COP26: Morocco Seeks to Position Itself as Low-carbon, Circular Industrial Base (Minister)

Glasgow – Morocco seeks to position itself as a low-carbon and circular industrial base, said the minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, in an interview with MAP on the sidelines of the COP26 summit.

Under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, Morocco has adopted, over the past two decades, a proactive approach focused on a green and inclusive economy, noted Ms. Benali, adding that this commitment has resulted in the adoption of the National Sustainable Development Strategy (SNDD) in June 2017.

This is a strategy that aims to ensure a transition to a green economy by 2030 through several political, institutional, regulatory and financial reforms, she explained, noting that the priority on the next 10 years is given to simplifying the regulatory and institutional framework, while providing the necessary impetus for financing in key sectors such as the development of renewable energies, energy efficiency, sustainable waste management and resilience in the face of the impacts of climate change.

In this regard, the SNDD constitutes the “unifying” framework for the integration of sustainability in all sectoral policies, said the minister, stressing that this strategy offers the opportunity for Morocco to consolidate its leading position on the issue of climate change and sustainable development.

“I think that we will be able to do this by boosting competitiveness in certain strategic sectors, (…) but also by reducing the cost of the Moroccan energy bill for households, manufacturers, services and all the Moroccan economic fabric”, she pointed out.

According to the minister, it is “important” to make this shift in a context of post-Covid recovery, especially since “we have a complete reconfiguration of global value chains”.

There are a lot of strategic projects that have been launched with the aim of positioning Morocco as a low-carbon and circular industrial base, she said.

Regarding the Kingdom’s expectations in relation to the negotiations at COP26, the minister said that they do not dissociate themselves from those of developing countries, “in particular our African partners who understand the issue of adaptation, mitigation ambition and climate finance “.

In this regard, she insisted on the need for transparency with regard to the mechanisms of the carbon market, as well as on the establishment of transparency mechanisms that are flexible, evolving and adapted to the capacities of different countries.

However, the transparency mechanism of the Paris Agreement remained without results during the COP25, deplored Ms. Benali, expressing the wish to see it evolve during the COP26.

She also emphasized the importance of the issue of financing, stressing that it is important “and even critical” to deploy quickly but also judiciously the 100 billion dollars that are being mobilized by developed countries.

Then, it will be a question of defining a new financing objective after 2025, because it is important to give visibility and to restore confidence between developed and developing countries, especially as the carbon market will probably become one of the biggest markets of the 21st century, she said.