On the eve of the COP26 in Glasgow, a meeting has mobilized Moroccan economic actors for the climate.

On October 26th, 2021, the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection, in partnership with the CGEM and the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Morocco representing the COP26 Presidency, organized a climate action meeting on the commitment of Moroccan economic actors in a low-carbon transition that is resilient to climate change.

This event comes as a continuation of the commitment of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa in accordance with the policy initiated by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in favor of Climate and Sustainable Development, a commitment that was at the heart of the Marrakech COP22 in 2016.

This important meeting, held in person and digital format, was attended by Mr. Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Industry and Trade, Ms. Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Mr. Chakib Alj, President of the CGEM, Dr. Andrew Murrison MP, the British Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Trade to Morocco and Tunisia, and Mr. Simon Martin, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Morocco. Leading Moroccan companies from the industrial, transport and agricultural sectors took the floor at the meeting to express their commitment to carbon neutrality and climate.

In his speech, Mr. Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Industry and Trade, said that « thanks to the clear-sighted vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, reducing the carbon intensity of the industrial tool constitutes a major advantage for the Moroccan industry to enhance its competitiveness and enable it to compete with the world’s most integrated industrial platforms ». He added that « lowering the carbon intensity will not only secure access to our exports to foreign markets, especially in Europe, after the implementation of carbon taxes, but also to develop, substantially, our market share in countries that have, in the circumstances of the pandemic, made the choice to relocate in countries that are close and have reliable new sources of supply ».

Ms. Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development stressed that « the recently developed low-carbon strategy will generate several opportunities for our country in the context of post-Covid 19 recovery, especially in terms of sustainable energy development. She also announced that Morocco will be present at COP26 with a large delegation composed of representatives of public and private sectors, research organizations and NGOs, to consolidate the leadership of our country, under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him. The objective is to enhance the Moroccan model of energy and ecological transition, continue to promote initiatives undertaken since the COP22, and attract new foreign investment».

Mr. Chakib Alj, President of the CGEM confirmed that “decarbonization is one of the 10 priorities set by the CGEM in its White Paper, which provides concrete measures for implementing the New Development Model. It is a challenge that companies must consider from the point of view of their competitiveness and not in a cyclical manner, because of the many opportunities it presents. We are delighted to see that Moroccan companies are increasingly involved in this dynamic.”

British Ambassador Simon Martin praised “the long-standing record of climate action by the Morocco government and society, and the urgency and the benefits of joining the effort to create a resilient low carbon future, with over 70% of global GDP now committed to achieving net zero by 2050 »

The Foundation’s commitment to climate and air quality dates back to 2002, and in 2016 the Foundation launched the Qualit’Air Pact in partnership with the CGEM on the sidelines of COP22. This Pact seeks to raise awareness and mobilize public and private actors in the fight against climate change.

The Qualit’Air Pact approach is similar to the “Race to Zero” objective. This race as well as the “Race to Resilience” are supported by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection and the CGEM are mobilizing to encourage businesses to begin their transition towards a low-carbon and resilient economy. Today, they want to boost this movement by working in partnership with the British Embassy and the COP26 Climate Champions Team during 2021, to invite companies to join the “Race to Zero” and the “Race to Resilience”, two global initiatives of the Marrakech Partnership, supported by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

During this meeting, the partners congratulated the first Moroccan champions who announced their participation in this UN campaign. This event, held at the Hassan II International Center for Environmental Training, the Foundation’s academic arm, is the culmination of a pre-COP26 campaign.