COP30: Morocco Advocates for Climate Financing Tied to Local Areas
How can international funding be brought closer to local areas facing the daily impacts of climate disruption? At COP30 in Belém, a side event titled “Access of Moroccan Regions to Climate Finance” provided some answers, highlighting a Moroccan approach focused on localizing efforts, capacity building, and networking.
The meeting, organized by the General Directorate of Local Authorities, brought together various stakeholders to discuss the conditions necessary to ensure direct access to financing for mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. Currently, only about 10% of international climate resources reach local levels, although cities account for approximately 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Morocco has already mobilized a significant portion of its national budget to support investments outlined in its nationally determined contributions, which exceed $80 billion. However, this amount is insufficient to cover all planned actions, with parts still relying on external funding.
In this context, Ridwan El Bezi, from the General Directorate of Local Authorities, noted that localizing climate action has been a key focus of Moroccan strategy for over a decade. Since COP22 in Marrakech and the adoption of a roadmap for localizing climate finance, various structural programs have developed local frameworks, created methodological guidelines, and assisted regions in preparing projects eligible for national and international mechanisms.
For instance, he cited a partnership established in 2021 with the Global Institute for Green Growth, resulting in ten concept notes in the Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as training sessions conducted with the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, which helped develop twenty-four climate projects.
Ayman El Cherkaoui, Director of the Hassan II International Training Center in Environment under the Mohammed VI Foundation, emphasized the importance of strengthening connections between local needs and funding sources. The foundation, in close collaboration with the General Directorate of Local Authorities, aims to align needs with offers through capacity enhancement and programs whose impacts can today be measured in the twelve regions of the kingdom.
He added that this dynamic also includes localizing the carbon accounting tool in Morocco, in addition to supporting Moroccan and African youth, stressing that these efforts align with the vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, and are under the actual presidency of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasna.
In his analysis regarding the challenges of climate financing, Abdelatif Mezouar, President of the Casablanca-Settat region, stated that local areas are still not adequately integrated as direct stakeholders in international programs, despite being the closest level of action to citizens and public services and vital infrastructure.
He provided concrete examples demonstrating the region’s commitment to accessing climate finance: securing $100 million from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in 2020, and €100 million from the French Development Agency for 2026, alongside another €100 million through a bond loan partly subscribed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Finance Corporation.
To facilitate regional access to climate finance, he specifically proposed creating a dedicated virtual international one-stop window, enhancing Moroccan municipalities’ knowledge of available mechanisms, accelerating the rollout of the Climate Action Program for local authorities in Morocco (2025-2028) in partnership with the Global Covenant of Mayors, and integrating regional planning into the national low-carbon strategy.
According to Asef Nawaz Shah from the Global Covenant of Mayors, the challenge now lies in methodically integrating cities and regions into financing platforms. He highlighted the four pillars of the “Champ” initiative (multi-level governance, local capacities, green financing, and adaptation), noting that Morocco is among the top three countries, alongside Brazil and Kenya, that launched the “Champ” financing accelerator aimed at structuring bankable urban projects.
Pablo Mariani, Climate Officer at the United Cities and Local Governments, commended Morocco’s regional and international leadership, stating that the kingdom “is one of the first countries able to demonstrate how a national framework open to regions can enhance access to international funding, including finance allocated for loss and damage.”
He also emphasized the crucial role of medium-sized cities, describing them as “platforms for social innovation and the first line of defense for climate adaptation.”
