Morocco Announces New Roadmap for Emission Reduction by 2035
Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, confirmed that 2025 will be a pivotal year for Morocco’s climate approach, with a review of national ambitions under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) in accordance with the Paris Agreement.
During a meeting of the National Committee on Climate Change and Biodiversity in Rabat, the minister explained that the third version of the document (NDC 3.0) expresses a comprehensive and participatory vision that includes various stakeholders from governmental and private sectors, civil society, academia, and local authorities.
The minister highlighted that the document is the result of an unprecedented consultative process involving over 60 sessions, with women’s participation reaching 51%. It resulted in the identification of key mitigation and adaptation projects that consider the country’s social, economic, and environmental priorities. The new goals include a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by more than 53% by 2035, as well as setting quantitative targets for multiple sectors, while adhering to the principles of a just transition and gender equality, and promoting regional inclusivity.
The new Nationally Determined Contribution also features a portfolio of over 190 projects that can be financed through innovative mechanisms and provisions of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The minister emphasized the importance of connecting climate change mitigation with biodiversity conservation, stating that Morocco is currently reviewing its national biodiversity plan in line with the “Kunming-Montreal” commitments, which advocate for the protection of 30% of land and oceans by 2030.
The minister reminded participants that this approach necessitates the restoration of degraded ecosystems, reducing pollution and over-exploitation impacts, and integrating biodiversity into sectoral policies, alongside mobilizing necessary financing, especially at the local level, while ensuring that youth, women, and vulnerable groups are involved in decision-making processes.
The meeting also discussed the outcomes of the sixty-second session of the subsidiary bodies of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (SB62) held in Bonn, as well as provided an overview of the work of the National Committee on Climate Change and Biodiversity and its plan for the upcoming year. The preparation of the third version of the Nationally Determined Contributions is in line with Morocco’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, covering a decade from 2025 to 2035.
Morocco submitted its first contribution in 2016, announcing an ambition to reduce emissions by 42%, then raising the target to 45.5% in its second version in 2021, fully aligning with the Kingdom’s commitments under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI in the field of climate action.
