With its enduring commitment to the goals of the Paris Agreement, Morocco has played a pivotal role in the formation and expansion of the NDC Partnership. Dating back to 2016 at COP22 in Marrakesh, Morocco, alongside Germany, spearheaded the establishment of the NDC Partnership—an international and neutral coalition dedicated to assisting countries in fulfilling their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) outlined in the Paris Agreement. As the inaugural co-chairs of the Partnership, Morocco and Germany orchestrated the formation of its first steering committee, which has since grown to encompass over 200 member countries and institutional partners worldwide. The NDC Partnership has served as a vital conduit for support to countries, backed by more than 50 affiliated organizations, including prominent international entities. Among these, the NDC Action Project, hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), acts as a focal point and key implementing partner within the Partnership.
Recently, the NDC Action Project embarked on a week-long mission to Rabat, Morocco, convened by Morocco’s Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development with the support of the NDC Partnership. The objective was twofold: to assess Morocco's progress in NDC implementation and to facilitate preparations for the forthcoming NDC cycle revision, slated for submission to the UNFCCC ahead of COP30 in Brazil in 2025. An exemplary involvement of ministerial departments and key institutions engaged in NDC implementation was evident throughout the exchanges. These entities provided valuable inputs regarding successful stories of implementation as well as the challenges encountered, particularly in areas such as access to finance. Their contributions were instrumental in shedding light on the current state of NDC implementation in Morocco. Additionally, these inputs will serve as crucial components of the future inclusive process of updating the NDC during 2024 and 2025.
Since 2021, the NDC Action Project has been actively supporting Morocco's Long-Term Low-Emission Development Strategy (LT LEDS) in collaboration with various stakeholders, including the Agence Française de Développement, Stockholm Environment Institute, and Deloitte Maroc. Notably, the LT LEDS was officially announced at COP28 in Dubai and is anticipated to be submitted before COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Ongoing efforts by UNEP include the development of a communication strategy and a sectorial investment plan to bolster the LT-LEDS.
In the coming weeks and throughout the year, the NDC Action Project will undertake three priority technical assistance projects in collaboration with the Moroccan government thanks to the NDC Partnership Action Funds (PAF): enhancing stakeholder capacity in NDC investment planning, developing a Green Climate Fund Project Preparation Facility, and exploring opportunities for integrating nature-based solutions into programs. These endeavours are not only connected to the LT LEDS support but also could be a key input to the incoming revision process of Morocco's NDC.
During the mission, the NDC Action Project team engaged with the NDC Partnership Support Unit delegation, led by Mrs. Mariana Panuncio-Feldman, to discuss matters concerning UNEP's engagement with the Partnership. Of particular interest was the deployment of the Checklist tool, aimed at facilitating the bankability of climate projects—an initiative in which Morocco will play a pivotal role as one of six countries selected to deploy the tool under the Partnership Action Fund.
The mission of the NDC Partnership provided an opportunity to convene donors and implementing agencies around a roundtable to explore avenues for enhancing coordination and synergies to the benefit of implementing Morocco's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). During this gathering, key next steps were agreed upon to streamline collaboration and optimize the impact of efforts towards fulfilling Morocco's NDC commitments.
Morocco's unwavering climate ambition is evident in its NDC, which targets a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 42% to 45.5% by 2030, with an unconditional commitment of 18.3%. The NDC encompasses 61 measures, focusing on key sectors such as energy, transport, agriculture, industry, and forestry.
As next steps, the key actionable recommendations are as follows:
- Reactivate the inter-donor committee with the support of the NDC Partnership, which will meet 2 or 3 times a year. The committee will be chaired by the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, assisted periodically by donors and implementing agencies.
- Develop and regularly update a matrix of donor projects with the country's focal point ministries to ensure greater visibility of ongoing initiatives and projects, facilitating efficient coordination and alignment with Morocco's NDC objectives.
