Policy brief
Published:
Morocco’s climate policy at a turning point under the EU CBAM
Written by
Hikma Bachegour
Mounir Temmam
Ed.
Summary:
Morocco’s climate leadership is now tested by the European Union’s (EU) Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which shifts attention from ambition to verifiable industrial performance. Despite strong renewable efforts, the carbon intensity of electricity and gaps in monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) readiness expose exporters to rising compliance pressure. The next phase of CBAM will also affect small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), many of which lack reporting and decarbonization capacity. Morocco now faces a turning point where climate ambition must translate into systems that support export competitiveness. A focused set of reforms can strengthen energy access, data credibility, and institutional coordination for a CBAM-ready transition.
- Improve access to low-carbon electricity and streamline self-generation
- Accelerate development of an MRV system with clear institutional roles, publicly available emission factors and reliable carbon emissions accounting tools.
- Support SMEs with targeted CBAM-readiness tools, training and finance.
- Consider gradual domestic carbon pricing to reduce CBAM costs and fund industrial decarbonization.
- Improve access to low-carbon electricity and streamline self-generation
- Accelerate development of an MRV system with clear institutional roles, publicly available emission factors and reliable carbon emissions accounting tools.
- Support SMEs with targeted CBAM-readiness tools, training and finance.
- Consider gradual domestic carbon pricing to reduce CBAM costs and fund industrial decarbonization.
- Published year: 2026
- Publisher: Norwegian Institute of International Affairs
- Page count: 4
- Language: English
- Volume: 2026
- Booklet: 2
Written by
Hikma Bachegour
Mounir Temmam