RELATED CONTENT : Commodities & Energy

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    22
    5:30 pm March 2022

    حديث الثلاثاء: كيف يتأثر القطاع الفلاحي بالمغرب بالتغير المناخي وما تأثيره على النسيج الاجتماعي والاقتصادي؟

    يخصص مركز السياسات من أجل الجنوب الجديد حلقة برنامجه الأسبوعي "حديث الثلاثاء" لمناقشة تأثر القطاع الفلاحي بالمغرب بالتغير المناخي ومدى تأثيره على النسيج الاجتماعي والاقتصادي، مع عفاف زرقيق، باحثة في الاقتصاد والطاقة، مركز السياسات من أجل الجنوب الجديد. شكَّل تغير المناخ على الدوام، إحدى الإكراهات الأساسية أمام تنمية القطاع الفلاحي بالمغرب. فسيناريوهات التغيرات المناخية تشير إلى أن مناخ المملكة سيصبح أكثر قحولة وذلك بسبب قلة التساقطات المطرية وارتفاع درجات الحرارة، إضافة الى الظواهر الطبيعية الأخرى الحادة والمتكررة. ما من شأنه أن يؤثر سلباً على الموارد المائية والتنوع البيولوجي وكذا المشهد الفلاحي. بعد أربعة عقود من اعتماده سياسة تشييد السدود لضمان الأمن المائي، بدأ المغرب خلال الأعوام الأخيرة في تنويع برامجه للحد من أزمة ندرة المياه، وإصدار قوانين تضمن الحق في الماء لجميع ال ...

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    21
    9:00 am March 2022

    Renewables and the Future of Geopolitics - Closed workshop

    The Policy Center for the New South and the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center are pleased to organize a close workshop under theme “Renewables and the Future of Geopolitics” on Monday, March 21, 2022, starting 09:00 am GMT+1. This workshop will address an increasingly salient topic that sits at the intersection between energy transition, interstate relations and global trade: how the penetration of renewable energy affects geopolitics. As the recently published article by Hatipoglu, Al Muhanna and Efird (2020) demonstrate, this topic relates to various issues of immediate interest to energy markets. For instance, electricity creates a new form of interdependency between states, where such trade also locks in carbon trade. Energy transition also rests on glob ...

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    09
    1:30 pm March 2022

    L’agriculture africaine face au défi hydrique

    Fatima Ezzahra Mengoub, Economiste Senior, participera à une table ronde virtuelle sous le thème « L’agriculture africaine Face au défi hydrique ». Organisé par i-conférences, ce webinaire ouvrira le débat sur les problématiques de l’eau en Afrique et l’utilisation des ressources hydriques dans le domaine agricole, ainsi permettra de mieux comprendre les enjeux liés à la stratégie de rationalisation de la gestion des ressources et le rôle de l’innovation pour des nouvelles techniques d'irrigation. Axes d’intervention : - Décryptage des politiques de l’eau suivies en Afrique et débat sur l’utilisation des ressources hydriques dans le domaine agricole - Quelles différences à relever entre les régions tropicales, arides et semi-arides en Afrique ? - Quels sont les principes f ...

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    24
    3:00 pm February 2022

    Report Launch: Commodity Markets Outlook, Urbanization and Commodity Demand In partnership with the World Bank

    Rising commodities prices are a common concern whether at the consumer level, or large industrials and fortune 500s. While the evolution of consumer prices was close to 2% in the USA and stuck below 1.5% in Europe pre-COVID, with oil prices and the direction of industrial metals and agricultural raw materials prices in decline, the current situation is just the opposite. Since economies bottomed out in June 2020, energy prices and non-energy commodities including agriculture and metals have soared even begging the question of whether we are entering a commodity super-cycle. Originally, this movement was initiated by constraints on the supply side: ramifications of weather events on crops, reduced supplies as a result of sanitary measures, tight oil production quotas etc. Logi ...
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    Promoting Development in Rural Africa through Water Management and Security
    Authors
    Rabi Mohtar
    July 2, 2024
    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 ...
  • Zones humides : pour un avenir durable en Afrique
    Fadila Filali, Fatimata Ba
    June 28, 2024
    Les zones humides en Afrique sont des écosystèmes uniques et vitaux qui offrent une multitude de services écologiques, économiques et sociaux. Elles abritent une biodiversité contribuant ...
  • Politics and Climate Change
    Authors
    Otaviano Canuto
    June 27, 2024
    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 ...
  • Après la COP28, quelles stratégies pour les acteurs pétrogaziers
    June 26, 2024
    La COP28, qui s'est tenue à Dubaï en décembre 2023, a réaffirmé la nécessité d'une action urgente pour lutter contre le changement climatique et limiter le réchauffement climatique à 1,5 degré Celsius. L'accord de la COP28, appelant à une suppression progressive des énergies fossiles, p...
  • Cuivre : les exigeantes promesses du sommet
    Authors
    Yves Jégourel
    June 24, 2024
    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 ...
  • Comprendre la crise du nickel en Nouvelle-Calédonie
    Authors
    Yves Jégourel
    June 19, 2024
    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 ...
  • Potential or Peril: Carbon Trading in Africa
    Authors
    Mannat Jaspal
    June 11, 2024
    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 ...
  • Africafé: l’Afrique dans la scène énergétique mondiale
    May 30, 2024
    L'Afrique, bien que jouant un rôle de plus en plus important, reste encore en marge sur la scène énergétique mondiale. Ce continent est riche en ressources énergétiques, qu'il s'agisse de pétrole, de gaz naturel, de charbon ou d'énergies renouvelables comme l'hydroélectricité, le solair...
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    Financializing Commodity Markets: Consequences, Advantages and African Case Study
    Authors
    Otaviano Canuto
    Sabrine Emran
    Badr Mandri
    May 24, 2024
    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 ...
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    Vers une transition énergétique juste pour l’Afrique
    Authors
    Mounia Boucetta
    May 23, 2024
    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 ...
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    From Theory to Practice: Making Carbon Pricing Work
    Authors
    Rim Berahab
    May 20, 2024
    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 ...
  • From Humanizing Energy to Modernizing Energy: It Takes More than One Actor and One Solution
    Authors
    Sabrine Emran
    May 9, 2024
    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 ...
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    Voluntary Carbon Markets in Africa: A Deep Dive Into Opportunities and Challenges
    Authors
    Sabrina Camélia Pagop
    Luc Savard
    April 29, 2024
    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 ...
  • The aftermath of the energy crisis in North Africa
    Afaf Zarkik, Hamza Mjahed and Rim Berahab
    April 19, 2024
    The global energy crisis caused by COVID-19 and the Ukraine conflict has exposed the economic and geopolitical vulnerabilities of North Africa, which relies heavily on fossil fuels. Howev ...
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    Opportunities and Challenges for Food Security Innovations in the Arab World
    Authors
    Rabi Mohtar
    April 5, 2024
    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 ...
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    Navigating the Transition in Times of Uncertainty: From a paradigm of energy security to electricity security in North Africa
    Authors
    Rim Berahab
    Hamza Mjahed
    Camellia Mahjoubi
    April 2, 2024
    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 ...
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    Optimizing Value for Public Investment Instruments in Low-carbon Hydrogen Industries
    Authors
    Miguel Vazquez
    Otaviano Canuto
    March 26, 2024
    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 ...
  • Water for Peace: Fostering Cooperation for a Secure Future
    March 22, 2024
    Water stands as a pivotal factor in either fostering peace or sparking conflict, with scarcity, pollution, and unequal access to this vital resource capable of escalating tensions within and between communities and nations. As we approach World Water Day, it is crucial to recognize that...
  • Au fil de l’eau : l'innovation hydrique au Maroc
    Authors
    Fatima Ezzahra Mengoub
    March 22, 2024
    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 ...
  • حديث الثلاثاء: ندرة المياه في المغرب: الأسباب، التحديات والافاق المستقبلية
    March 19, 2024
    يخصص مركز السياسات من أجل الجنوب الجديد حلقة برنامجه الأسبوعي "حديث الثلاثاء" لمناقشة ندرة المياه في المغرب: الأسباب، التحديات والافاق المستقبلية. شهد المغرب في السنوات الاخيرة ندرة مياه من المفترض حسب التوقعات أن تتفاقم في السنوات القادمة. تعزى مشكلة ندرة المياه الى خلل في معادلة الطل...
  • De l’environnement
    Authors
    Abdallah Saaf
    March 19, 2024
    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 ...
  • Value Chains Under stress
    Authors
    Helmut Sorge
    March 15, 2024
    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 ...
  • حديث الثلاثاء : ندرة المياه في المغرب
    February 27, 2024
    يخصص مركز السياسات من أجل الجنوب الجديد حلقة برنامجه الأسبوعي "حديث الثلاثاء " لمناقشة موضوع ندرة المياه في المغرب وما تحمله من آثار على مختلف القطاعات الاقتصادية. فوفقًا لبيانات أصدرتها وزارة التجهيز والماء، لم تتعد إمدادات المياه 5 مليارات متر مكعب سنويًا في سنوات الجفاف الأخيرة ويُتر...
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    « Quand les éléphants se battent », l'Afrique transforme : nouvelle géopolitique des chaînes d'approvisionnement en minerais critiques et émergence de chaînes de valeur locales
    Authors
    Sabrine Emran
    Oussama Tayebi
    February 20, 2024
    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, ...
  • WEF 2024: How Can AI Drive a More-Effective Energy Transition?
    Authors
    Carolina Novac
    February 15, 2024
    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 ...
  • Morocco’s Energy Transition: Prioritizing Natural Gas, Embracing Green Hydrogen, and Global Collaboration at COP28
    Authors
    Sabrine Emran
    February 13, 2024
    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 ...
  • Africafé: Powering Up Africa: Advancing Energy Integration
    February 8, 2024
    In this episode, we examine the state of energy integration in Africa, a continent striving for both sustainable development and industrialization. We delve into the current challenges, the tension between renewable energy and fossil fuels. Ultimately, the episode sheds light on the int...
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    Beyond the Energy Crossroads: Deciphering Key Trends and Charting the Path in 2024
    Authors
    Rim Berahab
    February 7, 2024
    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 ...
  • Réseau électrique : le talon d'Achille de l’électricité verte ?
    Authors
    Rim Berahab
    February 1, 2024
    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 ...
  • China's Grip on Africa's Resources
    January 22, 2024
    Mr. Amit Jain, Director, NTU-SBF Centre for African Studies, Singapore, discusses a recent shift in Africa's economic landscape. Traditionally considered economically disadvantaged, certain nations like Zimbabwe and Namibia have unearthed substantial lithium and heavy earth oxide deposi...
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    Systems Approach to Sustainable Development: Lessons from the Water Sector
    Authors
    Rabi Mohtar
    January 12, 2024
    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 ...
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    COP28 et énergies fossiles : le bal des hypocrites
    Authors
    Francis Perrin
    December 29, 2023
    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 ...
  • Climate Change and Security in the Sahel
    Javier Cantero, Fatima Aliyu Magaji, Maiga Attaher
    December 05, 2023
    Delving into the nuances of this paradigm shift, the speakers shed light on how climate change is now perceived not only as an environmental challenge but also as a critical factor influe ...
  • Africafé: Catalyzing Climate Finance in Africa
    November 30, 2023
    In this episode, we dive into the pressing necessity for climate initiatives in Africa. Despite its minimal global emissions, Africa grapples with severe climate challenges and a substantial funding shortfall. Yet, as obstacles persist, including the disconnect between investor expectat...
  • La COP28 : Le chemin vers une agriculture à la hauteur du défi climatique.
    November 30, 2023
    La COP28 place l'agriculture au cœur des discussions climatiques mondiales, reconnaissant son rôle crucial dans la lutte contre le changement climatique. Il s’agit d’un rendez-vous déterminant pour l’avenir de l’agriculture, où la communauté internationale se réunie pour développer des ...
  • Rising Food Prices: Understanding the Impact on Developing Economies
    November 29, 2023
    To emphasize the importance of addressing this issue and discuss the potential actions that need to be taken to ensure food security and sustainable development in these nations, the Policy Center for the New South is organizing a webinar titled “Rising Food Prices: Understanding the Im...
  • La COP28 : Le chemin vers une agriculture à la hauteur du défi climatique.
    November 28, 2023
    La COP28 place l'agriculture au cœur des discussions climatiques mondiales, reconnaissant son rôle crucial dans la lutte contre le changement climatique. Il s’agit d’un rendez-vous déterminant pour l’avenir de l’agriculture, où la communauté internationale se réunie pour développer des ...
  • حديث الثلاثاء: التأثيرات المناخية ومستقبل الجنوب العالمي: رؤى وحلول من مؤتمر الأطراف
    November 28, 2023
    في حلقة هذا الأسبوع من حديث الثلاثاء، سنحاول تقييم أهم نتائج المؤتمر العالمي لتغير المناخ للسنة الماضية وتأثيرها على دول الجنوب العالمي نظرا لاحتياجاتها من التمويل للتخفيف وقدرتها على التكيف مع هذه التغيرات، خاصة وأن أن هذه الدول فقدت  ما لا يقل عن 525 مليار دولار أمريكي بسبب تأثيرات ال...
  • Forced Displacement : the human face of climate change
    November 28, 2023
    Policy Center for the New South will be present in COP28 along strategic partners: FNF-Madrid Office and Union for the Mediterranean to uncover the harsh realities faced by communities as they grapple with environmental shifts, through presenting the paper: Climate change and migration ...
  • COP28 : Les Enjeux Cruciaux du Financement Climatique
    November 28, 2023
    À l'approche de la COP 28 à Dubaï, la problématique du financement climatique pour les pays en développement persiste. Jusqu'à 2022, les pays développés n'ont pas honoré leur engagement de mobiliser 100 milliards de dollars par an d'ici à 2020 pour ces nations en développement. Ces dern...
  • COP28: Upholding Commitments and Setting New Goals
    November 28, 2023
    COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh marked a significant milestone with the establishment of a historic Loss and Damage (L&D) fund, signaling progress in global climate justice. Collaboration between developed and developing economies played a pivotal role in this achievement. The conference a...
  • Cooperation for a just energy transition in Africa on the eve of the COP28
    November 28, 2023
    To achieve a fair Energy Transition in Africa, it is imperative to consider the diversity of African nations, their unique resources, and how each solution should be tailored to the needs and means of the country. The world must address these challenges while confronting issues such as ...
  • Securing Energy, Reshaping Decarbonisation: Reconciling Mediterranean Energy Transitions with Energy Security and Regional Stability
    Authors
    Veronika Ertl
    Yassine Zegzouti
    November 20, 2023
    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 ...
  • L'Union européenne enclenche la phase transitoire du Mécanisme d'Ajustement Carbone aux Frontières : quelles conséquences pour l'Afrique ?
    Authors
    Rim Berahab
    November 2, 2023
    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 ...
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    A Tale of Two Technology Wars: Semiconductors and Clean Energy
    Authors
    Otaviano Canuto
    November 2, 2023
    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 ...
  • Hydrogène Vert : Le Défi de la Décarbonisation - Hamdi Hached
    November 2, 2023
    Dans cet entretien, Hamdi Hached, expert en politique liée au changement climatique au sein de la Fondation Friedrich Naumann pour la Liberté en Tunisie et en Libye, aborde l'importance de l'hydrogène vert et des énergies renouvelables dans la lutte contre le changement climatique. Il e...
  • The Power of Innovation for Sustainable Development
    Afaf Zarkik, Jean-Louis Arcand
    September 27, 2023
    In this episode, we delve into the critical issues of climate change, energy transition, and food security in Africa. Our discussion highlights the multifaceted impact of climate change o ...
  • PCNS-COMEXI: Energy Dialogue
    September 18, 2023
    Mexico's federal government and Morocco’s central government have traditionally played an important role in the domestic market via their management of economic policies and their extensive reach in some sectors of the economy. Recent administrations had followed prudent and credible ec...
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    Gas Crisis in Europe: A Harbinger of Sustainable Cooperation with North Africa
    Authors
    Afaf Zarkik
    September 15, 2023
    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 ...
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    Moving Europe and Africa towards more common ground on climate and energy
    Authors
    Alfonso Medinilla
    Larabi Jaïdi
    Afaf Zarkik
    September 5, 2023
    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 ...
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    L’Afrique n’entend pas renoncer aux hydrocarbures
    Authors
    Francis Perrin
    September 4, 2023
    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 ...
  • African Women and youths in STEM and Sustainable Energy
    Authors
    Deborah Braide
    August 15, 2023
    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 ...
  • Energy Demand and the Shadow of Recession
    Saloi El Yamani & Sabrine Emran
    August 11, 2023
     In a constantly evolving global landscape, characterized by a series of impactful shockwaves reverberating across various sectors, the energy sector stands out as one that has been signi ...
  • Energy Transition in the Mediterranean: What Challenges and Potentials ?
    August 4, 2023
    The energy crisis has heavily impacted energy transition plans and roadmaps of many Mediterranean countries and has highlighted the question of how to move ahead with the decarbonisation of Mediterranean energy while securing economic development and the uninterrupted availability of po...
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    Navigating the CBAM Transitional Period: Understanding the Latest Developments, and Enhancing Preparedness
    Authors
    Rim Berahab
    July 21, 2023
    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 ...
  • A Common ESG Language to Unlock Funding for Sustainable Infrastructure Projects in Developing Economies
    Authors
    Marianna Albuquerque
    Rim Berahab
    Sabrine Emran
    Rogerio Studart
    Afaf Zarkik
    July 5, 2023
    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 ...
  • حديث الثلاثاء: المعادن الاستراتيجية والحرجة في المغرب
    عبد الله متقي, إيمان لهريش
    June 27, 2023
    نسلط الضوء في حلقة هذا الأسبوع من برنامج حديث الثلاثاء على الدور المحوري الذي يمكن أن تضطلع به المعادن الاستراتيجية والحرجة في تمكين المغرب من تعزيز سيادته الصناعية وتحقيق أهدافه في مجال ...
  • Digest: La pénurie d’eau dans la région MENA exige des solutions institutionnelles
    Authors
    Ahmed Ouhnini
    June 27, 2023
    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 ...
  • Climate change and migration Understanding factors, developing opportunities in the Sahel Zone, West Africa and the Maghreb
    Authors
    Xavier Aragall
    Amal El Ouassif
    Anna Ferro
    Matías Ibáñez
    June 26, 2023
    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 ...
  • External Debt Management in Africa: A Proposal for a ‘Debt Relief for Climate Initiative’
    Authors
    Otaviano Canuto
    Hinh T. Dinh
    Karim El Aynaoui
    Hafez Ghanem
    Badr Mandri
    June 20, 2023
    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 ...
  • حديث الثلاثاء : المعادن الاستراتيجية والحرجة في المغرب
    June 20, 2023
    نسلط الضوء في حلقة هذا الأسبوع من برنامج حديث الثلاثاء على الدور المحوري الذي يمكن أن تضطلع به المعادن الاستراتيجية والحرجة في تمكين المغرب من تعزيز سيادته الصناعية وتحقيق أهدافه في مجال الانتقال الطاقي والاستثمار، مع الحرص على احترام المتطلبات الاجتماعية والبيئية لهذا القطاع. يختزن الم...
  • Earth, Wind, and Fire: The Transatlantic Partners Must Confront Climate Insecurity to Reinforce Global Stability
    Authors
    Javier Cantero
    June 16, 2023
     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 ...
  • Commerce et environnement : sont-ils inconciliables ?
    June 15, 2023
    Dr. Zaki Chahir, professeur en économie, a récemment publié un article intitulé "What Type of Trade is Promoted by Environmental Regulations" (Quel type de commerce est favorisé par les réglementations environnementales ?), dans lequel il examine l'impact de la rigueur environnementale ...
  • The case of green hydrogen in Morocco
    Authors
    Rim Berahab
    Afaf Zarkik
    May 19, 2023
    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 ...
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    Driving The Dream: Morocco's Rise In The Global Automotive Industry
    Authors
    Abdelmonim AMACHRAA
    May 17, 2023
    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 ...
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    Energy Demand and the Shadow of Recession
    Authors
    Sabrine Emran
    May 15, 2023
    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 ...
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    Shaping a Renewed Atlantic Vision of Energy Security: Old Trends, New Paradigms
    Authors
    Rim Berahab
    May 8, 2023
    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 ...
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    How Can Moroccan Regions and Sectors Help to Achieve the ‘New Development Model’ Goals?
    Authors
    Eduardo Amaral Haddad
    Inácio F. Araújo
    May 5, 2023
    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 ...
  • The Energy Map of the Atlantic
    Rim Berahab & Ana Ayuso Pozo
    May 05, 2023
    This podcast examines current trends in energy production and consumption in the Atlantic region. It discusses the challenges facing the energy sector due to the outbreak of Covid-19 and ...
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    Short of Water and Under Increasing Pressure to Deliver Food Security: Key Policy Considerations - The Case of the Kingdom of Morocco
    Authors
    Isabelle Tsakok
    May 3, 2023
    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 ...
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    Unpacking the Relationship between Crude Oil Financialization and Volatility: The Tale of Speculative Positions
    Authors
    Sabrine Emran
    Otaviano Canuto
    April 28, 2023
    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 ...
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    Financing Climate Action: Equity Challenges and Practical Solutions
    Authors
    Rabi Mohtar
    April 26, 2023
    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 ...
  • حديث الثلاثاء: أي تدبير للموارد المائية في المغرب: بين السياسات القطاعية وجودة الحكامة
    محمد بازة, عبد الحفيظ دباغ
    April 18, 2023
    استمرت الموارد المائية في المغرب في التقلص على مدى عدة عقود بسبب انخفاض الإمدادات والاستغلال المفرط للموارد غير المتجددة ونقص التناسق بين البرامج التنموية القطاعية فيما يتعلق بالموارد الم ...
  • حديث الثلاثاء: أي تدبير للموارد المائية في المغرب: بين السياسات القطاعية وجودة الحكامة
    April 12, 2023
    استمرت الموارد المائية في المغرب في التقلص على مدى عدة عقود بسبب انخفاض الإمدادات والاستغلال المفرط للموارد غير المتجددة ونقص التناسق بين البرامج التنموية القطاعية فيما يتعلق بالموارد المائية المتاحة وعجز كبير في حكامة الموارد المائية. ولازالت المنظومة المائية تواجه العديد من التحديات ا...
  • Overcoming Obstacles to Regional Integration in the Southern Mediterranean: The Case of Energy
    Authors
    Rim Berahab
    April 10, 2023
    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 ...
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    Les investissements chinois en afrique : des investissements pluriels
    Authors
    Henri-Louis Vedie
    March 31, 2023
    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, ...
  • حديث الثلاثاء: الهيدروجين الاخضر: طاقة المستقبل؟
    Akram Zaoui & Mounia Boucetta
    March 07, 2023
    انطلقت دول وتكتّلات جهوية كثيرة في تطوير قطاع الهيدروجين الأخضر، معتبرة إياه مورد أساسي لتلبية الطلب الدولي للطاقة في المستقبل، حيث يفرض تغير المناخ البحث عن بدائل للنفط والغاز الطبيعي وا ...
  • The Amazon Needs the Rule of Law, Not the Rule of Chainsaw
    Authors
    Otaviano Canuto
    March 7, 2023
    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 ...
  • حديث الثلاثاء: الهيدروجين الاخضر: طاقة المستقبل؟
    February 28, 2023
    انطلقت دول وتكتّلات جهوية كثيرة في تطوير قطاع الهيدروجين الأخضر، معتبرة إياه مورد أساسي لتلبية الطلب الدولي للطاقة في المستقبل، حيث يفرض تغير المناخ البحث عن بدائل للنفط والغاز الطبيعي والفحم المهيمنين حاليا ومنذ بداية العصر الصناعي على الاستهلاك العالمي للطاقة. فتم الاعلان عن استراتيجي...
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    Energy Trends and Outlook Through 2023: Surviving the Energy Crisis While Building a Greener Future
    Authors
    Rim Berahab
    February 13, 2023
    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 ...
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    Systems approach to water management
    Authors
    Rabi Mohtar
    February 13, 2023
    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 ...
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    Le pastoralisme en péril en Afrique
    Authors
    Pierre Jacquemot
    February 10, 2023
    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 ...
  • The parrot says that commodity prices will rise
    Authors
    Otaviano Canuto
    February 3, 2023
    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 ...
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    The Geopolitics of Seawater Desalination
    Authors
    Marc-Antoine Eyl-Mazzega
    Élise Cassignol
    January 27, 2023
    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 ...