Morocco Committed to Promote Sustainable Development (Minister)

Nairobi – Under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Morocco has been resolutely committed, for more than 20 years, to international efforts in the field of environment and sustainable development, said Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, on Tuesday in Nairobi.

Speaking at the second part of the United Nations Environment Assembly’s 5th session (UNEA-5.2), which takes place in the Kenyan capital from 28 February to 02 March, Benali noted that this commitment has resulted in the accession of Morocco to most of the multilateral environmental conventions, as well as their implementation in national legislation.

Similarly, the environmental law has been enshrined in the Constitution, Benali added, who represents Morocco at UNEA-5.2, noting that the Kingdom has established a governance relating to sustainable development and achieved significant progress in integrating the principle of sustainability in sectoral policies, through the National Strategy for Sustainable Development, which aims to transition to a green and inclusive economy by 2030.

The minister also underlined the very ambitious targets that have been set in terms of development of renewable energy and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, stressing that Morocco aims to reach 52% of the national electricity mix before 2030 and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 45.5% by 2030.

In the field of biodiversity, a legal framework of 250 laws has been put in place to protect natural resources, she added, noting that the conservation of biodiversity is an important component of sectoral policies, including the Strategy Forests of Morocco 2020-2030, which aims to restore forest areas to 100,000 ha / year.

In addition, a network of nature reserves has been created to protect and enhance natural resources and rationalize their use, Benali noted.

A strategy has been developed in agriculture to achieve sustainable development of the sector, through the rationalization of the use of water resources, soil preservation and encouragement of organic products, she added.