CONTEXT and CHALLENGES

Located in the Maghreb region, Morocco is bordered by long coastlines along the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The country is split in two by the imposing Atlas Mountains, creating a physical and climatic barrier. The Rif Mountains in the north also act as a climatic filter.

This geographical context plays a major role in the country’s climatic and landscape diversity. As the fifth-largest economy in Africa, Morocco is undergoing economic and social transition, yet it faces significant inequalities, notably in terms of energy poverty.

While firewood use remains widespread and places heavy pressure on forest resources, alternative energy sources are emerging. These alternatives must go hand in hand with better energy efficiency and public awareness on energy demand management for both households and professionals.

The Kingdom is committed to a national strategy for renewable energy development and climate change mitigation, which must be anchored in effective territorial planning in line with the current decentralization dynamics.

GERES IN MOROCCO

Geres has been active in Morocco’s energy and ecological transition since the 1980s. It supports communities, businesses, and territories in achieving energy efficiency, biomass preservation, and greater use of renewable energy, maximizing social, economic, and environmental impact.

Key projects in recent years include:

• Supporting the energy transition of local authorities through the launch of Morocco’s first Energy Info Center in Chefchaouen (under the SUDEP project), followed by a second center in Tata. Geres also supported the establishment of additional Local Energy and Climate Services (SLECs) in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceïma (TTAH) region.
  
• A pilot initiative to strengthen the informal sector through energy efficiency measures, notably the “Sustainable Hammams” project, as well as the FaranEco project, which helped modernize gas oven producers and small bakeries by integrating energy transition as a lever for economic development.
  
• Improving building energy efficiency through programs such as CEMAATERR, which focused on school buildings in Midelt province, and the ongoing FRESH project (until 2027), which targets residential homes in hot climates, particularly in the municipalities of Tata (Souss-Massa region) and Béni Mellal (Béni Mellal-Khénifra region).
• The FAME project (Feminism: Actions and Mobilization for an Inclusive Economy), running from 2024–2027 in 10 countries including Morocco, which supports civil society organizations working on women’s economic empowerment.
  

A permanent team is based at an office in Rabat.

Contact in Maroco

Virginie KLEIN
maroc@geres.eu