HIBAPRESS
The United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) praised Morocco's regional and international leadership in the field of territorializing climate action, on the sidelines of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30).
During a side event dedicated to the access of Moroccan regions to climate finance, held last Friday in Belém, Pablo Mariani, Climate Officer at UCLG, affirmed that the Kingdom "is one of the first countries capable of demonstrating how a national structure open to regions can enhance access to international funding, including funding allocated for losses and damages".
He explained that the Moroccan vision "lays the foundations for a true territorial structure, rooted in the actual needs of the population."
In this regard, Mr. Mariani praised the "leading role" of the Directorate General of Territorial Collectivities and the Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection, and the continuous commitment of national associations, which have made climate action at the national level a "long-term strategic priority".
The expert mentioned that the regions, provinces, and municipalities are "on the front lines" of facing the climate crisis, as they are exposed to devastating impacts ranging from the destruction of infrastructure to the loss of agricultural land and water networks. This necessitates, according to him, the direct or simplified access of territorial areas to international financing mechanisms.
He called for the Loss and Damage Response Fund to include local financing windows adapted to the needs of communities and to officially recognize their status in the governance of this mechanism. He stressed that "climate justice cannot be achieved if territorial areas cannot access resources."
He also highlighted the structural role of medium-sized cities, which are central to the Moroccan agenda, and described them as "platforms for social innovation capable of ensuring the basic public services that form the first line of defense for climate adaptation."
In the run-up to the UCLG World Congress scheduled to be held in Tangier in 2026, Mariani considered that Morocco "is in an ideal position to highlight its progress in the field of sub-national climate finance" and to adopt a common position on the access of communities to funding for losses and damages.
He added that this event will also allow for the strengthening of "a renewed vision of multi-level governance, focusing on public services, resilience, and territorial equality."
Mariani concluded that "there will be no successful climate transition without funded territorial areas," expressing his thanks to Morocco for its "firm regional and international leadership."
(With)
