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Madagascar: the European Union and the African Union mark a continental first on energy efficiency

National stakeholders validate Madagascar’s National Energy Efficiency Strategy and Action Plan (NEESAP) and the Energy Performance in Buildings (EPB) Guidelines in Antananarivo — the first of the CEPA AfEES pilot countries to reach this milestone.

On 30 June 2026, the Government of Madagascar — through the Ministry of Energy and Hydrocarbons (MEH), together with the European Union Delegation to Madagascar and the African Energy Commission (AFREC), the African Union’s lead agency for energy efficiency, convened a national validation workshop at Hôtel ibis Antananarivo Ankorondrano. Around sixty senior representatives from line ministries, the National Energy Efficiency Committee, the national utility JIRAMA, professional associations, the private sector, financial institutions, development partners, civil society organisations and academia gathered around a single, shared agenda: to formally validate Madagascar’s NEESAP and its EPB Guidelines, together with minimum energy performance standards, and to open the pathway from planning to implementation and investment.

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A continental first

Madagascar is the first of the CEPA AfEES pilot countries — alongside Senegal, Burundi and Zimbabwe — to reach the national validation stage for both a National Energy Efficiency Strategy and Action Plan and Energy Performance in Buildings Guidelines under the European Union’s continental energy-efficiency support to the African Union. The milestone reflects the sustained engagement of Malagasy institutions, the quality of the multi-stakeholder dialogue conducted since inception, and the excellent cooperation between AFREC and the CEPA AfEES consulting team led by the Stantec-headed consortium.

A continental programme behind a national plan

The workshop was delivered under CEPA, the Continental Energy Programme in Africa, the European Union’s flagship technical-assistance programme supporting the African Union and its specialised energy institutions to build an integrated, resilient and sustainable continental energy system. Launched in January 2025, CEPA supports three mutually reinforcing continental initiatives — the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM), the Continental Power System Master Plan (CMP) and the African Energy Efficiency Strategy (AfEES) — all aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Madagascar’s NEESAP and EPB Guidelines have been developed under the AfEES pillar, led by AFREC, which helps AU Member States translate continental energy-efficiency goals into national strategies and concrete action.

CEPA is funded by the European Union under Global Gateway, the EU’s strategy to mobilise investment in sustainable, high-quality infrastructure worldwide. Global Gateway aims to mobilise up to €300 billion in public and private investment between 2021 and 2027, of which approximately €150 billion — half of the total — is dedicated to Africa through the Africa–Europe Investment Package. By anchoring national instruments such as Madagascar’s NEESAP within this continental framework, CEPA connects local policy reform to continental ambition and opens a pathway from strategy to investment.

A year of joint work, four flagship deliverables

Since the inception of the AfEES support to Madagascar, the joint work by the Ministry of Energy and Hydrocarbons, AFREC and the Stantec-led CEPA AfEES team, in close consultation with Malagasy stakeholders, has produced four complementary instruments:

Long-term energy pathway modelling to 2065, demonstrating that Madagascar can reduce its final energy consumption while sustaining economic development;

Guidelines on the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) — a foundational document for the Malagasy construction sector;

A public-building certification tool (Minimum Energy Performance Requirements — MEPRs / EPB Scorecard), a first for Madagascar; and

The National Energy Efficiency Strategy and Action Plan (NEESAP), structured across the industrial, commercial and services, buildings, appliances and clean cooking, and transport sectors, together with the supply side (electricity supply and charcoal).

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EU

Key outcomes of the validation workshop

The Antananarivo workshop produced a clear set of outcomes that will shape the next phase of Madagascar’s energy-efficiency agenda:

Formal validation of the NEESAP. Stakeholders endorsed the strategic axes, targets and sectoral action plan of the NEESAP, providing the political and technical backing needed to proceed to implementation.

Formal validation of the EPB Guidelines and minimum energy performance standards. Participants approved the updated Guidelines and standards, establishing a shared technical baseline for the Malagasy construction sector.

Alignment with continental targets. Participants confirmed that Madagascar’s energy-efficiency ambition is consistent with the AfEES continental targets and with Agenda 2063, anchoring national action in the African Union’s long-term vision.

Shared ownership across institutions. The Ministry of Energy and Hydrocarbons, the Ministry of Spatial Planning and Land Services, the Ministry of Environment, JIRAMA and the other members of the National Energy Efficiency Committee — together with the private sector, financial institutions, development partners and academia — took joint ownership of the delivery agenda.

A clear policy-to-investment pathway. The workshop mapped how the validated actions can be translated into bankable energy-efficiency projects, opening the way to financing under Global Gateway and Team Europe instruments.

A strengthened delivery partnership. The European Union, AFREC, the Government of Madagascar and the CEPA AfEES team led by Stantec reaffirmed their cooperation as the framework for taking the NEESAP and EPB Guidelines through implementation.

Excellent cooperation at the heart of the milestone

The result reflects the excellent cooperation between AFREC, as the African Union’s specialised energy institution overseeing the AfEES pillar, and the CEPA AfEES consulting team led by the Stantec-headed consortium, working hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Energy and Hydrocarbons and the European Union Delegation to Madagascar. This partnership — combining continental leadership, technical assistance and national ownership — has enabled Madagascar to move from stocktaking through modelling and consultation to validation within a single year, positioning the country as an early reference for the continental roll-out of AfEES.

Next steps

Following validation, the finalised NEESAP and EPB Guidelines will support the Ministry of Energy and Hydrocarbons and the National Energy Efficiency Committee in the operational roll-out of energy-efficiency measures across the industry, buildings, appliances and clean cooking, transport, and supply-side sectors. In parallel, bilateral discussions initiated during the mission will feed into the development of proposals for financing mechanisms, in coordination with Global Gateway and Team Europe partners. This marks a decisive step in turning Madagascar’s energy-efficiency ambition into concrete actions and investments, jointly supported by national authorities, the European Union and the African Union.

Contact points

Ms Joan Razafimaharo, National Expert, CEPA AfEES — joan.razafimaharo@gmail.com

Dr George Giannakidis, Senior Energy Efficiency Expert, CEPA AfEES — giannakidis@entconsultants.gr

About CEPA. The Continental Energy Programme in Africa (CEPA) is a EUR 10.6 million, 48-month technical-assistance programme (January 2025 – January 2029), funded by the European Union on behalf of the African Union Commission and implemented by a consortium led by Stantec sa/nv with GIZ, supporting AfSEM, the Continental Power System Master Plan and the African Energy Efficiency Strategy (AfEES). AfEES is led by the African Energy Commission (AFREC).