The Kingdom of Morocco is participating in the 31st Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31), taking place from November 9 to 20 in Antalya, Turkey. Morocco's delegation, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Residing Abroad Nasser Bourita, is representing the country with a strong commitment and concrete national responses to major climate change challenges.
According to Minister Bourita, Morocco is not attending the summit as a simple guest or beneficiary country but as a nation with a solid experience and concrete national responses to several major questions and challenges on the agenda. He emphasized that Morocco is providing robust responses to the two main pillars of the Paris Agreement: mitigating the effects of climate change and adapting to these changes.
Morocco has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 53% by 2035 through concrete projects in several sectors, including energy transition. The country aims to increase the share of renewable energy in its national electricity capacity to over 52% by 2030. These efforts also concern industry, transportation, and the development of a low-carbon economy.
Minister Bourita highlighted Morocco's pioneering experience in managing water stress, including seawater desalination, water highways, and rationalizing water resource exploitation. He noted that Morocco has valuable experience to share with other countries, particularly in the agricultural sector and natural disaster management.
Beyond its national responses, Morocco is promoting regional initiatives, particularly in Africa, launched by King Mohammed VI during COP22 in 2016. These initiatives have led to the creation of three commissions covering the Sahel region, island states, and the Congo basin.
On the international and multilateral levels, Morocco advocates for a vision addressing key challenges discussed at the conference, including energy justice, climate change equity, and financing for energy transition. The minister emphasized the need to preserve the climate question on the international agenda, despite a complex geopolitical context marked by multiple crises and tensions.
Minister Bourita concluded that King Mohammed VI wanted Morocco to be strongly represented at the summit, highlighting the country's national experience, regional vision, and contribution to major international climate change issues. Morocco's participation in COP31 demonstrates its commitment to addressing climate change challenges and promoting sustainable development.
Key points
- Morocco aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 53% by 2035.
- The country targets over 52% of renewable energy in its national electricity capacity by 2030.
- Morocco is promoting regional initiatives in Africa to address climate change challenges.
