Rabat - Young Moroccans’ commitment to the green transition is increasingly winning worldwide plaudits as many youth initiatives from Morocco join the global fight against climate change with innovative solutions.
Earlier this week, the UN highlighted how the climate advocacy of youth-led initiatives is gaining more momentum in Morocco as young people dominate the stage in demanding change from policymakers or otherwise spearheading green businesses ventures.
Titled “From Milan to Glasgow: Moroccan Youth Leaders in the Spotlight,” the UN initiative sheds light on five promising green-oriented initiatives.
The first initiative saw the creation of the African Youth Climate Hub, a platform connecting young activists across the African continent.
Behind the initiative is 18-year old Moroccan Manal Bidar, who is also an advisor to the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), a non-profit promoting worldwide climate resilience.
Hasnae Bakhchouch is another example of Moroccan youth implementing green initiatives with global impact. The 22-year-old was the national coordinator for the Moroccan youth delegation to the UN Climate Youth Conferences that took place in Milan, Italy in 2021.
The Moroccan youth delegation at the Milan climate event joined international youth delegations in drafting recommendations for the global climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland.
While some young Moroccans opt for political activism, others are launching business ventures with climate change in mind.
One such example is Hamza Laalej, a 23-year-old who first thought of recycling the thousands of tons of coffee grounds that go to waste every day.
After teaming up with another 23-year-old Moroccan, Nour El Houda Ben Khoudja, the duo launched the Clayeco startup with a business model of turning coffee grounds into eco-friendly construction bricks and decoration material.
Next on the list are Oussama Nour (31 years old) and Mohamed Taha El Ouaryachi who founded WAVEBEAT, a startup that generates electricity from ocean waves. The startup aims to provide Morocco’s largest seaport, Tangier MedPort, with a green energy alternative.
The joint startup of Hicham Zouaoui and Otman Harrak is also a successful example of Moroccan youth-led green initiatives. The two young men launched a carpooling app, Pip Pip Yalah, operating with 400,000 Moroccan customers.
The app allows travelers to connect with one another, optimizing transit cost and reducing CO2 emissions.
Also highlighted in the UN initiative is the work of Seifeddin Laalej. The young entrepreneur heads Zelij Invent, a start-up that specializes in recycling plastic waste for manufacturing construction materials.
In 2018, the ecological startup won the title of the world’s best ecological startup from the GGGI, an intergovernmental green Korean institute.
Source : Morocco World News
