With the effects of climate chance becoming ever more widely and deeply felt around the globe, many climate scientists are warning that the planet is not able to support unlimited fossil fuel driven economic development without courting a climate catastrophe. Proponents of “green growth” counter that we can radically cut carbon emissions even as economic output continues to soar.
Worryingly, a closer look at their star pupil suggests that the defenders of “green growth” might be wrong.
Morocco’s efforts to grow green have attracted international attention and praise. In the latest Germanwatch climate change performance index, which rates countries’ climate policies, Morocco ranks first among all developing countries assessed; it is the only state outside Europe whose overall performance is rated as “good.”