sub-national levels to become more significant in global regulations affecting the environment. Cities, for instance, can become more important in global environmental leadership, particularly through their cooperation in mitigating climate change. Over 800 municipal governments collaborate as part of the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign to establish policies and implement measurable initiatives to lower localized emission levels of greenhouse gases, enhance air quality, and boost the urban standard of living (Biermann & Pattberg, 2008). Notwithstanding claims made by populists, present immigration limitations accomplish their intended goal of