Minister of Energy Transition, Sustainable Development Participates in 8th Edition of Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue

Berlin – The Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, participated in the 8th edition of the “Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue” (BETD), held on March 29 and 30 in Berlin.

This important international forum, bringing together stakeholders in the energy sector, was organized by the German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the German Department of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection.

This 8th edition of the BETD was attended by ministers and political figures, the Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), as well as leaders of major international companies and experts in the field of energy transition.

Speaking at the inaugural ministerial panel, Benali recalled that “Morocco’s commitment in international efforts to fight against climate change emanates from the vision of HM King Mohammed VI, reflected over time by actions and concrete programs in various sectors, in particular the energy filed.

This has enabled Morocco to raise its ambition in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to more than 45% in 2030 as part of its Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement and to be on the path to carbon neutrality”.

The Minister also mentioned the progress made by Morocco in its energy transition materialized by several renewable power plants in operation, stressing that significant investments will be generated by renewable projects under development or planned for the implementation of programs and roadmaps concerning in particular the production of hydrogen, desalination of seawater, as well as the decarbonization of national industry through a low-carbon and competitive energy.

“The challenge today is to make strategic and technological choices that are realistic, economically viable, adapted to the Moroccan context, and in harmony with the recommendations of the New Development Model,” she said.

In this regard, she recalled the ambitious initiatives launched by Morocco at the African level and its adherence to the coalitions launched at the COP26, noting the initiative aiming at accelerating the energy transition.

This continental and international commitment was recently confirmed by the election of Morocco to the presidency of the 6th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), following broad support from African countries, she stressed.

In addition, on the sidelines of this participation, the minister held meetings with the German Vice Chancellor, Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Robert Habeck, the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Special Envoy for International Climate Action, Jennifer Morgan, and the Secretary of State in the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Jochen Flasbarth.

During these talks, the German ministers congratulated Morocco for the progress made in the field of energy transition and expressed their willingness to further develop cooperation with Morocco as a strategic partner.

For her part, Benali highlighted the need to capitalize on the important achievements of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, and said that the current context is more conducive to strengthen and direct it towards actions and concrete projects of common interest, economically viable, through the encouragement of development projects and local industrial integration to maximize the impact on the social, economic and environmental levels.