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Morocco to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 42 pct by 2030

2016-10-19 03:02

RABAT, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Morocco plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 42 percent by 2030, foreign minister announced on Tuesday.

Salaheddine Mezouar, foreign minister and the president of the forthcoming COP22, or the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, said so at the opening of the Pre-Conference of Parties (COP) ministerial meeting in Marrakesh.

Mezouar stressed that after facilitating early entry into force of the Paris Agreement, the second pillar of Morocco's vision for COP22 is to encourage parties to implement and strengthen their National Determined Contributions.

He stressed that Morocco wanted to set the example as the country "has revised its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal from 32 percent to 42 percent by 2030."

He added that the final pillar of Morocco's vision is to mobilize non-state actors with the goal of institutionalizing their actions under the Global Climate Action Agenda.

"COP22 will be a COP of action with a special focus on the important contributions of civil-society. The Moroccan presidency will work together with civil society during the Marrakesh climate change conference and chart a common agenda under the presidency," he said.

He also encouraged all Parties that have not yet ratified Paris Agreement to do so, adding that the Pre-COP ministerial meeting will be an "inclusive moment."

The COP21 President Segolene Royal assured at the opening of the ministerial meeting that "all the elements are in place for a successful COP22 in Marrakesh," which is scheduled from Nov. 7 to 18.

Moreover, executive secretary of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Patricia Espinosa, also welcomed the early entry into force of the Paris Agreement and hailed its first meeting in Marrakesh as a "historic moment for people everywhere and for multilateralism."

The Pre-COP continues tomorrow with closed-door working sessions.

The Pre-COP ministerial meeting is designed to finalize preparations for the COP22 agenda including organizing the early entry into force of the Paris Agreement, date set on Nov. 4, and the holding of the first meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement during COP22 in Marrakesh.

The agenda will also include discussions on implementation of the Paris Agreement before and after 2020, including capacity building and finance packages as well as developing a Paris Agreement rulebook to implement the various components.

Editor: Mu Xuequan