Working towards the Paris Agreement goals in Madagascar

The EU is fully committed to the goals of the Paris Agreement and to ensuring a sustainable and fair response to combatting climate change, working with partners and supporting those countries most vulnerable to its impact. These goals are complementary to the EU's objectives of promoting economic development and strengthening the fabric of societies, which are critical to promoting peace, stability and prosperity in our interconnected world.

Madagascar is a large island country of rich and unique biodiversity. At the same time it is one of the countries most affected by the negative impacts of climate change, and one of the poorest. For the EU, there is great value in helping provide sustainable energy solutions that protect the local environment and its treasures, contribute to a cleaner future for our planet while also boosting the development of this country with great potential.

In partnership with the Madagascan authorities, the EU Delegation to Madagascar is therefore supporting green energy projects across the country, producing and disseminating hydropower and solar power to provide energy for hundreds of thousands of rural households, communities and industries. This work is part of the EU's tangible support for Madagascar's New Energy Policy, which was elaborated with EU financial backing. This policy has the ambitious objective of connecting 70 % of households to a public electricity grid by 2030, of which 70% of the energy should come from renewable sources.

The EU is also working with the German development agency GIZ on a capacity-building programme for key actors and communities to reinforce awareness and strategic planning for sustainable development at the national, regional, local and sectorial levels. This includes supporting the National Climate Change Policy (Politique Nationale de Lutte Contre le Changement Climatique) and in particular the elaboration of a National Adaptation Plan, which is well underway. As part of this process, on 30 June the EU delegation and GIZ, in partnership with the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Madagascar (IEP), organised a debate which brought together EU and local stakeholders to share experiences and explore common priorities and avenues for action. The programme also supports technical capacity-building to ensure the implementation of agreed climate change adaptation measures.