Sustainable development and energy efficiency
The sustainable development model relies on a complex combination of international norms, political will, shared know-how, industrial growth and collective and individual citizen awareness. Achieving a sustainable exploitation of resources is necessary to secure long term economic and social development. The Amadeus Institute seeks to identify mechanisms that can lead to the institutionalization of this concept in Morocco and in the South.
The MEDays Forum provides an arena to discuss the promotion of green industries, state regulations, international negotiations, and social transformation in North Africa. Building a sustainable economic model can increase the continent’s influence on the international stage.
The Institute and scholars share the common belief that today’s economic crisis represents a unique opportunity to rethink development. The South possesses untapped resources, specifically in terms of solar and wind renewable energies. The production of such energy by the South will effectively reduce the dependency of countries lacking hydrocarbon resources – this is the case of Morocco, which launched its solar plan in November 2009.
Encouraging renewable energies in North Africa is also strategically important. The implementation of the European “climate and energy” legislation – also called “20/20/20” - will compel the European Union to increase its production of renewable energy. Given their geographical proximity, North African countries are in a privileged position to benefit from these markets which represent a tremendous opportunity for future green energy production. The DESERTEC project, for instance, seeks to create a vast network of renewable energy production sites in the MENA region and export a large amount to the European Union.
