This conference, of which Morocco was the guest of honor, was chaired by the Swiss National Councilor (parliamentarian/Liberal Green Party), Isabelle Chevalley, president of the Swiss-Africa Parliamentary Friendship Group, with the participation of the Kingdom’s ambassador to Bern, Lahcen Azoulay, parliamentarians, representatives of federal and cantonal offices, diplomats, experts and NGOs working in the field of sustainable development.
Speaking via videoconference, the Secretary General of the Environment Department at the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Environment, Mohamed Benyahia, noted that Morocco is recognized as a leader in the fight against climate change, thanks to an ambitious NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) given its level of development.
“In accordance with the message of HM King Mohammed VI at the UN Climate Action Summit held in New York in 2019, Morocco has updated its NDC by raising its ambition through a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45.5% by 2030,” he recalled.
In total, some sixty greenhouse gas (GHG) emission mitigation projects would contribute to achieving this objective. These projects cover seven sectors, namely: electricity production, industry, transport, agriculture, housing, waste and forestry, he detailed.
According to the 2021 Climate Performance Index (CCPI), Morocco holds a brilliant fourth place out of the 58 countries assessed, just behind Sweden, Denmark and the United Kingdom, he recalled, noting that the intensity of emissions per unit of GDP has experienced an average annual decrease of 2.2% since 2004. “This is to say that the Moroccan economy is becoming more carbon-efficient, despite the period of economic and financial crisis recorded in 2008,” he observed.
Wishing to consolidate its achievements and strengthen its climate leadership, Morocco has developed a Low Carbon Development Strategy for 2050, in accordance with the Paris Agreement, explained Mr. Benyahia.
On this occasion, he outlined the main orientations of this strategy which “will constitute a strategic lever to make the recovery plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic sustainable, equitable, low-carbon and resilient.”
He also noted that Morocco’s new development model aims to take up five bold future challenges, one of which is to “become the regional champion of low-carbon energy.”
While stressing that the fight against climate change requires strengthening regional and international cooperation to contribute to achieving the long-term objectives of the Paris Agreement, he indicated that, in this spirit of solidarity, Morocco supports South-South cooperation initiatives, particularly at the level of the African continent, through the launch of several initiatives.
In addition to these initiatives, the Kingdom supports and accompanies the action of the three climate commissions, set up during the African Summit on Climate Action, held on the sidelines of COP22 at the initiative of HM King Mohammed VI, namely, the Congo Basin Commission, the Sahel Commission, and the Island States Commission.
For his part, Ambassador Lahcen Azoulay highlighted Morocco’s efforts to combat climate change at the national, regional and global levels, stressing that the Kingdom’s firm commitment to this subject has translated into reality through the launch of multiple initiatives, under the enlightened leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, to address the climate challenge, as well as the adoption of several major sectoral strategies at the national level promoting balance between the environmental, economic and social dimensions, in accordance with international standards.
The ambassador highlighted, in this sense, the efforts undertaken by Morocco as an actor engaged on the international level, to support the action of the international community in order to face the climate challenge, including in particular the signing by the Kingdom of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992 and its ratification in 1995, the organization in 2001, in Marrakech of the 7th Conference of the Parties COP 7, which made operational the Kyoto Protocol, ratified by Morocco in 2002. He also recalled the organization in November 2016 in Marrakech, for the 2nd time, of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) which was marked by a series of commitments for the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
This conference was an opportunity for participants to take stock of the environmental situation and the initiatives taken by African countries, including Morocco, to promote sustainable development.
2024-09-04 19:43:31