Exploring the determinants of Morocco’s robust climate policy with the political economy approach

While the impacts of climate change are felt across the globe, the African continent is most vulnerable to them despite having least contributed to greenhouse gas emissions. The Maghreb in the northwest of Africa, which consist of Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia, is assessed as one of the most vulnerable areas due to intense warming, prolonged droughts, high dependence on the agricultural sector, population increase, and the lack of regional cohesion Among these countries, Morocco has demonstrated that climate action is not a concern for the wealthy, but rather, an initiative that can complement growth within developing countries. According to the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) developed by Germanwatch in 2021, Morocco ranked 6th in the world in terms of climate policy. To what can Morocco’s ambitious posture be attributed? Setting aside the more direct and tangible factors of climate policymaking such as the country’s vulnerability to the issue, geographical features, technological capabilities, and finances to carry out climate initiatives, this study attempts to examine its more institutional roots. Upon conducting a macro-level qualitative analysis of Morocco’s political and economic structure using the political economy approach, it became apparent that the government structure of Morocco—one that allows the monarch to exercise the power to set the agenda and override any major decision made by the government, is an important component of climate policymaking. Despite the lack of political accountability and unclear role of interest groups, both of which are deemed important by the model, Morocco has been able to set a robust climate policy framework The study finds that Morocco’s government structure, paired with its monarch's strong initiative to advance climate action, has been the most significant driving force in the Kingdom’s climate policy initiative. Key words: Climate change, climate policy, government structure, interest groups, Morocco, political accountability, political economy