KEY POINTS
- Morocco urges adoption of Africa-specific ESG mining framework.
- ESG model aims to boost sustainable resource financing.
- Morocco’s OTC initiative showcased as sector benchmark.
Morocco’s Energy Transition and Sustainable Development Minister Leila Benali has urged African nations to adopt a continent-specific mining framework built on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles.
Speaking through ministry official Ahmed Bouzid at the “Mauritanid” Energy and Mining Conference in Nouakchott, Benali said the new framework is designed to reflect Africa’s unique realities rather than imported financial models. She said she hopes the African Mining Conference in Marrakech this November will formally endorse it.
Africa urged to adopt ESG framework
Benali argued that the ESG mining model would help governments and companies fund resource extraction, transport, and processing in a sustainable way. She stressed that frameworks borrowed from other regions often fail to address Africa’s specific challenges and opportunities.
The proposal builds on consensus reached during last December’s mining conference in Marrakech, when African ministers agreed to develop a coordinated ESG framework for the sector.
Morocco highlights its OTC initiative
Benali also presented Morocco’s “Origin–Transit–Certification” (OTC) initiative, a system designed to certify rare mineral extraction and processing in line with ESG standards. Also African mining ministers have already approved the initiative, which positions itself as a model for responsible resource management.
Wider benefits for Africa’s resources
According to Benali, a common African ESG framework would attract sustainable financing, reduce environmental risks, and ensure resource wealth translates into broader development gains. “This approach is about ensuring Africa’s mineral resources serve both economies and societies in the long term,” she said.
