Workshop on the Readiness project for the implementation of Morocco’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) at the territorial level

The 2nd Workshop organized within the framework of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Readiness project, was held on the topic of the territorialization of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of Morocco in the Souss Massa Region. It took place on May 11, 2023 in Agadir, with the following objectives:

The development of a territorial country program of priority projects to be identified by UCLG Africa to lay the foundations for a strategic partnership with the Green Climate Fund.
The identification of priority projects for the territorialization of NDCs
Development of SAP projects in the Souss Massa region that can be replicated on a continental scale.

The meeting was marked by the participation of :

Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi, Secretary General of UCLG Africa
Abdenbi Alimi, Secretary General of the Wilaya of Agadir, Regional Affairs Officer
Abdelaziz Bendou, President of Ibn Zohr University
Aamiri Hanane, Vice-President of the Souss Massa Region
Bouaichi Abdelghani Vice-President of the Municipality of Agadir
Driss Boutti, President CGEM of the Sous Massa Region
Abderrahmane Amor, Vice-President of the Chamber of Agriculture for the Souss Massa region
Bouzekri Razi, Director of Sustainable Development, Moroccan Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development
Khadija Sami, Regional Director, Moroccan Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development
Oumar Ba, President of the Association of Mayors of Senegal
Charlemagne Yankoty, Mayor of Porto Novo, Benin
Angelo Ahouandjinou, Mayor of Abomey Calavi, Benin
NZI Antoine, Mayor of Ouélé, Ivory Coast
Omar Bahman, Vice-President of AMPCC
Ahawo APEDO EYA, Environmentalist, Deputy Focal Point of the FVC- Focal Point of the Bamako Convention, Ministry of the Environment, Togo
NDIAYE Fatma NIANG, in charge of monitoring the waste dossier in the Climate Change Division of the Senegalese Ministry of the Environment, Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition;
Tano Etile Alfred, Representative of the Focal Point, Ministry of the Environment, Côte d’Ivoire;
Thami Benhalima, Director of Agrotech

Several leaders and representatives of the associative and cooperative world of the Souss Massa region participated to this workshop.

The themes of the workshop were in line with the NDCs territorialization approach presented at the first workshop held on September 27, 2022 in Agadir.

The workshop divided into three panels, starting from the national level of NDCs to the region and territory, and from the bottom-up approach of the territory to the regional and national levels.

The first panel was about the NDCs of Morocco and those of the West African guest countries, as well as the priority programs of the various countries. It was followed by a presentation of UCLG Africa’s methodology for territorializing NDCs.
The second panel was held around a presentation by the Regional Direction of the Environement on the PTRC (Territorial Plan to adress Global Warming ) for the Souss Massa region.
The third panel was marked by a presentation of Agrotech about the agricultural plastic waste recovery project.

Commitment to the implementation and territorialization of NDCs

This high-level workshop reflected the commitment of the participants at the national (Ministry of the Environment), regional (FVC focal points from four West African countries) and territorial (Souss Massa Region) level, as well as from the private, educational, associative and cooperative sectors.

During the opening, all of the speakers agreed on the importance of commitment at all levels for the effective implementation of NDCs, and emphasized Morocco’s pioneering role through its commitment to reducing greenhouse gases and its proactive approach to cutting emissions. Morocco emphasized that the resilience needed in key sectors such as agriculture, industry and water management cannot be achieved without a new style of territorial management based on a strong capacity to federate all stakeholders.

The various speakers also highlighted the importance of territorializing NDCs, recognizing that the territory is the place where all public policies converge, while at the same time being at the heart of the climate change challenge. This process of territorializing NDCs requires the establishment of numerous partnerships, and has the potential to be effectively replicated in other regions of Morocco, and even Africa.

In addition, speakers recognized the key role of UCLG Africa as the operational arm of South-South cooperation, with the capacity to support the pan-African initiatives driven by Morocco since COP 22 and leading to a methodology for defining Regionally Determined Contributions (RDCs) harmonized at national level. Ultimately, such an approach could position Africa as an innovative continent proposing a new approach to the Green Climate Fund in its objective to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Finally, CGEM and Université Ibn Zohr reaffirmed their conviction of the importance of the challenges, issues and actions involved in territorialization, and their willingness to participate actively in this exercise in partnership with all other stakeholders.

After the introductory remarks, the first panel kicked off, giving the various Green Climate Fund Focal Points from the invited countries the opportunity to present their NDC programs, as well as priority sectors and projects at the national level. Priority sectors at territorial level generally converged between the various GFC Focal Points on household waste, water supply and demand management, decarbonization of industry, and urban and sustainable mobility.

They also stressed the importance of developing good MRV (Measurement, Reporting and Verification) tools based on the Katowice Rule Book, taking advantage of the carbon market and the Nagoya Protocol, and formalizing and systematizing South-South technology transfers.

Following the presentation of the NDCs for each country, a portfolio of more or less detailed projects was presented. This portfolio will be analyzed by the team mobilized by UCLG Africa to identify projects aligned with both the requirements of the GCF and the Readiness project framework.

The second workshop presented the territorial approach proposed by UCLG Africa for accelerating NDCs. This approach is broken down into seven stages with a view to structuring projects. It is aligned with the Territorial Climate Plan approach presented by the Regional Director of the Environment, which takes the NDCs from the national to the regional and territorial level, while integrating the needs and priorities of the region’s territories. This combination of two approaches (top-down and bottom-up) made the PTRC a plan adopted by all stakeholders in the region.

The PTRC confirmed the priority sectors cited in the national CDN, while highlighting the extreme urgency of the waste and recycling sector as a priority project for the territory, with the water supply and demand issue constituting a second priority sector.

At the last workshop, the Agrotech association presented a project to recover agricultural plastic waste, given its environmental impact and economic potential. This project can be considered a priority if its scope and structure are reviewed and extended to include waste on a regional scale, and the organization of the upstream and downstream collection chain. This presentation was completed by a presentation of the Green Climate Fund’s investment criteria.

The workshop concluded by stressing the need to exchange views with all stakeholders, especially the private sector, to ensure that all these projects are fully owned and meet all the requirements of the Green Climate Fund.

Finally, the need for innovation in the territorialization exercise was again reiterated by UCLG Africa, with the need to address the five transitions (food, energy, ecology, health and digital) in a cost-effective way, i.e. in a condition to make money and not lose money.