Since 2015, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has been working in Morocco to help businesses become more resource efficient and use cleaner production methods. The MED TEST II project is part of a larger European Union-funded programme called SWITCHMED which is supporting sustainable production and consumption in eight countries in the Mediterranean region.

Thanks to the MED TEST II project, 22 companies in Morocco’s chemical, food, mechanical and textile sectors have successfully implemented measures to reduce resource use and cut emissions.

In Morocco, UNIDO cooperates with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to link MED TEST II with the Morocco Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (MoRSEFF), a European Union-supported credit facility dedicated to financing energy efficiency and small-scale renewable energy investments of private companies.

In April 2019, UNIDO received an award from the MoRSEFF in recognition of the fruitful collaboration between the two entities, specifically the combination of UNIDO’s technical knowledge with the finance provided by the MoRSEFF.

The award was presented to UNIDO’s Morocco representative, Hanan Hanzaz, in Casablanca on 2 April at a ceremony attended by, amongst others, Aziz Rebbah, Morocco’s Minister of Energy, Minining and Sustainable Development; Marie-Alexandra Veilleux-Laborie, the EBRD’s Director for Morocco; Anna Barone, head of representation of the European Investment Bank in Morocco; and Said Mouline, Director General of the Moroccan Agency for Energy Efficiency (AMEE).

MoRSEFF focuses on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 on responsible consumption and production, SDG 9 on industrial development, and SDG 7 on affordable and clean energy. Its approach is aligned with UNIDO’s innovative model for accelerating inclusive and sustainable industrial development in member states, the Programme for Country Partnership (PCP). Morocco recently joined the PCP.