The need to reduce global warming
The main objective of the Paris Agreement is to limit the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, while continuing efforts to limit this temperature increase to 1.5°C. This way, the risks and impacts of climate change should be significantly reduced.
To better frame efforts towards the long-term goal, the Paris Agreement invites countries to formulate and submit long-term low emission development strategies (LT-LEDS).
The importance of LT-LEDS for NDCs
LT-LEDS represent the long-term horizon of NDCs. Unlike NDCs, however, they are not mandatory. While LT-LEDS place NDCs in the context of countries' long-term planning and development priorities, they also provide a vision and direction for future development.
LT-LEDS can then be considered voluntary strategies at national and sub-national levels to shift to a low-carbon economy while achieving sustainable development. They are all based on each country's socio-economic and development priorities.
The LT-LEDS are thus an important step towards, on the one hand, developing NDC roadmaps or action plans that embed climate change into national policy-making processes and, on the other, operationalise activities to reduce emissions. This will allow us to move closer to the Paris Agreement target of carbon neutrality by 2050.
The Moroccan LT-LEDS: the role of VITO and SEI
The Flemish institute for Technological Research (VITO) and the Stockholm Evironment Institute (SEI) are close to finalising the Morocco Long Term-Low Emission Development Strategy in the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP). LEAP is a powerful, versatile software system for integrated energy planning and climate change assessment.
VITO is offering SEI its expertise to integrate the supply-side green hydrogen sector and one of the key carbon-intensive industries - such as cement and phosphate - into the LT-LEDS LEAP model. This will consider the Business-as-Usual (BaU) and further low-carbon development scenarios for the future.
The Moroccan project focuses on consultations and discussions with industry stakeholders on their current and future plans. On this basis, VITO and SEI propose strategies to achieve the zero-emission target and integrate these strategies into the LEAP model. And so, Morocco has moved one step closer to the universal goal of limiting climate change.