“Greening” the Maghreb or Exploiting It?

“Greening” the Maghreb or Exploiting It?

The Maghreb region sits at the center of an accelerating green transition, as European Union decarbonization and energy security agendas have deepened corridor-focused partnerships with Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia across wind, solar, and emerging hydrogen projects. While proximity and resource endowments position the region as a pivotal partner for Europe, the shift raises a fundamental question of whether the green transition can generate broad-based development, or will it reproduce extractive relationships organized around Europe’s needs rather than regional resilience? To address these issues, the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center will host a panel discussion on April 30, at 3:30 PM Beirut Time. The panel will consist of Amel Boubekeur, Tenure-track Professor at Aix-Marseille University (LEST-CNRS), Yasmine Zarhloule, nonresident scholar at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, and Petter Lyden, co-Head of Division for International Climate Policy at Germanwatch. The panel will mark the publication of a Carnegie paper that examines the political economy of the green transition in the Maghreb and its implications for development, stability, and EU–Maghreb relations. The discussion will bring together experts in energy policy and regional affairs, who will assess how financing models, regulatory frameworks, and export-first investment structures shape political outcomes. The panel will also examine whether investments can translate into tangible gains, namely affordable energy provision, durable employment, and local technical capacity, and look at what a credible, justice-centred EU partnership would require in practice. The event will be in English and moderated by Camille Ammoun, nonresident scholar at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center. Viewers are invited to submit questions via the live chat feature on Facebook and YouTube. For more information, please contact Najwa Yassine at najwa.yassine@carnegie-mec.org.