MOROCCO · CLIMATE POLICY
Key Facts
- What is happening Morocco’s draft law 62.25 would create a national registry and rules for trading carbon credits.
- Why it matters The EU carbon border charge is in its permanent phase; local analysis says credits do not change it.
- The numbers Fines run from 500,000 to 2 million dirhams (US$51,000 to US$203,000), doubled for repeat offences.
- Who is who The energy transition ministry drafted the text; the Government’s legal secretariat published it for comment.
- What to watch Whether the cabinet adopts the bill after the one-month public comment period that followed publication.
- What it means for you US firms with Moroccan projects could earn credits, but exporting them would need state approval.
Morocco has published a draft law to govern how carbon credits are registered, approved and sold abroad. It is a trading framework, not a tax on emissions.
Morocco has drafted a law on carbon credits, the tradable certificates that reward cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions. The text, draft law 62.25, was published in September 2026 by the Secretariat General of the Government, the cabinet’s legal office.
For US readers, the draft shows how Morocco plans to sell emission cuts to foreign buyers. It also shows what the state will keep for its own climate targets, which matters to any US developer or credit buyer.
What the Draft Law Does
The Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development drafted the 64-article text. The public was invited to comment for one month after publication.
Local coverage describes three kinds of trade: deals between governments, a United Nations-run mechanism and a voluntary private market. The first two come from Articles 6.2 and 6.4 of the Paris Agreement, the 2015 climate treaty.
Each route would have its own rules for registering projects, verifying results and transferring emission cuts. The aim is to stop one tonne of avoided carbon dioxide being counted twice.
Norway’s government says it has signed a cooperation agreement with Morocco under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. It covers cuts in emissions from Morocco’s power sector, and no volumes or payments have been published.
A Registry and a State Veto on Exports
The draft creates a national carbon-market registry to track projects, approvals and transfers. Local coverage says carbon units would count as intangible movable assets, which can be owned and traded.
Approving a project would not automatically allow its credits to be sold abroad. A separate state authorisation would be needed, and the state could reserve part of the cuts for Morocco’s own climate pledge.
That pledge is the nationally determined contribution, the climate plan each country files under the Paris Agreement. The draft aims to keep foreign sales from undermining it.
Fines and Independent Verifiers
Article 62 of the draft sets fines from 500,000 to 2 million dirhams (about US$51,000 to US$203,000). Article 63 doubles the penalty for a repeat offence.
The fines apply to project owners who miss the annual report, move emission cuts abroad without approval or fail to report sales. They also apply to verifiers that do not report changes to their accreditation or that take part in the projects they check.
Verifiers, the firms that check emission cuts, would need state accreditation and must stay independent. A national climate transparency platform and a commission would collect data and oversee the system.
Not a Carbon Tax
Local analysis notes the draft sets no general levy on company emissions and no mandatory quotas for industry. It mainly organises credit markets and climate governance.
The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, a charge on carbon-heavy imports, entered its permanent phase on 1 January 2026. It covers cement, iron and steel, aluminium, fertilisers, electricity and hydrogen.
Moroccan credits would not change what exporters of those goods owe in Europe, local analysis of the draft concludes. The two systems follow different logic, one rewarding cuts and the other pricing imported carbon.
What It Means for You
US developers, lenders and credit buyers should note that foreign sales would need Moroccan approval and a reserve for national targets. The final volumes and prices are still undecided.
The EU border charge applies to goods entering Europe, not the United States, and local analysis says the draft leaves it unchanged. Moroccan exporters selling into the EU stay subject to that charge.
Related Rio Times reports include Morocco State Firms to Invest US$21 Billion and Morocco’s US$5.5B Nador Port Nears Opening. More coverage sits on the Morocco hub.
What Is Not Known
The date of cabinet adoption and any changes after the public comment period are not known. It is also unclear when Parliament would vote and when the law would take effect.
No carbon-credit price, expected volume or list of approved projects has been published. The size of the Norway deal is not public either.
What Comes Next
The next step is a government decision on whether to send the revised bill to Parliament. Rules for the registry would then follow in later regulations.
The draft does not yet allow any sale of Moroccan credits, and it creates no tax. Only a final law and its regulations would do either.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Morocco’s draft carbon market law?
Draft law 62.25 would set rules for registering, approving and trading carbon credits, with a national registry. It was published in September 2026 for one month of public comment.
Is Morocco introducing a carbon tax?
No, local analysis says the draft sets no general levy on company emissions and no mandatory quotas. It mainly organises credit markets and climate reporting.
What are the penalties in the draft?
Article 62 sets fines of 500,000 to 2 million dirhams (about US$51,000 to US$203,000). Article 63 doubles them for repeat offences.
Will carbon credits exempt Moroccan exporters from the EU carbon charge?
No, local analysis says the two systems are separate. The EU border charge applies to cement, steel, aluminium, fertiliser, electricity and hydrogen imports.
Sources: Secretariat General of the Government of Morocco, draft law 62.25, Articles 62 to 64; European Commission, Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism; Government of Norway, Norway and Morocco will cooperate on cutting emissions (conversions at exchange rates of 31 October 2026; all accessed 31 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief