Saïd Mouline
CEO Moroccan Energy Efficiency Agency
What is the concept of a war room based on and what is the mission of the war room recently launched by the AMEE and the Ministry of Industry?
The agency, now under the supervision of the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, is in charge of implementing the decarbonization of our economy with three poles, energy efficiency in all sectors, sustainable mobility and clean production in industry including the circular economy. Launched last September with the Ministry of Industry, Trade, Green & Digital Economy, a “War Room Green Economy” which aims to promote an efficient ecosystem dedicated to the development of green, innovative and creative projects. This new structure which brings together the AMEE and the main stakeholders aims to set up an attractive framework to foster a green economy in the industrial sector in order to replace imports by local production, create jobs and increase decarbonized exports. The War Room offers a bank of projects to national and international partners related to renewable energies, energy efficiency, sustainable mobility or the circular economy
and clean production. It is made up of seven divisions organized around the Project Management Office (PMO). The seven divisions bring together all the necessary services to accelerate the decision-making process particularly in terms of regulations, supply, land financial support, capacity building and communication
What are these energy challenges that manufacturers are preparing to take up?
Decarbonization and export competitiveness of Moroccan industrial companies is currently the major issue. In a global context marked by a mobilization in favor of carbon neutrality, decarbonization must address the novel Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)implemented by the
EU. Indeed, energy is a major issue for national industry and represents nearly %23 of energy consumption nationally, and the integration of energy efficiency and renewable energies is fundamental to achieve national targets for reducing energy consumption in the sector, thereby promoting the energy mix in the industrial sector, and then increasing decarbonized exports. Thanks to a royal vision, Morocco started an energy transition more than ten years ago which has made energy efficiency and renewable energies very competitive in our country. It is an opportunity for manufacturers as increasing decarbonization enables also to reduce the energy bills.
The latest IPCC report calls for urgent decarbonization . Do you think that the International community is ready for this new challenge? If yes, how ?
Decarbonization consists of reducing your carbon footprint in order to achieve «zero» net Co2 emissions. The point
is to find the balance between carbon emissions and its absorption. The purpose of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is to limit «leaks of carbon «resulting from the relocation of industries that emit a lot of greenhouse gases or production transfers to countries with weak climate policies. The EU is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050 and a %50 reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030 under the EU›s Green Deal. Industry with transportation is one of the key sectors to reach carbon neutrality.
To succeed, this carbon border adjustments should be associated with national policies and initiatives to encourage and promote investments to reduce carbon intensity in the production process, in particular through innovative financing tools, and a new action plan in favor of the circular economy
Fostering national policies to encourage decarbonization needs a greater implication of public power. You recently as Chief Executive Officer of the Moroccan Agency for Energy Efficiency had the opportunity to take part in the inaugural meeting of the Greening Government Initiative. Are there concrete examples of such implication?
Intergovernmental cooperation is now driving the action to increase decarbonization.
Launched by the Governments of the United States and Canada in April 2021, the Greening Government Initiative is a new initiative that enables countries to exchange information, promote innovation and share best practices in order to green government operations and help meet Paris Agreement commitments.
More than 55 countries from Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe participated to learn more about GGI and hear how countries are transitioning national fleets to zero emission vehicles, electrifying and enhancing the resilience of government buildings, and establishing sustainable procurement policies. We have the chance that the Kingdom of Morocco developed the greening government program several years ago included in a proactive policy supported at the highest level of the state. To be coherent, governments should apply what they propose for all the sectors of the society (citizens, territories, private sector, NGOs, …) and lead by example. This is why the Kingdom of Morocco was one of the three countries which presented their program in this field. In this inaugural meeting, I outlined the Moroccan greening government program, underscoring the proactive policy
for sustainable development in all sectors including government operations, the important role of a dedicated agency, and shared lessons learned on financing this work.
Saïd Mouline,
CEO Moroccan Energy Efficiency Agency
