In the pursuit of analyzing King Mohammed VI as a potential climate leader, it is important to reflect on specific moments in his life that define his values and commitments. For Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, this moment was the COP22 hosted in Marrakech in 2016. Before the conference, Mohammed VI was mainly known as a development-oriented monarch, implementing economic reforms and infrastructure expansions. By hosting the COP22, one year after the Paris agreement, he effectively shifted the narrative from being a development and security-oriented leader to a climate actor, emerging on the international stage as a climate frontrunner.
The King framed the COP22 as “a decisive turning point in the implementation process of the historic Paris Agreement,”, urging the international community to act not only through promises, but rather tangible initiatives and practical steps that support developing nations. In his speech, he highlighted that holding the conference on the continent of Africa was “an incentive for us to give priority to tackling the adverse repercussions of climate change, which are growing worse and worse in the countries of the South,” which are more prone to the consequences of climate change. This moment marked the symbolic and substantive shift of King Mohammed VI’s position from just a domestic development oriented leader to a climate leader.
COP22 additionally amplified Morocco’s climate agenda internationally. King Mohammed VI leveraged the spotlight of the COP22 to highlight Africa’s climate needs and positioned himself as a voice for Africa and the global south. On the summit’s sidelines, the King convened the first Africa Action Summit, gathering African heads of state to create a common and shared stance on climate change. He implored the heads of state to speak united with one voice when demanding climate justice and mobilizing their resources for adaptation initiatives.
During the opening of the COP22, the King called for the wealthy countries to honor their financing pledge and for all the parties to uphold the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities in tackling climate change. These efforts did not go unnoticed, as international observers and press praised Morocco for making COP22 an “African COP” and creating a strong representation of African nations for the negotiations. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon personally thanked King Mohammed VI for convening the conference in Marrakech and applauded Morocco as a “great example […] making sustainable development and championing climate change actions”. Years later, the director of the U.S. Agency for International Development issued a statement praising Morocco as a “model of progress,” commending their structural reforms and ambitious projects, affirming Morocco’s important position as a partner in the international fight against climate change, because of the King’s leadership. Thus, hosting the COP22 significantly elevated King Mohammed VI’s diplomatic influence and reputation, solidifying his role as a leading climate advocate for Africa and the developing world.
Additionally, COP22 witnessed the synchronization of Morocco’s national project development with climate diplomacy. The conference provided Mohammed VI with a platform to present Morocco’s proposals for sustainable development and renewable energy as a template for the developing world. Indeed, long before 2016, the King had initiated and integrated the National Energy Strategy in 2009, to counter import dependence and initiate green growth. This plan established ambitious goals for renewable energy, originally 42% of installed capacity by 2020, later increased to 52% by 2030, supported by large investments in solar, wind, and hydro power projects. Morocco’s climate pledge, NDC, to the Paris Agreement in 2015 promised to reduce emissions by 32% below business as usual by 2030.
During the COP22, those plans were already taking shape. King Mohammed VI had inaugurated the first phase of the Noor solar power complex, one of the largest in the world, in early 2016. Morocco has also launched other flagship green projects, ranging from prohibiting plastic bags to debuting Africa’s first electric bus, to advancing its green reputation. Presenting these green initiatives at the conference in Marrakech provided concrete credibility to Morocco’s climate agenda. Observers commented that COP22 was “an occasion for Morocco to showcase its modern infrastructure and renewable energy plans, which include an investment of over US$45 billion in the next 10 years in adaptation and mitigation”, a size unprecedented among other developing countries. The successful hosting of the COP22 thus seamlessly intertwined Morocco’s national development agenda with its climate diplomacy. It highlighted that the same projects powering national development, including the Noor power plant and wider clean energy projects, were also fundamental instruments in global climate action. In this defining moment, King Mohammed VI rebranded his legacy by aligning Morocco’s future with the world’s future, emerging as a climate leader who connects local development with global progress.
IExRAIA Summer Research Program:
This article is an excerpt from a report on King Mohammed VI produced as part of an RAIA research program on climate leaders. For a full picture of Ruto’s climate leadership, including the sources, read the full report. This project was fully financed by IE University’s IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs.
Authors: Finja Ullrich & Aleksej Obradovic
Editor: Ruby Hawari
Project Leads: Roxane de Bergevin & Stefani Obradovic
