MeetMED Week Promotes Energy, Climate Transition in Mediterranean Region

Marrakech – The Mediterranean region is facing various energy and climate change-related challenges, including high energy demand, heavy reliance on fossil fuels, and vulnerability to the impacts of climate change.

Promoting energy and climate transition in the Mediterranean region requires a multifaceted approach that addresses these challenges while also taking into account the social, economic, and political realities of each country in the region.

The second edition of the meetMED week, which is taking place in Marrakech between May 9 and 11, has brought together officials, stakeholders, and policymakers from the Mediterranean region with the aim of promoting energy and climate transition.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the event, Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development Leila Benali said that the event is an opportunity for the world to reiterate its commitment to sustainability goals as humanity faces successive energy and climate challenges.

Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition Leila Benali

“2022 will remain in history as a year of deep changes and revolutions in the energy market. It will also be remembered as the year when consumers and policymakers favored short term security over sustainability,” Benali said.

Morocco’s sustainability efforts

She emphasized that governments must keep the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 goal “alive” and at the forefront of their priorities, noting that many countries, including Morocco, have taken various adaptation measures towards sustainability.

“Morocco is committed to a national energy transition policy for sustainable development,” she said, stressing that the North African country places this issue at the heart of its public policies.

Under the leadership of King Mohammed, “we have increased the security, sustainability, and flexibility of our system based on the three pillars of our energy strategy,” added the minister.

Said Moulin, Director General of the Moroccan Agency For Energy Efficiency (AMEE), echoed Benali’s remarks, highlighting Morocco’s potential in the renewable energy sector. He also recalled King Mohammed VI’s directives to prioritize energy sufficiency.

Said Moulin, Director General of the Moroccan Agency For Energy Efficiency (AMEE)

Moulin noted that Morocco became in 2022 the first country to sign a green partnership with the European Union (EU). The partnership, which the EU chose to extend in January 2023, aims to strengthen climate change cooperation and green energy projects.

Collective action

The event featured a variety of sessions and conferences, during which speakers representing different countries and institutions shared their insight into the region’s climate and energy-related issues, as well as recommended action plans.

President of the Mediterranean Association of National Agencies for Energy Management (MEDENER), Griorgio Graditi, who joined the event via video conference, stressed his association’s efforts to implement energy efficiency policies and programs, as well as coordinate with various institutions to reach energy and climate transition goals.

Despite these efforts, “the region’s energy potential is largely under-exploited,” said Graditi, calling on stakeholders and policymakers to implement “concrete measures and goals.”

He also encouraged the sharing of experience, know-how, and skills between countries of the Mediterranean region.

President of the Mediterranean Association of National Agencies for Energy Management (MEDENER), Griorgio Graditi.

Likewise, Jauad El Kharraz, Executive Director of Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE), called for more cooperation between all concerned parties to reach the region’s energy sufficiency potential.

“We are proud of what has been achieved but we hope Morocco will do more to meet its goals, including increasing renewable energy [generation] and reducing electricity consumption,” he said.

While the world is currently witnessing a “challenging geopolitical and climate context,” the Mediterranean region has a “big opportunity to become a regional hub for hydrogen economy,” according to El Kharraz.

He put forth a series of recommendations, including adapting regulations to create a suitable environment to attract investment, as well as implementing resource efficiency policies in coordinating with other sectors, such as water and agriculture.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Mohamed Mohina, Egypt’s First Undersecretary for Research, Planning, and Authorities Follow up, spoke about his country’s energy transition goals and targets, including raising the share of renewable energy and reducing reliance on fossil fuel.

“Egypt is very keen and committed” to be a leader in energy tradition, Mohina stressed, underlining his country’s readiness to partner with other nations and partners in the region to reach their respective green energy goals.

MeetMED Project

The annual event, which took place in Egypt last year, is part of the meetMED project (Mitigation Enabling Energy Transition in the Mediterranean region), funded by the European Union.

The project aims to promote energy and climate transition in Southern Eastern Mediterranean countries. Implemented by MEDENER and RCREE, the project is “dedicated to fostering regional cooperation for energy and climate transition” in the region, according to the organizers.

MeetMED II, the second phase of the project, seeks to develop a “stable, efficient, competitive, and climate-resilient socio-economic environment” in Southern Mediterranean countries through an inclusive approach, added the organizers.

The project’s high-level events, meetMED Weeks, take place once a year for three years in different countries.

The goals of the meetMED Week include mobilizing and engaging various stakeholders, disseminating good practices, facilitating the development of energy efficiency measures, and increasing public awareness and investments in these sectors.

During the event, the Coordinator of the meetMED project Agathe Lacombe shared the project’s action plans and “work packages,” which include promoting efficient buildings, and appliances, as well as ensuring access to funding.

She also underlined the project’s upcoming activities for the year 2023, which include onsite audits and roadmap for improving water-energy nexus in Morocco, Palestine, and Jordan, among others.

The meetMED Week aims to become a flagship event for the Mediterranean basin, bringing together policymakers and stakeholders to exchange experiences and discuss the next steps for the region’s decarbonization.