Energy transition: for a green Madagascar

The global efforts to limit global warming are crucial for our survival and the initiatives to face the impacts of climate change are numerous in the Big Island.

The solutions can be numerous and actors including Malagasy youth are increasingly active in addressing them. Move Up Madagascar, a youth NGO created in 2016, works in the promotion of volunteering for the protection of the environment, the commitment of youth to fight against climate change, the promotion of social equity and sustainable peace. Move Up Madagascar is present in 8 regions and works with more than 1,250 volunteer activists for its awareness activities and development projects.
Today, let's give a voice to these young people!

Investing in green energy, a realistic ambition
 

Access to different types of cooking energy is currently becoming easier thanks to technological innovations, research at hand.
The green practice is not only an emerging trend because of climate change, but also inevitable because of inflation, impacted by the various crises. In 2010, buying coal in bulk for a daily need of a household of 5 people was possible from 100 Ariary. Currently, the cost has increased fivefold. A bag of charcoal costs 25,000 Ariary whereas by opting for an ecological charcoal or an improved fireplace, a family can save 15 to 20% after one year.
Of course, the products are only available in large cities and in limited quantities, but this solution creates employment, added value to waste and above all a contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. By believing in it, the practice will lead us to save and give back to nature what we owe it.  

Green entrepreneurship, Malagasy youth turn problem into opportunity :
 

In 2021, 100 young entrepreneurs residing in Antsiranana were trained in the manufacture of ecological coal briquettes by the NGO Move up Madagascar.
Aware of the exploitable resources of their region and the impact of climate change, these young people have turned the problem into an opportunity to offset the use of firewood and conventional charcoal. Indeed, charcoal-based cooking is one of the most coveted energy sources in Madagascar, especially in large cities.
The volume of charcoal consumed in Madagascar reached 8 million m3 in 2015, while the speed of deforestation largely defies the ambitions of reforestation.
On the sidelines of the COP 27 to be held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, the youth amplify their voice by providing solutions tailored to the purchasing power of the population and the current climate emergency. The solutions are existing both in terms of waste management and in the use of electrical and thermal resources such as solar energy.
What are we waiting for to support the innovation carried by our youth?

The solar solution, a sustainable practice more and more wanted

 
Faced with the resurgence of load shedding in major cities, the problem of access to electricity in rural areas, investing in solar energy is a sustainable and attractive solution in Madagascar.
From lighting to powering electrical appliances and cooking, the solar kit business has grown over the past 3 years. Depending on the daily energy consumption and especially on the quality of the products, a kit varies from 300.000 Ariary to tens of millions of Ariary. The offer of solar lamp rental has been made all the more interesting than the use of kerosene.
In spite of that, the access to these solar products requires an investment. This is not easy for the purchasing power of the 80% of the population. Fortunately, there are banks and microfinance institutions that offer loans to those who take the risk. Still, access to the product should be lightened through the reduction of taxes related to imports, and why not by making the promotion of local production of solar equipment a priority? To meditate!