314 M. LUOMI
emissions-related targets to the UN or revisiting its ultimate objectives
in global climate governance.
Climate Change Policy in Morocco
Role in the UNFCCC
In the international climate negotiations, Morocco is best known for
having hosted two sessions of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties
(COP), in 2001 and 2016, both in Marrakesh. In its role as the President
of COP 22 in 2016, Morocco both sought to demonstrate its national
commitment to climate action and to draw attention to African countries’ priorities and needs. At COP 22, the Moroccan government was
perceived to be giving greater emphasis to Africa and other vulnerable
developing countries than Arab countries—partly understandable as this
was Africa’s hosting turn in the rotation schedule of COP Presidencies. 42
In addition to G-77/China (to which all Arab countries are members),
Morocco is part of both the Arab Group and African Group. The African
Group’s positions have traditionally centred around the vulnerability of
its members to the negative impacts of climate change and seeking robust
finance arrangements and commitments from developed countries. In
addition to the response measures issue, which is not generally a priority
for the African Group, another difference between the Arab and African
Groups is that many of the latter’s members have demonstrated a high
level of ambition in the UNFCCC context, including through individual
pledges of action pre-2020 and by participating in the progressive High
Ambition Coalition (HAC), which has members from various regions and
was instrumental in the endgame of the Paris Agreement negotiations in
Paris in December 2015. 43 Morocco has in the past signed statements of
the HAC. At the time of writing, in 2019, it also co-chaired with France
the UN Group of Friends of Climate. 44
Moreover, Morocco (along with Comoros, Lebanon, Palestine, Sudan,
Tunisia and Yemen) is also part of the close to 50-member Climate
Vulnerable Forum (CVF), originally established in 2009 but with growing
membership and prominence since 2015. The CVF has positioned itself
as a voice of the most vulnerable calling for ambitious climate action. It is
also a strong supporter of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C. At COP 22,
members of the CVF pledged to update their NDCs before 2020, prepare
long-term low GHG emission development strategies (Paris Agreement
emissions-related targets to the UN or revisiting its ultimate objectives
in global climate governance.
Climate Change Policy in Morocco
Role in the UNFCCC
In the international climate negotiations, Morocco is best known for
having hosted two sessions of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties
(COP), in 2001 and 2016, both in Marrakesh. In its role as the President
of COP 22 in 2016, Morocco both sought to demonstrate its national
commitment to climate action and to draw attention to African countries’ priorities and needs. At COP 22, the Moroccan government was
perceived to be giving greater emphasis to Africa and other vulnerable
developing countries than Arab countries—partly understandable as this
was Africa’s hosting turn in the rotation schedule of COP Presidencies. 42
In addition to G-77/China (to which all Arab countries are members),
Morocco is part of both the Arab Group and African Group. The African
Group’s positions have traditionally centred around the vulnerability of
its members to the negative impacts of climate change and seeking robust
finance arrangements and commitments from developed countries. In
addition to the response measures issue, which is not generally a priority
for the African Group, another difference between the Arab and African
Groups is that many of the latter’s members have demonstrated a high
level of ambition in the UNFCCC context, including through individual
pledges of action pre-2020 and by participating in the progressive High
Ambition Coalition (HAC), which has members from various regions and
was instrumental in the endgame of the Paris Agreement negotiations in
Paris in December 2015. 43 Morocco has in the past signed statements of
the HAC. At the time of writing, in 2019, it also co-chaired with France
the UN Group of Friends of Climate. 44
Moreover, Morocco (along with Comoros, Lebanon, Palestine, Sudan,
Tunisia and Yemen) is also part of the close to 50-member Climate
Vulnerable Forum (CVF), originally established in 2009 but with growing
membership and prominence since 2015. The CVF has positioned itself
as a voice of the most vulnerable calling for ambitious climate action. It is
also a strong supporter of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C. At COP 22,
members of the CVF pledged to update their NDCs before 2020, prepare
long-term low GHG emission development strategies (Paris Agreement