Morocco

Located in North-western Africa, Morocco is a lower to middle income country with an important service and manufacturing sector and a high share of the population engaged in agricultural activities. Situated in one of the most arid areas of the world, the country is vulnerable to climate change and highly variable rainfall and recurrent droughts with severe environmental, social and economic consequences. Being also exposed to fluctuation in commodity prices, the country has been challenged by rising energy and food prices, depletion of natural resources, high youth unemployment, growing social inequality, and slowing gross domestic product growth.

Against this background, Morocco recognized the importance of reframing economic policies around sustainable development. Morocco’s commitment to an inclusive green economy transition was first articulated in the 2017 National Strategy for Sustainable Development (NSSD), which aimed to reconcile economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection by 2030. The revised NSSD in 2023 aligns with Morocco’s new development model and the 2030 Agenda and places a strong emphasis on six key areas of transformation: water security, sustainable territories, a low-carbon economy, sustainable urban development, circular economy, and social inclusion. It also prioritizes strengthened climate governance, resilience to climate risks, and the mobilization of human, technological, and financial capacities.

Morocco’s green economic transformation has been advanced through strong collaboration across national counterparts, including the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Employment, the Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water, the High Commission for Planning, the Moroccan Coalition for Water, the Moroccan Agency for Solar Renewable Energies, and the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University.