The doors of the World Climate Conference in Paris, Cop 21, closed on Saturday 12 December with the approval of a (hard-won) agreement between the parties. It sets out a number of fairly ambitious objectives, but what still appears to be lacking – according to numerous experts – is the "road map" for achieving them.

At Cop 22, the Paris Agreement will need to be made operational

"This is precisely what the next conference, to be held in Marrakech from 7 to 18 November 2016, will address," explained Smahan Khouribache, representative of the Moroccan delegation in Paris, who throughout the two weeks of Cop 21 welcomed visitors to the stand set up at Le Bourget by the North African nation.

"Our country," she continued, "is already working to organise the event. Here in France we have held numerous meetings, including with the leadership of the Unfccc. In the meantime, back in Morocco, the ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Interior, the Environment and Transport are all involved. The goal will be to implement what was decided in Paris – that is, to make the agreement operational through concrete instruments."

First knot to untangle: governments' commitments on CO2

Starting with one of the points that most disappointed the associations and NGOs present at Cop 21: the revision dates for the INDCs, the acronym for the greenhouse gas emission reduction pledges put forward by governments ahead of the Paris conference. These, in fact, will not even come close to achieving the stated objective of limiting the rise in average global temperature to a maximum of 2 degrees centigrade by the end of the century ("pursuing efforts to get as close as possible to 1.5 degrees", reads the agreement drawn up in the French capital). For now, however, the first date indicated for a revision of the INDCs is 2025: too late, according to experts, and it is precisely on this point that much of the "game" in Marrakech will be played.

"Morocco," declared the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Salaheddine Mezouar, "has already hosted Cop 7 in 2001, and will be honoured to welcome the next conference, not least in light of our commitment to the fight against climate change. We are committed, from this moment on, to acting hand in hand with all parties and in an inclusive manner, so that the 2016 event can be a success for the entire planet."

Khouribache explained that the exact venue for Cop 22 has not yet been decided. More precise information on this will be released by the Moroccan authorities in the coming months.