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Den gröna autokratin?

Birging, Alva LU and Wærsten, Maren Naemi LU (2026) STVA23 20252
Department of Political Science
Abstract
The current climate crisis calls for great action from all states, yet many countries continue to fall short of meeting the goals set by the 2015 Paris Agreement. Previous research suggests that democracies are more likely to implement ambitious climate policies compared to autocracies. However, Morocco represents a deviant case in this regard: despite its autocratic regime, it has made notable efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and expand renewable energy, securing a sixth-place on the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI). This thesis investigates the reasons behind Morocco’s high CCPI ranking and how this can be understood. Using a qualitative case-study approach, drawing on theories of quantification of complex phenomena and... (More)
The current climate crisis calls for great action from all states, yet many countries continue to fall short of meeting the goals set by the 2015 Paris Agreement. Previous research suggests that democracies are more likely to implement ambitious climate policies compared to autocracies. However, Morocco represents a deviant case in this regard: despite its autocratic regime, it has made notable efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and expand renewable energy, securing a sixth-place on the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI). This thesis investigates the reasons behind Morocco’s high CCPI ranking and how this can be understood. Using a qualitative case-study approach, drawing on theories of quantification of complex phenomena and green growth, the study examines how the methodology and construction of the CCPI contribute to Morocco’s high ranking. The main findings show that the CCPI’s alignment with green growth and its methodological features, including indicator selection, weighting, normative foundations, and data, favor Morocco’s specific circumstances and thereby help explain its high ranking. Additionally, the study explores how the regime's climate policies may serve broader political goals, such as enhancing soft power, international legitimacy, and territorial claims in Western Sahara. The study provides insights into how index methodologies, as well as how operationalizations and interpretation of climate performance, influence a country’s ranking. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Birging, Alva LU and Wærsten, Maren Naemi LU
supervisor
organization
course
STVA23 20252
year
type
L2 - 2nd term paper (old degree order)
subject
keywords
Klimatprestation, klimatpolicy, demokrati, stängd autokrati, CCPI, Marocko, grön tillväxt, kvantifiering av komplexa fenomen, mjuk makt, greenwashing
language
Swedish
id
9217745
date added to LUP
2026-01-26 16:48:26
date last changed
2026-01-26 16:48:26
@misc{9217745,
  abstract     = {{The current climate crisis calls for great action from all states, yet many countries continue to fall short of meeting the goals set by the 2015 Paris Agreement. Previous research suggests that democracies are more likely to implement ambitious climate policies compared to autocracies. However, Morocco represents a deviant case in this regard: despite its autocratic regime, it has made notable efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and expand renewable energy, securing a sixth-place on the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI). This thesis investigates the reasons behind Morocco’s high CCPI ranking and how this can be understood. Using a qualitative case-study approach, drawing on theories of quantification of complex phenomena and green growth, the study examines how the methodology and construction of the CCPI contribute to Morocco’s high ranking. The main findings show that the CCPI’s alignment with green growth and its methodological features, including indicator selection, weighting, normative foundations, and data, favor Morocco’s specific circumstances and thereby help explain its high ranking. Additionally, the study explores how the regime's climate policies may serve broader political goals, such as enhancing soft power, international legitimacy, and territorial claims in Western Sahara. The study provides insights into how index methodologies, as well as how operationalizations and interpretation of climate performance, influence a country’s ranking.}},
  author       = {{Birging, Alva and Wærsten, Maren Naemi}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Den gröna autokratin?}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}