Mrs. Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, confirmed that Morocco has been fully engaged for more than two decades, under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in international efforts in the field of environment and sustainable development.

In a speech during the second part of the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), held in Nairobi under the slogan “Strengthening actions for nature to achieve sustainable development goals,” Ms. Benali highlighted that this commitment was embodied through Morocco’s accession to most environmental conventions. Multilateral and operationalized in national law.

In this regard, the Minister explained that our country has worked to enshrine the right to the environment in the constitution, stressing that the Kingdom has established governance for sustainable development and has achieved tangible progress in the field of integrating sustainability into sectoral policies, thanks to the National Strategy for Sustainable Development, which aims to achieve the transition towards a sustainable economy. Integrated green by 2030.

Mrs. Benali also highlighted that very ambitious goals have been set, both with regard to the development of renewable energies and with regard to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, explaining that Morocco aspires to reach a percentage exceeding 52 percent of the total electrical energy installed by the year 2030, and to raise the ceiling for reducing emissions. greenhouse gases to 45.5 percent in the nationally determined contribution by 2030.

In the field of protecting biodiversity, Ms. Benali indicated that a legal framework consisting of more than 250 legal texts has been developed to protect natural resources, highlighting that preserving biodiversity constitutes an important component within sectoral policies, especially the “Morocco Forests 2020-2030” strategy, which It aims, through a comprehensive, sustainable and wealth-producing participatory management model, to plant 100,000 hectares annually by 2030.

On the other hand, the Minister added that a network of natural reserves has been created, with the aim of protecting and valuing natural resources and rationalizing their use, noting that a strategy has been developed in the agricultural sector, to achieve sustainable development of the sector by rationalizing the use of water in agriculture, protecting the soil and encouraging biological products. Integrated coastal management programs have also been developed, with the aim of protecting and preserving coastal systems and preventing them from degradation and pollution.

Ms. Benali also highlighted that the Covid-19 pandemic emphasized the close relationship between the protection of natural habitats and public health, adding that this health crisis reinforced the importance of international cooperation and solidarity to confront the multidimensional crises that threaten humanity.

She pointed out that Morocco, thanks to a strong royal will, has launched several ambitious initiatives to strengthen the resilience of the African continent, especially the three climate committees: the Congo Basin Committee, the Sahel Committee, and the Island States Committee, in addition to other initiatives, such as “Agriculture Adaptation in Africa” and the “Sustainability” Initiative. Stability and security in Africa,” in partnership with Senegal.

At the end of her speech, Mrs. Benali stressed that this meeting constitutes another opportunity to consolidate the gains and strengthen cooperation for reconciliation with nature, calling for collective mobilization in an ambitious and effective manner to confront the challenges related to the environment and sustainable development, taking into account common and differentiated responsibility, and providing means of implementation in the form of financial resources and support. Capabilities and technology transfer to developing countries.