Morocco and the United States of America signed, Wednesday in Rabat, the fourth action plan for cooperation 2024-2027 in the fields of the environment and sustainable development.
Signed by the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, and the Ambassador of the United States of America to Morocco, Puneet Talwar, this plan aims to bolster the collaborative efforts between both parties and contribute to achieving national objectives outlined in the National Sustainable Development Strategy and the New Development Model.
The action plan focuses on four priority areas for both parties: "environmental laws and regulations," "climate change, green growth, and the green economy," "biodiversity conservation and protected area management," and "environmental education and transparency."
Benali told the press that the signing of this action plan would strengthen cooperation between Rabat and Washington in the fields of biodiversity, environmental protection, sustainable development, and energy transition.
In particular, the aim is to "promote training and encourage the involvement of civil society and the general public in major environmental projects, especially as the Kingdom is preparing to launch structural projects in various fields," the Minister added.
This collaboration, she continued, will provide a substantial contribution to tackling various challenges associated with water scarcity and green hydrogen.
In a similar statement, the US ambassador to Morocco applauded the close partnership between his country and Morocco, recognizing the Kingdom's "leadership" in the strategic domain of renewable energy.
This is a precise and detailed action plan that will cover a number of areas, from the application of environmental laws and the protection of endangered species to the fight against plastic pollution and the improvement of air quality, explained Talwar, stressing the importance of involving citizens in these initiatives alongside governments.
In 2004, Morocco and the United States signed a Joint Statement on Environmental Cooperation. The implementation of this Statement is notably reflected in the establishment of action plans drawn up and validated by the Environment Working Group (EWG) created for this purpose. Three action plans were signed and implemented between 2005 and 2017.
Several agreements have been signed between the two countries, notably in the fields of the economy, defence, security, the fight against terrorism and extremism, diplomacy, energy, trade, investment, scientific and technological research, education, culture and sports.
