Michael Stewart is an ISA Site Specialist for North Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Michael works with students studying abroad in Morocco, India and Jordan.
“Convinced of the vital importance of protecting and preserving the environment, and having realized at an early stage—thanks to its geographical location—the potential impact of climate change, my country resolutely opted for sustainable development which, needless to say, goes hand in hand with human development.” King Mohammad VI of Morocco.
In Morocco, the economy and the environment are closely linked, with more than 40% of the people surviving off agriculture and millions more living off of the fishing and tourism industries. With this in mind, the Kingdom and its people have made the environment a top priority.
The Kingdom has set out with determination to achieve its goal of generating 42% of the nation’s energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar by the year 2020. Plans have been laid for the 300 megawatt Tarfaya wind farm, which will be the largest wind project in Africa, and construction has begun on a 160 megawatt solar power plant near Ouarzazate.
Currently, renewable sources supply 13% of the energy consumed in the United States and 12% of the energy consumed in the European Union. When it comes to sustainability, Morocco has become a shining example of progress and an amazing place to study abroad.
