Commodities & Energy

As the world commemorates Earth Day 2025 under the theme "Planet vs. Plastics," it is a timely moment to turn our attention to one of the planet’s most overlooked heroes: the soil. Often hidden beneath our feet and largely absent from climate conversations, soil plays a vital role in sustaining life, supporting biodiversity, and buffering the impacts of climate change. Honouring the soil as Earth’s silent lifeline is not just a tribute—it is a call to action. ...

The second Trump administration’s reversal of federal climate policy is reshaping the U.S. energy and industrial landscape, with significant implications for macroeconomic performance, clean technology competitiveness, and global climate cooperation. While the deregulatory shift and emphasis on fossil-fuel production may generate short-term output gains in selected sectors, the long-term structural transformation necessary for sustained growth in an increasingly low-carbon global ec ...

MENA faces a severe water crisis, with 12 of the world’s 17 most water-stressed countries. Climate change, population growth, inefficient water management, and weak governance drive this challenge. Water production, treatment, and distribution require high energy inputs, while energy generation depends on water for cooling and refining. The region must integrate renewable energy, especially solar power, into water solutions like desalination. Inaction could shrink GDP by up to 14% ...

Le lithium a vu ses prix s’effondrer au cours des deux dernières années, alors que sa demande devrait fortement croître pour alimenter l’essor programmé des véhicules électriques et des ‘’ clean techs ‘’. Paradoxe ou situation caractéristique des marchés mondiaux de matières où l’instabilité fait loi et où la géostratégie joue pleinement son rôle ? Une analyse des mécanismes à l’œuvre sur le marché de cette ressource stratégique est nécessaire, afin de comprendre la physionomie que ...

Geopolitical tensions and competing interests define the Eastern Mediterranean's energy landscape. Vast natural gas reserves offer economic potential, but overlapping maritime claims and ongoing conflicts—particularly the Israel-Lebanon war and the Gaza conflict—threaten existing agreements and future projects. The European Union’s efforts to reduce dependence on Russian gas initially positioned the region as a key supplier, but escalating instability now puts these ambitions at ris ...

Fidèles à leur histoire jalonnée de crises et d’envolées spectaculaires, les marchés mondiaux de matières premières ont connu des développements contrastés en 2024. L’or, le cuivre, le café ou le cacao ont ainsi atteint des sommets historiques, tandis que le pétrole, le nickel ou le blé ont, parmi tant d’autres produits de base, accusé des baisses d’ampleur variée. Entre une scène géopolitique sous tension en raison de l’aggravation du conflit au Moyen-Orient et de la persistance de ...

La Chine domine de la tête et des épaules la production mondiale d’aluminium primaire et d’acier brut. Mais ce qui est assurément une force sur les marchés mondiaux des métaux laisse toutefois transparaître un certain nombre de risques, voire de faiblesses, auxquels groupes nationaux et autorités publiques doivent faire face. Derrière ce gigantisme représentatif de la puissance industrielle de la 2ème économie mondiale se cachent en effet une forte exposition à la variabilité de la ...

While the very reality of the energy transition is sometimes questioned, even challenged (Fressoz, 2023), the carryover effect it creates on mineral resources, highlighted by numerous forward-looking studies, appears indisputable. More copper, lithium, nickel, graphite or rare earths: these are the non-exhaustive conditions that will enable us to support the development of electromobility and renewable energies, and thus contribute to limiting global warming, in line with the commit ...

The global energy landscape in 2024 reflects a complex interplay of geopolitical tensions, economic pressures, and uneven progress in clean energy transitions. Despite record growth in renewable energy deployment and advancements in low-carbon technologies, the world continues to fall short of meeting its climate goals. Fragmented markets, entrenched fossil fuel dependencies, and supply chain vulnerabilities continue to challenge energy security and hinder global decarbonization eff ...

Este artículo se publicó originalmente en legrandcontinent.eu   Varios países africanos están ascendiendo silenciosamente en la cadena de valor de los vehículos eléctricos. Campo de batalla de la rivalidad sino-estadounidense por los materiales críticos, África podría encontrar una oportunidad en la nueva fragmentación mundial de las cadenas de suministro. Estudio de caso de la República Democrática del Congo. Las sucesivas perturbaciones de las cadenas de suministro durante la d ...

Ce papier a été initialement publié sur legrandcontinent.eu   À bas bruit, plusieurs pays africains sont en train de monter dans la chaîne de valeur des véhicules électriques. Terrain de bataille de la rivalité sino-américaine sur les matières critiques, l’Afrique pourrait trouver dans la nouvelle fragmentation mondiale des chaînes d’approvisionnement une opportunité. Étude de cas depuis la République démocratique du Congo. Les perturbations successives des chaînes d’approvisionn ...

Le bassin Atlantique est une zone très importante pour l’industrie internationale des hydrocarbures (pétrole et gaz naturel). Elle l’est en termes de réserves, de production et d’exportation de pétrole et de gaz. De plus, son potentiel est loin d’être complètement exploité, ce qui signifie qu’elle continuera à jouer un rôle majeur dans ce secteur pendant de longues années. La partie américaine du bassin Atlantique pose d’ailleurs un sérieux problème aux pays de l’OPEP+, une coalitio ...

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is at a critical juncture, facing an intricate polycrisis defined by interlinked challenges including energy insecurity, water scarcity, migration, conflict, and socio-political fragmentation. These crises are not isolated; their interconnectedness amplifies their impact, creating a destabilizing feedback loop that hinders sustainable development and peacebuilding efforts. This paper explores the concept of polycrisis through the lens o ...

In September 2024, scientists at the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service  reported that summer 2024 was the hottest on record globally, and the previous twelve months posted a average global temperature that was a record 1.64 degrees Celsius (2.95 degrees Fahrenheit) above the average during the pre-industrial period, 1850-1900. This was triggered by a combination of a warmer El Niño cycle and the effects of human-caused warming. While it will take more years of such ...

Le 5 novembre 2024, Donald Trump a gagné son duel face à Kamala Harris. Le 45ème président des États-Unis sera aussi le 47ème et il prendra ses fonctions à la Maison Blanche le 20 janvier 2025. Les politiques de la future Administration Trump seront évidemment très différentes de celles qu’aurait pu conduire une Administration Harris et de celles de l’Administration Biden depuis janvier 2021 et c’est aussi le cas pour les questions énergétiques. Mais une chose est sûre : que la prem ...

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Si la réalité même de la transition énergétique est parfois questionnée, voire remise en cause (Fressoz, 2023), l’effet de report qu’elle crée sur les ressources minérales, mis en évidence par de nombreuses études prospectives, apparaît indiscutable. Plus de cuivre, de lithium, de nickel, de graphite ou de terres rares : telles sont les conditions non exhaustives permettant de soutenir le développement de l’électromobilité et des énergies renouvelables et, ainsi, de contribuer à la ...

This paper examines the complex interplay between global climate ambitions and national interests within the New South—defined as a diverse group of emerging economies, each pursuing distinct geopolitical strategies, economic priorities, and development goals—seen through a realist lens at the COP29 climate summit. As the climate crisis deepens, the geopolitical stakes involved in climate governance become more pronounced. The New South, grappling with the dual challenges of economi ...

The road to decarbonizing the planet runs through the energy transition, which includes the shift from fossil-fueled cars to renewable energy vehicles. This automotive transition is unfolding as a true revolution in the industry. The evolution toward electric and hybrid vehicles has come in tandem with the ascent of Chinese producers. In the current context of geopolitical and technological rivalries, the automotive transition has been marked by an intense trade war, with implicati ...

La nouvelle était largement attendue : mercredi 18 septembre 2024, et pour la première fois depuis 2020, la Réserve fédérale américaine (Fed) a diminué ses taux directeurs, les portant ainsi à 4,75 % et 5 %, soit une baisse significative de 50 points de base. En repli quasi-constant depuis juin 2022 où elle avait atteint une valeur record de 9,2 % en base annuelle, l’inflation américaine est désormais sous contrôle, tandis que les récentes statistiques du marché de l’emploi du pays ...

Green industrial policies are essential to enable the structural transformations needed for a successful transition to a low-carbon economy. Because of the pressing need to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, it is imperative to reallocate resources strategically from carbon-intensive sectors to sustainable, high-productivity industries. This transition is critical both to mitigate the impacts of climate change and to promote long-term economic growth and sustai ...

Over the next decade, the energy transition will transform the global economic landscape in terms of regulations, industrial and energy investments, and technological solutions. The African continent is set to play a significant role in this transition while addressing its own sustainable development needs. To fully capitalize on this emerging dynamic, African countries should pursue innovative paths tailored to their specific contexts and constraints. They should also identify stra ...

Some of the designs are etched into the desert sand like intricate spiderwebs. Others wind through African jungles like giant serpents, transforming pristine landscapes into conduits of profit, constructed from metal, plastic, and cement. Pipes, endless pipes, stretching for thousands of kilometers, even reaching beneath the sea. Europe’s thirst for oil and gas has intensified, especially since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war—whether that conflict drags on for months or years ...

Le rôle du secteur halieutique dans l’alimentation du continent africain est considérable : 22 % des protéines animales disponibles viennent des produits de la mer et des eaux douces et plus de 50 % dans certains pays africains, en particulier en Afrique du Nord et de l’Ouest. Les pêches et leurs activités connexes fournissent non seulement de la nourriture, mais aussi des emplois à 12 millions de personnes, et génèrent des revenus pour les États comme pour les communautés ...

The agricultural sector is responsible for 72% of global water withdrawals, and is the biggest employer of the world’s most vulnerable and poor populations. Still, close to 84% of smallholder farms in low- and middle-income economies are located in water-scarce regions, with less than one third of them having access to irrigation (UN, 2024). These small-scale farmers also bear the heavy weight of land degradation and climate crisis. It is estimated that food production will need to ...

The earth’s average surface temperature in May 2024 was higher than any other May on record, marking the twelfth consecutive such record-breaking month. According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, May’s temperature was 1.52 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average, while temperatures over the past twelve months have averaged 1.63°C above (Figure 1). Global sea surface temperatures have also set records over the past fourteen months.   Consider the e ...

Le constat est désormais parfaitement connu : une quantité croissante de ressources minérales sera nécessaire au cours des années et décennies à venir si nous voulons réussir notre transition énergétique et, délaissant les énergies fossiles, ainsi parvenir à la neutralité carbone. Plus de lithium, de manganèse ou de sulfate de nickel pour les batteries Li-ion des véhicules électriques légers, plus de silicium pour les panneaux photovoltaïques, de terres rares ou de zinc pour les éol ...

Interview publié sur philonomist.com   Si la récente crise qui a secoué la Nouvelle-Calédonie part d’un conflit politique, elle s’inscrit dans un contexte économique difficile. L’industrie du nickel, qui représente 90 % des exportations de l’archipel et emploie près d’un Calédonien sur quatre, est au point mort. Le « pacte nickel » proposé par le gouvernement pour relancer la filière tarde à être adopté. Comment comprendre cette situation, alors que la Nouvelle-Calédonie possède u ...

Carbon trading have long been touted as a silver bullet to channelise climate finance to African countries lacking the capital to support climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. The erstwhile ‘Kyoto Protocol’ and its successor ‘The Paris Agreement’, though much more comprehensive and wider in scope, both recognize the importance of carbon trading (a form of carbon pricing) in combatting climate change, and in the Paris Agreement the same is enshrined under Article 6 and its sub-c ...

Africa has a wealth of natural resources, including minerals, agriculture, and energy commodities, which provides an opportunity for the financialization of these commodities on the continent, a concept that has gained global attention and sparked debate on the potential benefits and drawbacks. Although the financialization of commodities has been studied in various contexts, including in African countries, challenges such as liquidity constraints and market readiness have emerged a ...

Au cours de la prochaine décennie, la transition énergétique transformera le paysage économique mondial en termes de régulations, d’investissements industriels et énergétiques et de solutions technologiques développées. Le continent africain est appelé à jouer un rôle important dans cette transition, tout en répondant à ses propres besoins de développement durable. Pour tirer pleinement profit de cette dynamique naissante, les pays africains devraient s'engager sur de ...

Carbon pricing mechanisms are central to mitigating climate change. These mechanisms work by internalizing the costs associated with greenhouse gas emissions, thus encouraging emissions reductions and promoting technological progress in favor of sustainable alternatives. However, the implementation of carbon pricing mechanisms faces numerous complexities and challenges, especially in developing countries, given the potentially regressive impact of carbon pricing on low-income groups ...

It all began in 1924, when the World Energy Council (WEC) was established in order to harness the collective expertise of the global energy community and translate vision into tangible outcomes. In April 2024, the city of Rotterdam hosted the 26th Congress of the World Energy Council, whose theme was “Redesigning Energy for Better Lives and a Healthy Planet”.  It is not about a single energy transition, but rather many energy transitions. The concept of energy transition is not ...

This study conducts an in-depth exploration of the increasing interest in voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) in Africa, shedding light on the potential opportunities and challenges associated with African participation in these markets. VCMs have gained prominence as promising means to address climate change, driven by substantial financial incentives and market expansion. Nonetheless, persistent debates revolve around the legitimacy of carbon credits and their tangible contributions t ...

National and regional visions for the future of water and food security have been at the forefront of sustainability talks. Nevertheless, the role of soil in water and food security and carbon management needs to be highlighted and integrated into these discussions and visions. The dynamic characterization of soil as a medium that accounts for the long-term impact of the agro-environmental conditions is of utmost importance to sustainability of these resources and to sustainable dev ...

The current decade is critical for global decarbonization. The ongoing energy transition will bring about changes in technology, commodities, infrastructure, supply chains, as well as geopolitical factors, which could give rise to new energy security challenges. It is therefore important to undertake a thorough re-evaluation of energy security dynamics, with a view to enhancing the resilience of power systems. In this paper, we examine North Africa’s energy transition trajectory th ...

Low-carbon hydrogen is a potential contributor to the goals defined in the Paris Agreement, i.e. limiting the increase in the global average temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The transformation of hydrogen production is a part of this effort, as current production methods in the hydrogen industry are carbon-intensive. To achieve net-zero scenarios, hydrogen production and consumption will need to change. Creating a pipeline of projects plays a central role in drivin ...

Le Maroc traverse l'une de ses pires périodes de sécheresse. Au cours des 43 dernières années, le Royaume a traversé 7 périodes de sécheresse, présentant des niveaux de sévérité variables. La plus faible pluviométrie a été enregistrée, en 2017, avec seulement 103 mm de précipitations annuelles. Ce qui caractérise la présente sécheresse, c'est sa durée exceptionnelle de six années consécutives, marquant ainsi la période de sécheresse la plus longue de l'histoire du pays. En effet, su ...

Par rapport aux intérêts des générations des années cinquante, soixante et soixante-dix (dont je fais partie), la question de l’environnement n’est venue se greffer dans les préoccupations des acteurs, leurs réflexions et programmes d’action, que tardivement. Il faudra encore quelque temps pour mûrir les éléments de cette problématique relativement nouvelle. Toutefois, dès le départ on est partagé entre deux visions : d’une part, une approche qui considère la protection de l’envir ...

A Series of Disruptions The freighter, on its way from the United Arab Emirates to Bulgaria, loaded with 21000 metric tons of fertilizer, was hit by two Houthi missiles on February 18, 2024, at a point 93 miles east of Aden. The Houthi—not an army but rebels—are firing on ships in solidarity with the tortured people in Gaza, and their leaders, Hamas. Like Hamas, the Houthi are armed by Tehran. The European Union has started a mission to send frigates into the Red Sea, providing pr ...

Le contexte de tensions géopolitiques accrues et rémanentes que connaît le monde depuis quelques années, marqué par la dégradation des relations entre les États-Unis et la Chine, l'escalade des tensions à Taïwan, et le conflit entre la Russie et l'Ukraine, a engendré des répercussions majeures sur les politiques d'approvisionnement en minerais stratégiques et critiques de plusieurs États. Les récentes crises, notamment la pandémie de COVID-19 et le conflit en Ukraine, ...

The heightened and persistent geopolitical tensions of recent years, marked by the deterioration of U.S.-China relations, the escalation of tensions in Taiwan, and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, have had significant repercussions on the strategic and critical minerals supply policies of several states. Recent crises, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, have exposed the vulnerability of global supply chains to geopolitical shocks and disruptions, prom ...

The author of this piece, Carolina Novac, is a 2023 alumna of the Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders program. Learn more about her here.   This year, I had the honor to participate for the first time in the World Economic Forum (WEF), as a member of the delegation of Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean. WEF has always been a melting pot of innovative ideas, and a place where world leaders, business giants, and thought leaders can bring suitable, joint solutions to the main chall ...

As a net energy importer seeking to improve its energy security, Morocco has stepped up initiatives to achieve a level of domestic energy sovereignty. This includes following guidelines for transitioning to cleaner energy sources, with an emphasis on diversification. This diversification extends to natural gas, solar and wind power, and innovative solutions such as green hydrogen. Morocco recognizes cooperation as a crucial element for the success of its strategies, as underlined by ...

The energy landscape in 2024 is at a crossroads. Fossil fuels continue to dominate, with prices that are volatile due to geopolitical tensions and shifting demand patterns. However, renewable energy is on the rise thanks to cost declines, policy support, and growing consumer adoption. This Policy Brief examines five significant trends that will shape the energy landscape in 2024. Navigating the complex energy landscape requires careful risk monitoring and prudent policy responses. K ...

Le paysage énergétique mondial est actuellement en mutation, marqué par des progrès importants en termes de transition vers des sources d'énergie renouvelables et d’accélération de l'électrification. Cette évolution est cruciale pour faire face au changement climatique et assurer un avenir énergétique durable. Elle coexiste, néanmoins, avec l'utilisation persistante des énergies fossiles dans certains secteurs. Bien que les technologies renouvelables soient dorénavant compétitives e ...

A 2023 United Nations progress report (UN, 2023) showed that, of the 169 targets that make up the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), only 15% are on track, and progress on many has either stalled or regressed. The Water-Energy-Food nexus approach has highlighted the utmost importance of understanding the interconnections between systems in order to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs. In this policy brief, we use the lessons learned from the water sector through a case study f ...

À la fin de la COP28, qui s’est tenue à Doubaï (Emirats arabes unis) du 30 novembre au 13 décembre 2023, les Etats qui ont signé et ratifié la Convention-cadre des Nations Unies sur les changements climatiques (CCNUCC) ont adopté par consensus le ‘‘Global Stocktake’’ qui prévoit notamment que le monde doit engager une transition qui l’éloignera des énergies fossiles (‘‘transitioning away from fossil fuels’’) de façon ‘‘juste, ordonnée et équitable’’ (‘‘in a just, ordered and equitab ...

The Mediterranean region is one of the major climate-change hotspots. Advancing the region’s transition to a low-carbon and renewable energy production system will be crucial to counter global warming and achieve the objectives outlined in the Paris Agreement. However, fossil fuels continue to dominate the region's energy mix, while renewable energy sources meet only a marginal share of the overall demand. The green-energy transition in Mediterranean countries, moreover, represents ...

The global economic environment has changed as the U.S.—and to a less confrontational degree, the European Union—have clearly established a context of technological rivalry with China. Hindering China’s progress in the sophistication of semiconductor production has become a centerpiece of current U.S. foreign policy. While the U.S. is clearly winning the semiconductor war, the picture is different when it comes to clean-energy technology. Both technology wars overlap with access to ...

Le 1er octobre 2023 a marqué le début de la phase transitoire du Mécanisme d'Ajustement Carbone aux Frontières (CBAM en anglais) de l'Union européenne (UE). L'objectif de cette initiative est d'instaurer une tarification du carbone sur les biens importés qui soit équivalente à celle appliquée aux biens produits au sein de l'UE, visant ainsi à réguler les émissions de carbone. Cette démarche implique la mise en place d'un ensemble d'obligations de déclaration et de conformité pour le ...

This paper was originally published on iai.it Europe’s natural gas system experienced unprecedented stress following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Since the outbreak of the war, the European Union has strived to secure alternative supplies, fill its gas storage facilities and reduce consumption. Success on these fronts was enabled by fundamental market changes that the bloc unlocked during a long period of low gas prices over the past two decades, in addition to emergency and diplo ...

This paper was originally published on ecdpm.org   COP27 reached a breakthrough agreement on a new loss and damage fund for vulnerable countries and opened the door for a review of the international financial architecture. Ahead of COP28 at the end of 2023, the AU-EU partnership can help drive global climate change and energy transition agendas forward. A fruitful collaboration between the two continents starts with the following: • Africa and Europe must find common ground to ma ...

À  l’approche du Sommet africain du climat (Africa Climate Summit), qui se tiendra à Nairobi du 4 au 6 septembre 2023, de très nombreuses organisations non gouvernementales (ONG) ont écrit au président du Kenya, William Ruto, pour lui faire part de leurs inquiétudes concernant l’ordre du jour de ce sommet. Selon ces ONG, les intérêts des entreprises et des pays occidentaux pourraient prendre le pas sur ceux de l’Afrique. Les vraies priorités sont notamment d’éliminer progressivement ...

Deborah Braide is a 2022 alumna of Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders program. Learn more about her here. Although equitable participation in STEM careers has historically been low, through advocacy, policy changes and recent initiatives, African women and youths are now rising to the forefront of STEM and sustainable energy. Maintaining momentum and addressing barriers to entry requires a holistic transformation of educational systems, financing, and socio-cultural norms. The Af ...

The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has emerged as an important policy tool in the European Union's (EU) efforts to combat climate change and prevent carbon leakage. By putting a price on carbon emissions embedded in certain goods imported into the EU, the CBAM has the potential to impact economies worldwide, including Morocco. This policy brief examines recent CBAM developments and assesses their implications for Morocco's economy and climate change efforts. It analyzes t ...

This policy brief was originally published on t20ind.org   Despite the perception of abundant financial resources and technology worldwide, building quality project pipelines of sustainable infrastructure and securing funding for them remains a challenge for most developing countries. One potential solution to these obstacles is international cooperation among governments through enhancing cooperation among their national, regional, and multilateral development banks, which alread ...

Dans la région MENA (l'Afrique du Nord et le Moyen-Orient), le secteur de l’eau est marqué par une tendance accélérée à l’amenuisement des ressources hydriques avec des périodes de sécheresse de plus en plus fréquentes et des besoins en croissance soutenue. « D’ici la fin de cette décennie, la quantité d’eau disponible tombera sous le seuil absolu de pénurie, fixé à 500 mètres cubes par personne et par an », apprend-on dans le nouveau rapport de la Banque mondiale (BM) intitulé « As ...

This report was originally published on iemed.org In the last decade, it has become very clear that climate change is not a problem of the future. This threat multiplier is causing severe natural disasters, rising sea levels, desertification, and rising temperatures in every continent, reminding us that it is not only the global South that is experiencing and will be experiencing its direct effects. It is true, however, that some of the most severe impacts of climate change are ind ...

This policy brief was originally published on T20 India website   A decade of poor growth, increased poverty, and political instability followed the serious debt difficulties that emerged worldwide in the 1980s. There are concerns that the looming debt crisis could create similar challenges and result in even more severe consequences. However, the current economic climate differs in many ways from that of the 1980s, when international banks and Paris Club creditors held most of th ...

 This brief was originally published on gmfus.org as part of a partnership between the Policy Center for the New South and the German Marshall Fund of the United States.   Air and ocean temperatures are increasing at record levels despite international efforts to mitigate carbon emissions. The consequences of this failure go beyond its harmful effects on climate patterns to endangering global political, economic, and social stability. Human security is on the line and faces even ...

This Policy Paper was originally published on freiheit.org This study explores how Morocco can successfully develop a green hydrogen market and at the same time contribute to the global energy transition. Authors Rim Berahab and Afaf Zarkik show how Morocco’s bold strategies and investments in renewables can shape a promising future for green hydrogen. They chart a path to decipher the potential of this energy vector, while outlining the elements necessary for the emergence of a g ...

Nothing better illustrates the positive contribution of the integration of national economies into global value chains than the fact that in the 1990s, the automotive sector barely existed in Morocco. Now, it is the leading export sector, with a production and assembly capacity of 700,000 vehicles, making it an attractive and competitive hub linking Africa and Europe in the automotive value chain. However, the automotive industry is on the cusp of change, with advances in electric a ...

In the face of oil production cuts by Saudi Arabia and some OPEC members, the energy supply is shrinking again. This is in response to fears of an impending recession, higher inventories in some key countries, and an attempt to keep prices at a certain level. Turning to renewables is now essential to reduce dependence and increase resilience to energy insecurity, while non-renewable energy sources continue to show signs of unpredictability and harmful dependence. Economic outlooks v ...

The energy sector faces many challenges that undermine economic growth, energy security and access, and environmental sustainability. To address these challenges, Atlantic Basin countries need to improve access to reliable energy, diversify their energy mix with low-carbon alternatives and improve energy efficiency in the long term. However, the transition to clean energy will also create new risks and challenges that differ from one Atlantic country to another, requiring additional ...

This paper presents a synthetic view of the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of the economic sectors and regions that make up the Moroccan economy, taking into account the current economic structure and production technologies. Therefore, the potential effects must be understood as signals to think about interventions aimed at redirecting the desired trajectories of sustainable development. The application of the tools developed to give scientific support to this analysis rev ...

For over six decades, Morocco has largely equated the achievement of food self-sufficiency (FSS) in ‘strategic’ food commodities to achieving food security. Successive governments have succeeded in guaranteeing the availability of and access to these commodities for the poor and vulnerable. In so doing, they have maintained social stability by fulfilling a basic social contract with the people. This is a major achievement, but the financial, economic, and environmental costs of this ...

This paper explores the impact of commodities financialization on crude oil prices and their volatility. While some commodities have been market movers for centuries, introducing others, such as oil, to the financial markets is more recent. The increase in investors' appetite for commodity investing has led to commodities’ financialization, which is often considered an amplifier of commodity price volatility. This paper focuses on the relationship between crude oil prices and the fi ...

It is estimated that $1 trillion to $6 trillion per year (up to 2050) needs to be invested globally if the world is to stay below the 2°C global warming ceiling of the Paris Agreement and to meet its adaptation goals. Currently, investments stand at about $630 billion per year, way below the original target. And although great efforts have been made in the climate-finance area, more than 70% of the funds deployed have gone to one sector, renewable energy, followed by the transportat ...

The contemporary global energy landscape is experiencing noteworthy changes in demand, supply, technology, markets, and investment. These developments transcend conventional oil and gas security considerations. Renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, have become increasingly cost-effective compared to fossil fuels, and the minerals required to produce them are gaining importance. Nevertheless, recent events such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine ha ...

L’Afrique est plurielle, comme le sont les investissements chinois sur son continent. Cette étude montre que, contrairement à ce que l’on mettait en avant durant la décennie 2010, ces investissements ne se limitent pas à l’exploitation du sous-sol africain. Les opérateurs chinois, privilégiant le long terme, se montrent le plus souvent patients et discrets, ne ciblant pas les seuls investissements miniers. Concernant les secteurs principalement bénéficiaires de ces investissements, ...

In April 2007, on my first day as vice president at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Washington D.C., I received an informal visit from Thomas E. Lovejoy, a celebrated American environmental scientist who died last year. He spoke to me of a “turning point” in deforestation in the Amazon, beyond which the consequences would be irreversible. He was interested in knowing how the IDB could help in the fight against deforestation. Thomas and the Brazilian environmental scien ...

The volatility in energy markets since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019/2020 has continued, with unprecedented uncertainty about global energy supply developing over the course of 2022 in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, against a backdrop of weakening macroeconomic conditions and high inflation. While some perceived this as a potential setback for the energy transition, others saw it as an opportunity to move away from fossil fuels and accelerate the developme ...

The fundamental role that water resources play in human development has been highlighted in multiple ways; the United Nations SDGs underline 17 different goals and over a hundred targets to be achieved by 2030. Out of 169 SDG targets, 59 were found to have direct links and synergies with the water goal SDG6 (UN Water, 2016). Careful policy making and interventions need to be implemented to avoid conflict among sectors and tradeoffs must be well established. The Integrated Water Reso ...

La plupart des écosystèmes arides et semi-arides d’Afrique sont dédiés à différents types d’élevage extensif. Ces systèmes sont des acteurs majeurs dans la valorisation des espaces, et des ressources naturelles. En plus de nourrir les humains et les animaux, l’élevage pastoral fournit un revenu de subsistance à des populations qui ne pourraient survivre autrement dans ces régions. Ce pastoralisme est menacé depuis plusieurs années. Dans la quasi-totalité des zones agro ...

As the introductory textbook to economics by Nobel Prize Paul Samuelson, who served several generations of students, including mine, said: “It is easy to teach economics to a parrot. Two words are enough: supply and demand”. These two factors suggest 2023 will be a year of upward trend for most commodity prices. Last year was marked by shocks and volatility in commodity prices, with two distinct moments. After the sharp rise in the first half, due to the invasion of Ukraine by Russ ...

A rapidly-expanding market Water desalination is gradually emerging as the leading solution to cope with increasing water stress: i.e., the imbalance between water demand and quantities available. The United Nations estimates that by 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population will be affected by such challenges. The causes of water scarcity are multiple, including climate change, intensive agriculture, and population growth. This requires states to rethink their water policies, whi ...

Si l’année 2021 fut marquée, dans une situation de rattrapage économique post-Covid, par la progression des cours de la quasi-totalité des matières premières agricoles, minérales ou énergétiques, tel ne fut pas le cas pour 2022, caractérisée, au contraire, par une grande hétérogénéité de trajectoires. Le déclenchement de la guerre en Ukraine a certes conduit à une élévation forte de nombreux produits de base en raison du poids de la Russie, de l’Ukraine voire du ...

While 2021 brought higher prices for almost all agricultural, mineral and energy commodities as the economy caught up after Covid, this was not the case for 2022, with, on the contrary, prices diverging substantially. The onset of war in Ukraine certainly drove up the price of many commodities given the significance of Russia, Ukraine and even Belarus in world production. However, it was the imposition, or not, of trade and financial sanctions against Russian exporting companies and ...

Les fluctuations que connaissent les marchés de l'énergie depuis le début de la pandémie de la Covid-19 en 2019/2020 se sont prolongées, avec une incertitude sans précédent, sur l'approvisionnement énergétique mondial, qui s'est développée au cours de 2022 à la suite de l'invasion de l'Ukraine par la Russie, dans un contexte d'affaiblissement de la macroéconomie et d'inflation élevée. Alors que certains voyaient en ce contexte un risque de ralentissement de la transition énergétique ...

The green hydrogen market1 is poised for major upheaval in the years to come as new players in the energy transition emerge. This market, however, still depends on the development of demand, the reduction of production, transport and storage costs, the development of truly competitive supply chains and the establishment of and appropriate legal and regulatory framework. Despite the many challenges facing this sector, a number of countries have begun to position themselves as impor ...

Le marché de l’hydrogène vert est appelé à connaitre de grands bouleversements dans les années à venir avec l’émergence de nouveaux acteurs de la transition énergétique. Néanmoins, ce marché est encore tributaire du développement de la demande, de la baisse des coûts de production, de transport et de stockage, du développement d’une chaîne logistique très compétitive et de la mise en place de cadre juridique et règlementaire approprié. Malgré les différents dé ...

Climate change threatens to reduce the water flow in the Nile and increase the frequency and severity of droughts and floods in Egypt, which already suffers from water scarcity. This threat is a looming crisis as it seriously undermines the Government of Egypt’s long standing food self-sufficiency approach to food security, an approach which is wasteful of increasingly precious arable land and water resources, while achieving neither more food self-sufficiency nor meaningful food se ...

After several decades of reforms, the situation in centralized power sectors has hardly changed. The sub-Saharan power sector remains underdeveloped, and power sectors are experiencing significant financial difficulties that have been further exacerbated first by the effects of the pandemic and then the war in Ukraine. ...

In a global context shaped by a three-dimensional crisis: the Covid-19 crisis, the climate change crisis, and the Russia-Ukraine war, the issues of connectivity, value chains, and the green transition are at the heart of the current policy debates all over the globe. In this regard, the Policy Center for the New South has organized, jointly with the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), a conference on November 2nd, 2022, under the theme “Connectivity, Value Chains, and the Green Tr ...

La COP27 se déroulera du 7 au 18 novembre 2022 à Charm el-Cheikh, en Égypte, afin d’évaluer l’impact des mesures prises par les parties et les progrès accomplis dans la réalisation des objectifs de la Convention-cadre, à savoir stabiliser les concentrations de gaz à effet de serre à un niveau qui empêche toute perturbation anthropique dangereuse induite par l’homme du système climatique. Alors que la concentration de dioxyde de carbone dans l’atmosphère est plus forte que jamais, la ...

This chapter was originally published in CEPR's eBook "Scaling Up Sustainable Finance and Investment in the Global South" The world faces a huge shortage of infrastructure investment relative to its needs. With few exceptions, such as China, this shortage is even greater in non-advanced countries. The G20 Infrastructure Investors Dialogue estimated the volume of global infrastructure investment needed by 2040 to be $81 trillion, $53 trillion of which is needed in non- advanced cou ...

This publication was originally published in Project Syndicate    Mobilizing excess savings in advanced economies for much-needed investment in green infrastructure in emerging-market and developing economies will not be easy. But it is possible, if both the public and private sectors do their parts. WASHINGTON, DC – To spur development and fight climate change, emerging-market and developing economies (EMDEs) will need huge amounts of investment in green infrastructure over the ...

This Policy Brief addresses the question of Europe's interest in the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project. The paper advances six arguments to support this interest and its relevance. 1) The project effectively diversifies European gas resources and provide greater scope for action. 2) Building the pipeline helps create a new generation of measures to curb the asymmetric risks Europe faces. 3) The project mitigates the risk of replacing European dependence on Russian gas with anothe ...

Avec près d’une vingtaine de pays dotés de minerais de tout genre, l’Afrique renferme les plus grandes réserves en ressources naturelles dans le monde. Paradoxalement, le continent reste l’une des régions les moins développées et comptant des populations parmi les plus pauvres. Inégalité dans la distribution des richesses, convoitise des ressources du continent par des entreprises étrangères ainsi qu’un manque de transparence de la part des dirigeants africains, sont autan ...

Le présent Policy Brief tente d’apporter une réponse à la question de l’intérêt de l’Europe dans la réalisation du projet de Gazoduc Nigeria-Maroc. Six arguments sont avancés pour fonder l’existence et la pertinence d’un tel intérêt. 1) Le projet participerait efficacement à la diversification des ressources gazières des pays européens et leur donnerait plus de marge de manoeuvre. 2) La mise en place du gazoduc participerait à l’édification d’une nouvelle génération de mesures qui a ...

La succession des chocs pandémique, climatique et géopolitique a éprouvé les économies africaines. Les liens commerciaux et financiers avec le monde ne sont plus seulement considérés comme des moteurs de performance, mais aussi comme des sources potentielles de vulnérabilité. La défiance à l’égard de la mondialisation s’est accrue. Parce qu’elle est venue souligner la dépendance du continent, le dérèglement de ses rapports à la nature et sa vulnérabilité face aux tensions géopolitiq ...

Après plusieurs décennies de réformes, la situation des secteurs électriques centralisés a peu évolué. Le secteur de l’électricité subsaharien reste peu développé et les secteurs électriques font face à d’importantes difficultés financières qui ont été encore accrues par les conséquences de la pandémie puis de la guerre en Ukraine. Les pertes d’exploitation de l’ensemble des secteurs électriques africains auraient dépassé les 150 milliards de dollars en 2020. F ...

Au cours des dernières années, les découvertes d’hydrocarbures au Maroc ont été plutôt gazières que pétrolières. De plus, ces découvertes sont en général de petite taille. La plus intéressante de ces découvertes à ce jour est Anchois, qui est située sur le permis marin de Lixus Offshore au large de la ville de Larache. Ce permis est détenu depuis 2019 par Chariot Limited (75 %), une entreprise basée à Guernesey, et par l’Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (Onhym – 25 %), ...

L’Afrique représente environ 3 % du produit intérieur brut mondial. Il n’est donc pas surprenant que le poids du continent dans le secteur de l’énergie soit très faible, compte tenu des liens très étroits entre économie et énergie. Selon la dernière édition de la BP Statistical Review of World Energy, publiée en juin 2022 et portant sur l’année 2021, la part de l’Afrique dans la consommation mondiale d’énergie primaire était de 3,4 % l’an dernier (a) (b). Le continent, qui représent ...

In May 2021, the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) report Net Zero by 2050 stated that there is no need for new investments in oil and gas fields in their net zero pathway[1]. The message was clear: place your next investments in clean energy sources and energy efficiency. However, the IEA’s Africa Energy Outlook 2022 stated that Africa’s industrialisation relies in expanding the use of natural gas[2]. Even the IEA executive director Fatih Birol said, “if we make a list of the top ...

L’invasion russe de l'Ukraine a incité l'Union Européenne, en coordination avec d’autres puissances mondiales, à monter en urgence une réponse coordonnée de sanctions sans précédent. La plus emblématique d'entre elles est l'embargo partiel contre le pétrole et autres produits raffinés russes, qui signifie en essence la transition du commerce pétrolier d’une logique économique vers une logique géopolitique. D'où la montée en flèche des cours du pétrole et d'autres matières premières. ...

Avant la pandémie Covid-19, le continent abritait les économies à la croissance la plus rapide du monde et plusieurs pays africains montraient les premiers signes de transformation structurelle et de progrès vers l’émergence économique. Plus de deux ans après la pandémie et les ondes de choc qui en ont résulté, deux questions cruciales se posent : dans quelle mesure le choc sanitaire Covid-19, exacerbé par la crise ukrainienne, a-t-il constitué un tournant dans le processus général ...

The world is facing its worst food crisis in 70 years as a perfect storm of geopolitical events contributes to a spike in prices. Wheat alone has jumped 53% since the start of the year. Alarmingly, a number of governments have responded to the crisis with export bans. Governments and organizations worldwide must act decisively to avoid knee-jerk neo-mercantilism, which would add to the volatility in the global economy. Globalization is at a fragile moment, and mercantilism still lur ...

Oil dominates Nigeria’s economy- “Africa’s Giant”. Oil revenues are both a blessing and a curse: a blessing because they are the single most important contributor to government revenues; a curse because, through the Dutch Disease, they undermine the productivity and competitiveness of other non-oil sectors, primarily agriculture and agri-processing; and manufacturing, two major sources of non-oil employment and incomes. Since Nigerian governments did not try to counter the Dutch Dis ...