Morocco's Energy Transition Ranking and Performance
In a significant development, Morocco has been ranked 72nd worldwide in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Energy Transition Index (ETI) for 2026, marking its position as the sixth in the MENA region and fifth across the African continent. The country achieved an overall ETI score of 54.5 points, reflecting its commitment to advancing its energy transition goals. This score comprises a system performance score of 58.4 and a transition readiness score of 48.6, indicating both strengths and areas for improvement in its energy landscape.
The annual Energy Transition Index evaluates 120 nations based on their progress toward creating secure, affordable, and sustainable energy systems. It also assesses their readiness to facilitate long-term energy transformation through various factors, including legislative frameworks, infrastructure development, innovation adoption, investment levels, and human capital development. In this context, Morocco has outperformed several of its regional counterparts such as Egypt (84th), Algeria (94th), Nigeria (80th), and Kuwait (102nd). However, it lags behind more advanced nations in the region such as the UAE (49th), Namibia (61st), Tunisia (62nd), Jordan (67th), and South Africa (69th).
Challenges and Global Context of Energy Transition
The WEF report highlights the MENAP (Middle East, North Africa, and Pakistan) region's overall energy transition performance, which experienced a decline of 0.9% in 2026. This decline was attributed to weaker system performance and transition readiness across the region. Notably, Saudi Arabia, although ranked 55th globally with a score of 57.4, has been recognized for its efforts to enhance its ranking through increased financial support for energy initiatives, accelerated deployment of renewable energy projects, and substantial investments in large-scale battery storage technology.
On a global scale, Sweden has maintained its status as the top performer for the third consecutive year with an ETI score of 75.3, followed closely by Finland and Denmark. The rankings continue to be dominated by advanced economies, which account for 14 of the top 20 performers worldwide. Among emerging economies, China leads with a ranking of 14th, while Brazil and the United States have secured 17th and 19th positions, respectively. The report underscores a concerning trend for global energy transition efforts, noting that while energy system performance saw a slight improvement, transition readiness declined for the first time in over a decade. Key challenges identified include rising financing costs, policy uncertainties, geopolitical tensions, and infrastructure bottlenecks, which collectively hinder progress.
As noted in the report, "2026 marks a clear inflection point, with readiness slowing or declining across most regions. This shift highlights growing divergence not only in performance levels but in the underlying capacity to sustain progress." Overall, the assessment revealed that 67 out of the 120 countries evaluated improved their ETI scores, whereas 53 experienced declines. The WEF emphasizes that future advancements will hinge upon nations' abilities to bolster energy security, enhance infrastructure, and foster stable investment conditions in clean energy technologies.
As reported by moroccoworldnews.com.
