HIBAPRESS
On Friday in Rabat, the project "Removing Hazardous Chemicals from the Construction Sector Supply Chain in Morocco" was launched, as part of the efforts to transition to a sustainable and energy-efficient building model.
This project, which is overseen by the Moroccan Agency for Energy Efficiency, under the auspices of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and with financial support from the Global Environment Facility, aims to encourage the environmental transition of the construction sector's supply chain, by replacing hazardous chemicals with the adoption of environmentally friendly solutions and options, while supporting circular economy approaches and design models that are renewed at all stages of the value chain.
The project, which is supervised by the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, focuses on strengthening regulatory frameworks as well as standards for chemical safety of building materials, integrating life cycle analysis approaches into the sector's policies and practices, in addition to encouraging the use of low-carbon materials with environmentally friendly alternatives.
It also aims to develop an environmental and health certification mechanism, to strengthen the capacities of public institutions, laboratories, and the private sector, and provides support for model projects, while organizing awareness campaigns.
In a speech during a workshop organized to launch the project, the Secretary-General of the Sustainable Development Sector, Bouzkri Razi, affirmed that this initiative carries, along with its technical dimension, a deep human ambition represented by building safer living spaces, providing better protection for the health of workers and citizens, and preparing a more environmentally friendly development model.
Razi added that Morocco has gradually integrated the stakes related to the management of chemicals within its environmental public policies, especially through the National Strategy for Sustainable Development, and the efforts made to promote a green and circular economy that is resilient.
He explained that the project that was launched aims to accompany the transformation of the construction sector supply chain in Morocco, by encouraging the use of safer materials, stimulating sustainable alternatives, and promoting environmentally friendly practices.
He also pointed out that this project represents an important opportunity to enhance the competitiveness of the construction sector in Morocco, while supporting the Kingdom's commitments in the field of sustainable development and the rational management of chemicals.
For his part, the Director General of the Moroccan Agency for Energy Efficiency, Mohamed Ibn Yahya, affirmed that the construction sector, which plays a strategic role in the national economy, remains one of the most energy-consuming sectors, explaining that building materials represent 42 percent of the total energy consumption of the national industry sector.
According to Ibn Yahya, this reality necessitates the development of solutions based on the principles of the circular economy, highlighting the importance of this project which adopts an integrated approach that relies on life cycle analysis, and the transformation of production, consumption, and recycling systems, with the aim of accelerating the transition towards sustainable, resilient, and more competitive construction.
To achieve this, the official added, the project focuses on strengthening the regulatory and standard framework, strengthening the technical and professional capacities of the sector, in addition to supporting innovation and launching model and experimental projects in partnership with professionals and actors in the sector.
For her part, the representative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization in Morocco, Sanaa Lahlo, said that the construction sector is responsible for 30 percent of carbon dioxide emissions globally, which, according to her, necessitates thinking about ways of sustainable construction with the aim of reducing the environmental impact.
Lahlo highlighted that the project will definitely have an important impact in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, stressing that sustainability is not only an environmental issue, but is also related to the industrial and economic sovereignty of Morocco.
It is worth noting that the workshop for launching the project "Removing Hazardous Chemicals from the Construction Sector Supply Chain in Morocco" was marked by a presentation from the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development on the global context of the construction sector, the project's goals, and its positioning within the National Strategy for Sustainable Development.
