Solar Resource Map: Global Horizontal Irradiation - Middle East and North Africa
The Mediterranean, Europe’s frontline to Africa and home to 500 million people, is on the precipice of peace and conflict.
The conflict is defined by the proxy wars in Syria and Libya.
The peace is exemplified by the opportunities that exist for collaboration with the countries of the eastern Med – for example, the East Med Gas Forum, which is endorsed by the EU and the US.
More than ever before, I am being asked to consult on the level of risk involved in these opportunities. Or how to balance the socioeconomic opportunities with the political or business risks.
Evidence-based analysis shows the immense potential of building cross-border business in the region, as only a third of the region’s total trade is currently intra-regional (see www.mgi.online).
The East Med agreement builds on this potential.
Certain elements in Libya, in particular, fear this potential, and aim to disrupt Europe, its transatlantic alliances, the economic opportunities of east and west, and the political and entrepreneurial structures that have the power to unleash the potential of both people and resources in the region.
If Europe wishes its growth to be premised on green energy, the Mediterranean’s energy potential is vital – and its solar and clean fuel resources especially are key. It is crucial to build infrastructure to connect all sides of the Mediterranean: from Morocco in the west to Egypt in the East; with Libya, Tunisia and Algeria as the central gateway for resources.
But as the Mediterranean Growth Initiative (MGI)’s online data analysis shows, more than half of all trade between the EU and North Africa still relies on petrochemical products. If the EU is to achieve the green economy it desires, this trade profile must shift. However, it can do so only if the EU taps the resources, infrastructure, good governance and collaboration potential that exists within the Med and between the Med and the rest of Europe.