WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For the third year in a row, Morocco ranked in the top ten of the Climate Change Performance Index, placing third behind only Sweden and Lithuania in the annual index published by Germanwatch, the NewClimate Institute, and the Climate Action Network.

The index, which evaluates and compares the climate protection performance of 56 countries and the EU, cited Morocco’s high ratings in the policy and energy use categories in ranking it in the group of high performers. According to the index, “The country profits from a low emissions level and an ambitious GHG emissions reduction target by 2030. Morocco was able to install many new renewable energy capacities within the last five years, which most likely will lead to a better rating regarding renewables next year…Furthermore, Morocco’s current level of per capita energy use and its corresponding well-below-2°C compatibility, result in a high rating in this category.”

Morocco scored first worldwide in the climate policy category – a testament to its leadership in both national and international policy initiatives. Earlier this year, Morocco hosted the second annual Climate Chance Summit, the largest gathering to date of non-state actors engaged in the fight against climate change. Over 2,000 participants from nearly 80 countries gathered to discuss the importance of engaging non-state actors as key stakeholders in climate negotiations, resulting in the Declaration of Agadir to ensure support for the objectives of the Paris Accord.

The Climate Chance Summit was the second time that Morocco has hosted a major climate conference, building upon the discussions that took place during the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 22), which took place in Marrakech in November 2016.

“Morocco’s ranking in this year’s Climate Change Performance Index is an important recognition of its commitment to the environment,” said former US Ambassador to Morocco Edward Gabriel. “The Kingdom’s leadership in setting ambitious policies – and implementing them - is a great example for the rest of the world.”

For more on Morocco’s environmental initiatives, take a look at our fact sheet.

The Moroccan American Center for Policy (MACP) is a US-based independent non-profit organization whose principal mission is to inform and educate opinion makers, government officials, and interested publics in the United States about the US-Morocco bilateral relationship.