A Moroccan team launched the first independent climate think-tank in Northern Africa, as national delegations assemble in Egypt for preparations ahead of COP27.
The team brings together former officials who were part of Morocco’s COP22 Presidency as well as Moroccans who have worked internationally in roles in climate cooperation or climate-focused civil society networks.
The organization called the “Imal Initiative for Climate and Development” or “IMAL”, is named after the word for “the future” in Tamazight.
“The creation of a North African climate think tank focusing on the green transition and resilience for the global south is timely and is an appropriate response to the ambitions of the UNFCCC process,” said co-founder Rachid ENNASSIRI in the press release.
“ I am confident that IMAL will play a key role in enabling the effective implementation of climate policies at national and regional levels, and will help connect and co-create the required knowledge in the field of climate and energy transition and its political economy, strengthening the necessary strategic capacities and animating the policy debates,” he added.
“One of the main needs for Moroccan civil society in particular and African/Arab World civil society, in general, is access to information and national/regional academic research and data about climate change and renewable energies,” said co-founder Fatima AHOULI.
“We believe that the Imal Initiative as a think tank will help fill this gap in providing knowledge and policy development. We also believe that the think tank will serve as a hub to help connect different stakeholders and
Decision-makers to come up with sustainable solutions that will ensure the values of equity, social justice, and fair access to sustainable resources,” she continued.
The entity aims to bring an African, Arab, and Mediterranean perspective to work on climate action and sustainable development.
The Initiative also aims to help support African and Arab countries in their transition to a green economy as well as to a multidimensional resilience, with attention to cross-cutting issues of finance and investment as well as diplomacy and cooperation.
The think-tank, a non-profit non-governmental organization with a research-based approach, will be launching in-person at the UN climate talks in Sharm el-Sheikh.
The COP27 kicked off on November 6, and runs until November 18 in Egypt, with Prince Moulay Rachid representing Morocco.
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