Energy: Italy and Morocco renew environmental agreement

Rome, December 2, 2022 h. 16:00 - On the occasion of the Rome MedDialogues 2022 in Rome, the Minister of the Environment and Energy Security of Italy, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin and the Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development of the Kingdom of Morocco, Leila Benali, signed the new Memorandum of Understanding on environmental matters between the two countries.

The Protocol, lasting 5 years with the possibility of renewing the collaboration for 5 years further, represents the instrument for continuing the fruitful collaboration already started under the previous Memorandum, which expired in July 2021, and expands the areas of application to renewable energies and energy transition.

The new text therefore expands the scope of cooperation - referring to the objectives of the three Rio Conventions, (UNFCCC, UNCCD and CBD), and the 2030 Agenda - and responds to the new procedures for international cooperation introduced by the Ministry of the Environment and Security Energy, which strengthen the project monitoring and evaluation phases with a view to greater transparency, traceability, efficiency, effectiveness and ownership of the promoted initiatives.

The North Africa region is particularly hard hit by the effects of climate change. In this area there are pressing needs for mitigation and adaptation related to issues such as water scarcity and drought, sea level rise, land degradation and depletion, and desertification which reduces land productivity and the ability to meet the nutritional needs of an ever-growing population.

Due to this protocol we could, therefore, continue our cooperation to protect biodiversity, in the fight against desertification and for the restoration of the territory and significantly contribute to the energy transition process towards green and renewable sources in the Mediterranean area.