NDC Support Center: Building sustainable capacity for climate action

Status: Ongoing Climate

In close collaboration with the African Energy Commission (AFREC), VITO runs a knowledge center helping African countries build lasting capacity in energy data, modelling, and reporting—supporting governments tackle climate challenges for the long term.

The Paris Agreement – and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) at its heart – require global economic and social transformation, based on the best available science. This is why, in 2021, VITO and the African Energy Commission (AFREC), established the NDC Support Center to create an African Knowledge Center with the aim of sustainably increasing the maturity of African countries in energy statistics, modelling and greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting.

A mission to turn goals into reality

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)—each country’s climate plan under the Paris Agreement—set vital climate goals. But many countries face practical hurdles: incomplete energy data, limited in-house modelling capacity, fragmented coordination and short-term, one-size-fits-all training that doesn’t stick—often leading to reliance on external experts for their development and update.

AFREC and VITO created the NDC Support Center to change that—building country-owned capability: reliable energy statistics, decision-ready models and embedded routines for tracking and policy use—so governments can plan, implement and track their NDCs with confidence.

In practice, that means establishing standard energy statistics and publishing national balances; setting up and calibrating a national energy model; putting in place practical Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) routines; and training a cohort of focal points so the system runs locally and reliably over time.

Successful pilot phase (2021–2024)

Launched in 2021 with funding from the Government of Flanders, the NDC Support Center piloted its approach with Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique and Uganda. The pilot focused on building lasting capacity—helping governments generate high-quality energy data, develop and apply mitigation models and design policies aligned with national climate priorities.

Since then, the programme has delivered tangible results and replicable practices. In Malawi, government teams published the first Digest of Energy Statistics (2023) to inform national baselines and now compile the country’s energy balances in-house. In Mozambique, authorities operate a national energy-system model for baseline and mitigation runs. In Morocco, green hydrogen has been integrated into NDC pathways to plan for long-term technology options.

Towards a brighter future… together!

The NDC Support Center is actively planning its next steps to expand its impact. A joint strategy is in preparation to extend support across Africa—helping countries meet their Paris Agreement commitments and advance toward net-zero, low-emission future.

Working together

In view of the results of the NDC Support Center Pilot Program, AFREC and VITO are committed to pooling their efforts to mobilise more resources with a view to extending support to all Member States of the African Union.

Rashid Abdallah

Executive Director of the African Energy Commission (AFREC)

Current activities under the NDC Support Center include:

Mozambique — the center is supporting the government in updating and enhancing the country's Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS), establishing a sustainable data backbone and improving the existing national energy model.
Malawi — the center is helping the government to develop its first LT-LEDS with 2050 scenarios across energy, agriculture, land-use, waste, and industry to deliver a country-owned roadmap aligned with national priorities.

Events & outreach

We’ll share tools and results through targeted webinars online, as well as side events at regional and global fora. Upcoming events:

Side Event at the Africa Climate Summit | Africa’s Climate Engine: Building Sustainable Capacity for Climate Action – The Role of the NDC Support Center | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 9 September 2025 | 13:00–14:00, African Pavilion
Side Event at the Africa Climate Summit | Aligning Carbon Market Strategies with NDC and LT-LEDS Pathways: A Pan-African Perspective | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 10 September 2025 | 10:30-12:00, GGGI Pavillion
Side Event at the Global Sustainable Technology & Innovation Community Conference | Pretoria, South Africa, 8 – 10 October 2025
Webinar addressing gaps on NDC and LT-LEDS development in Africa | Stay tuned for more information