Full Text of Royal Acceptance Message of EE Visionary Award

PERSISMA, Washington – HM King Mohammed VI sent a message to the Energy Efficiency Global Forum, which granted the sovereign, on Monday in Washington, the prestigious Energy Efficiency Visionary Award.

Here follows the full text of the message, read out by Morocco’s ambassador to the USA Lalla Joumala Alaoui: Ms. Kateri Callahan, President of the Alliance to Save Energy.

Ladies and Gentlemen, It gives me great pleasure to address the eminent participants in the Energy Efficiency Global Forum which, this year, is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

The Forum provides a unique opportunity for decision-makers, experts and researchers from different walks of life to discuss the latest energy efficiency developments and share best practices in crafting efficient, low-carbon energy models.

I should like to congratulate Ms. Kateri Callahan, President of the Alliance to Save Energy, and all members of the Alliance’s Board of Directors and of the International Steering Committee for their efforts over the past few years to promote energy efficiency and its positive impacts in terms of sustainable development and energy security.

I also wish to praise the initiative of bestowing the Energy Efficiency Visionary Award upon eminent figures and organizations that make exceptional contributions in the area of energy efficiency.

I feel honored to be this year’s recipient of this prestigious Award, which I am pleased to accept, given my keen interest in energy efficiency. In my vision for socio-economic development, energy efficiency plays an important part in enhancing the fundamental rights of citizens, in environmental protection, in the preservation of public health, in curbing dependence of energy and in rationalizing public spending.

This Award confirms the Kingdom of Morocco’s positioning as one of the countries that have managed to make the most of their renewable energy potential by developing solar power plants, wind farms and hydroelectric plants, and by introducing energy efficiency measures in all key sectors of the Moroccan economy.

The pressing challenge for our world today is not so much to confront the lack of energy resources as to mobilize the investment needed in this field. It is, therefore, necessary to build the energy infrastructure required and to develop alternative technologies.

For this reason, the Kingdom of Morocco constantly seeks to adapt to future changes, both to ensure its economic and social development and to meet its growing energy needs in a sustainable manner. The security of energy supply, energy availability, energy efficiency and environmental protection are the bedrock of my country’s energy strategy.

Our commitment to developing an efficient, carbon-free energy model for the well-being and prosperity of our citizens is essentially based on the growing importance of renewable energy and the consolidation of energy efficiency measures.

At COP21, I strongly backed the promotion of renewable energy to increase its share in power generation from 42% in 2020 to 52% in 2030. Also, in our Energy Vision for 2030, energy efficiency has been made a priority as an efficient tool to save energy resources, ensure energy conservation and rationalize energy consumption.

Only a few years after it was launched, the new Moroccan energy model started to pay off as new solar, wind and hydraulic plants were developed and a range of policy measures aimed at rationalizing energy consumption were implemented. We are striving doubly hard to introduce major changes in our current energy production and consumption patterns to ensure they are efficient and sustainable.

To give concrete substance to our desire to support energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, we have introduced the necessary legislative and regulatory reforms to institutionalize the mechanisms needed for the modernization of the Moroccan energy sector.

Today, energy efficiency, together with renewable energy, is creating a new revolution in the energy sector due to technological progress which confirms the close link between these two components. They should be integrated and duly taken into account in investment decisions and in the technological policy choices made in all key energy-intensive sectors, particularly industry, construction, transport, street lighting and agriculture.

Our commitment in this field does not stop at Morocco’s borders. This, I believe, is clearly reflected by the actions and projects I have launched within the framework of win-win partnerships, particularly with African sister nations.

This commitment was also quite clear at the COP22, which was successfully organized in Marrakech, and during which the Africa Action Summit was held, on my initiative, to harmonize the continent’s action for the achievement of low carbon development.

I pledge to keep up efforts at the national, regional and continental levels and do all I can to promote an environment conducive to the sustainable development of energy efficiency, renewable energy, technological innovation and green jobs in general.

Thank you.