Morocco Has Assets to Move to Decarbonized Mode of Operation (Minister)

Casablanca – Morocco has all the assets to start the transition to a decarbonized operating mode, said Tuesday in Casablanca, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali.

“We do not need to wait for the entry into force of the carbon adjustment mechanism at the borders in Europe and we have no time to lose to help Moroccan companies to begin their transition to a decarbonized operating mode. Morocco has all the assets for this change,” said Benali who was speaking at the opening of a meeting initiated by the Solar Cluster.

Among these assets, the Minister cited the proximity with Europe, the achievements of national strategies for renewable energy and the stability of the regulatory and contractual framework.

During this meeting on the theme “Accelerating the development of greentech sectors and companies in Morocco: an opportunity for socio-economic post Covid green and sustainable recovery,” Benali also referred to “the economic, financial and geopolitical crisis that the world is going through and poses a huge challenge to all countries”.

In this context, she said that “only structural faster and smarter changes,” in the production and consumption of energy can definitively solve the dual challenge of climate and prosperity facing humanity.

She stressed that “strong” energy policies can provide an answer to the crisis by stimulating economic growth, creating jobs and reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and pollution.

For his part, Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour stressed that the energy transition offers industrial operators opportunities for environmentally responsible growth allowing them to increase competitiveness and initiate the decarbonization of their production.

This is an ideal opportunity to have a clean energy at very competitive costs and promote the development of a national industrial fabric without carbon, added Mezzour.

The Minister also reported a huge momentum in the development of decentralized energy production industry “which will begin to take off in Morocco”.

The regional vice president of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for Africa, Sérgio Pimenta, praised “the efforts of the Moroccan government in its commitment to climate action.”

“The Moroccan private sector is also at the forefront of the green economy,” said Pimenta, noting that the future promises to be rich in innovation and opportunities and that Morocco will have “a central role to play” in this dynamic in Africa.

The director of IFC for the Maghreb, Xavier Reille stressed that Morocco is “already a champion of the green economy” and can also be a champion to develop green-tech, high-tech companies and start-ups that can help solve the problems of climate change, water and energy conservation present in Morocco.

This event, organized with the support of the IFC, in a hybrid format, mobilized nearly 1,000 public and private sector personalities as well as experts and companies in the green economy sector.

It also marks the closing of the “Morocco Climate Entrepreneurship” project, launched in 2019 jointly by the Solar Cluster and IFC thanks to the support of various donors including KfW, the Kingdom of Norway and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.