Morocco, Leader in Environmental Protection in Africa – Congolese Minister

Under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, the Kingdom of Morocco is a leading country on the African continent in terms of environmental protection, Republic of Congo’s Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development and the Congo Basin and Executive Secretary of the Congo Basin Climate Commission (CBCC) Arlette Soudan-Nonault said here on Thursday. In a statement to the press following talks with national climate and environment stakeholders, Soudan-Nonault praised the significant achievements made by Morocco in the field of environmental protection and ecosystem management, particularly in terms of sustainable development, solar energy and coastal protection. “These are a number of successful experiences in the field of energy transition that should be commended and on which African countries can capitalise,” she noted, voicing her country’s determination to enhance cooperation with Morocco in this area and to promote the exchange of experience and expertise. Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development Zakaria Hachlaf stated that the Kingdom had made a very early and determined commitment to the climate transition dynamic, by launching various initiatives aimed at successfully making the transition to a green, resilient and low-carbon economy by 2030. At the continental level, Hachlaf highlighted the progress made in making the three Climate Commissions operational, notably the Congo Basin Climate Commission (CBCC) and the Climate Commission for the Sahel Region (CCRS). He also highlighted the considerable progress made in institutionalising these commissions, and in establishing and operating the Blue Fund for the Congo Basin (F2BC), as well as the feasibility study carried out as a prelude to developping and implementing the Climate Investment Plan (2020-2030), with a pipeline of nearly 300 national and regional adaptation and mitigation projects. In addition to the members of the delegation accompanying Soudan-Nonault, the meeting was attended by representatives of ministerial departments, the two Houses of Parliament, the private sector and civil society.  The Congolese minister’s visit to the Kingdom at the head of a high-level delegation is part of an official mission to the countries of the CBCC, which is one of the three African climate commissions etsablished at the First African Summit on Action for Continental Co-emergence, held at the initiative of HM King Mohammed VI, on the sidelines of COP22 in Marrakech.