Climate governance in the Middle East and North Africa will have a lasting influence on the region’s political stability, economic resilience and state–society relations as climate impacts intensify and the global energy transition accelerates. Governments across MENA face growing urgency to act, but the effectiveness and durability of climate action depend heavily on how policies are governed, whether decision-making is participatory or hierarchical, and whether policies are perceived as equitable by the public.
Public buy-in emerges as a critical condition for sustainable climate action, as climate policies increasingly affect daily life through energy prices, land use, infrastructure development and employment patterns. Where policies are introduced without consultation or transparency, they risk triggering resistance, delays or reversal. In contrast, inclusive processes that inform and acknowledge affected communities can strengthen trust, improve project design through local knowledge, and enable governments to introduce difficult long-term reforms. Participatory approaches can also help unlock international climate finance, which increasingly requires stakeholder engagement.
The region’s climate governance landscape is shaped by profound economic and institutional inequalities. Wealthy hydrocarbon exporters such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar are able to finance large-scale clean energy and adaptation projects internally, while more resource-constrained countries like Egypt, Morocco and Jordan rely heavily on external finance and must prioritize affordability, institutional capacity and donor requirements. These differing starting points strongly influence the types of governance models adopted and the scope of feasible climate action.
Two broad climate governance models dominate in MENA. Constitutional-participatory systems, seen in countries such as Morocco and Tunisia, embed environmental rights in law and involve local authorities and civil society in climate policymaking, building legitimacy but often struggling with implementation due to limited capacity. Techno-investment systems, prevalent in Gulf states such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, rely on centralized authority, technical expertise and large-scale investment to deliver rapid results, but they limit public participation and risk legitimacy gaps if policies impose social or economic costs.
In practice, many MENA countries operate hybrid or adaptive governance systems that blend participation with technocratic delivery. States such as Jordan selectively engage stakeholders to meet donor requirements and secure public acceptance while retaining centralized control over implementation. These adaptive approaches reflect domestic constraints, economic pressures, youth expectations and external competition for green investment, allowing governments to balance legitimacy with speed and capacity.
The paper argues that adaptive climate governance offers the most pragmatic path forward for the region. By combining inclusion and transparency with strong coordination and expertise, adaptive governance can mobilize finance, accelerate renewable energy deployment, manage social impacts and maintain stable social contracts. Governance choices made today will shape whether MENA countries can implement climate projects effectively, sustain public trust and avoid political fragility as climate policies reshape energy, water and economic systems.
Comparative analysis across the region shows that climate governance exists on a spectrum rather than within fixed categories. Participatory systems tend to strengthen legitimacy and accountability but can slow delivery, while techno-investment models excel at rapid implementation but may weaken public trust. Adaptive governance seeks to manage these trade-offs by adjusting participation and centralization according to context, resources and policy objectives, improving both climate outcomes and state–society relations.
Ultimately, there is no single governance model suitable for all MENA countries. Successful climate action depends on the ability of states to learn, adapt and recalibrate governance approaches over time. By embracing adaptive climate governance grounded in both public confidence and implementation capacity, MENA countries are better positioned to secure sustained green investment, ensure long-term project viability and navigate the social and economic transformations required by climate change.
