Morocco at the crossroads of power: geopolitical opportunities and risks in the renewable energy transition

• Morocco increasingly presents itself as a platform allowing Chinese companies to circumvent Western trade barriers, taking advantage of its natural endowment and its network of privileged agreements. • Supported by European development finance, Morocco has positioned itself as a leading country in green energy development and as a strategic sourcing country not only for phosphates but also for other ‘critical minerals’ such as cobalt. This pragmatic balancing strategy currently allows it to reap benefits in terms of investments, technological upgrading and diplomatic capital, notably in terms of international recognition for its position in the Western Sahara dispute. • However, the longer-term viability of this strategy remains uncertain due to the ongoing fragmentation of global green energy value chains and the absence of a more inclusive and sustainable industrial innovation strategy that could benefit larger shares of Moroccan society.