Morocco sets up COP22 steering committee

Morocco has set up a steering committee for the COP22 United Nations Climate Change Conference that will take place in Marrakech in November.

An official announcement confirmed that the committee will be chaired by Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar and has ten members.

The COP21 climate summit was held in Paris in December and resulted in 195 UN member states signing an historic international deal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit dangerous global warming.

The formation of the COP22 steering committee is seen as a sign Morocco’s determination to continue the momentum from the successful Paris meeting.

Morocco has made significant efforts to boost renewable energy and develop the green economy and the awarding of the COP22 conference is viewed as international recognition.

Morocco pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 32 per cent by 2030 in its national climate plan that UN member states submitted in the build up to COP21.

The Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) were submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that runs the COP meetings,

Morocco’s INDC includes an ambitious plan to increase the share of renewable electricity capacity to 42 per cent by 2020 and to 52 per cent by 2030.

The country’s national energy strategy has been established with the aim of reaching over 50 per cent of installed electricity production capacity from renewable sources by 2025 and cutting energy consumption by 15 per cent by 2030.