on voluntary carbon offsetting, the first of its kind launched in Morocco, in the presence of Driss Dahhak, Secretary General of the Government,  Amina Benkhadra, Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment, Abdelkbir Zahoud, Secretary of State for Water and Environment,  Abdeladim El Hafi, High Commissioner for Water, Forests and the Fight against Desertification,  Hassan Amrani, Wali of the Region of Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaër, members of the Board of Directors of the Fondation Mohammed VI pour la Protection de l’Environnement, CDG Group and other high ranking people.

The partnership agreement signed between the two foundations is a pioneering and an innovative initiative in Africa and the Arab world extending beyond the national framework. It reflects the will of the Fondation Mohammed VI pour la Protection de l’Environnement to assist governments in their policies to fight air pollution at the national level and therefore contributes to the global effort to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG).

The implementation of the program of voluntary carbon offsetting will make it possible on one hand, for the Fondation Mohammed VI pour la Protection de l’Environnement to back planting projects for carbon sequestration and solar electrification of rural schools to cut down on CO2 emissions, and on the other hand for the CDG Foundation to offset yearly CO2 emissions in connection with air and automobile travel by the CDG Group staff.

To be recalled is that this program is in line with continuous advocacy endeavors by public and private stakeholders, initiated by the Fondation Mohammed VI pour la Protection de l’Environnement to reduce air pollution, and strengthen the Qualit’Air and Eco Enterprise programs, most recent of which was launched in January 2009 by HER ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCESS LALLA HASNAA.