Nine PAGE countries are participating in a new centralized hub for information on planned climate and environmental policies and actions in the context of COVID-19 recovery. Launched in September, the Online Platform for Sustainable and Resilient Recovery from COVID-19 (“ Platform for Redesign 2020 ”) is under the leadership of the Ministry of the Environment Japan with support from the UNFCCC, and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES ). The countries participating from PAGE include Brazil, Burkina Faso, China, Indonesia, Mauritius, Mongolia, Morocco, Thailand and Peru. Country pages include response, recovery, and redesign measures across sectors while a September 3rd Ministerial Meeting offered a platform for live exchange.
Two new policies integrating inclusive green economy principles have been recently approved in Mongolia and Peru, showing how PAGE support can effectively help countries to drive sustainability at the heart of policy making. Mongolia and Peru, PAGE partner countries since 2013, have undertaken long journeys towards sustainability and demonstrated a strong commitment to advance inclusive and sustainable societies where no one is left behind.
The recently approved “National Competitiveness and Productivity Policy” in Peru aims to increase and strengthen an inclusive and sustainable economic growth. The policy includes nine priorities to boost the competitiveness and productivity of the Peruvian economy by increasing social and economic infrastructures and services, investing on human capital and promoting decent work, improving access to finance, strengthening institutions and advancing sustainability and social inclusion. Among its nine priorities, the policy calls for environmental sustainability and aims to create green jobs and growth through 1) clean technologies and green industries; 2) circular economy and sound waste management and 3) bio-trade.
Furthermore, the nine priorities will lay the basis for the elaboration of a National Competitiveness and Productivity Plan that will define concrete actions and implementation measures as well provide a monitoring framework and indicators to move from policy to actions.
The approval of the policy represents a success for PAGE work in Peru, where the Partnership’s longstanding support has been focusing on the country’s green growth potential, sectoral policy reform and stakeholder engagement on green industry and green jobs, and capacity building and awareness raising in support of the inclusive green economy transition.
The National Competitiveness and Productivity Policy is indeed the result of a participatory process that brought together stakeholders from the public, private sector, academia, trade unions, international community and civil society. By bringing all actors together, the policy generated the consensus needed to define the way forward for an economic growth in the medium and long terms that will focus on social inclusion, poverty reduction and prosperity for all.
Another successful example of policy making for sustainability is the adoption of the National Policy in the Construction Sector in Mongolia. This policy represents another step towards sustainability in the country, where appropriate energy efficiency standards and a rating system for green buildings are among the priority areas of Mongolia’s National Green Development Policy (NGDP).
During the past years, PAGE has supported Mongolia in advancing its green development agenda with evidence-based policy appraisal of different options for implementation of the NGDP, and support for policy development and reform in specific sectors and thematic areas, such as green construction.
Furthermore, PAGE is supporting the formulation of a ‘business case’ for green buildings and is providing capacity development for stakeholders in the construction sector which should further foster up-take of green design elements for public and private buildings. PAGE has also contributed to the establishment of a multi-stakeholder Green Buildings Advisory Council.
The approval of the new construction policy is a confirmation of Mongolia’s commitment to a sustainable future and a signal of the country’s willingness to implement important economic reforms to advance inclusive green economy.
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14 September 2018 - South-south cooperation has gained increasing attention in recent years as a powerful mechanism to accelerate sustainable development, and as such has become a focal point of UN work. There is a growing consensus that the shared ideas, knowledge and skills promoted through these partnerships can stimulate effective solutions to common challenges and build on mutual strengths. On International South-South Cooperation Day, the 12th of September 2018, PAGE’s work in Mongolia and the Kyrgyz Republic was recognized in a report highlighting best practices in south-south and triangular cooperation throughout the entire UN system.
The Kyrgyz-Mongolian cooperation included peer-to-peer learning sessions on the development and implementation of the policy reform for green economy and the use of green technologies in business. The initiative emerged within the framework of an agreement between the International Labour Organization and the UN Institute for Training and Research – two PAGE partner agencies – to strengthen south-south cooperation between PAGE countries, which is technically and financially supported by the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ).
This is a clear example of triangular cooperation and of how countries with similar political, historical, cultural, economic and social contexts can strongly benefit from peer-to-peer learning. PAGE provides an ideal platform to facilitate this learning, by bringing together countries at varying stages of their inclusive green economic transformation. While the Kyrgyz government recognizes sustainable development as a national priority, the country is at the relatively early stages of its inclusive green economy transition. Conversely, Mongolia is transitioning towards the end of its PAGE-supported programme, and is in a strong position to share best practices and learnings from its experience.
Mongolian and Kyrgyz participants at the Kyrgyz Republic Green Economy Forum in Bishkek last year
Mongolia’s expertise and experiences have been instrumental in shaping the Kyrgyz Republic’s identification of priority areas as they green their economy, particularly in green finance, sustainable public procurement and green jobs. Due to the similarities in the national contexts, replication and adaptation of policies and practices between the two countries has been especially effective.
On the back of these exchanges and complementary PAGE advisory support and technical guidance, the Kyrgyz Republic recently passed a new Development Program that places these priorities in the fore.
The experiences between Mongolia and the Kyrgyz Republic demonstrates how fostering productive south-south relationships can strengthen and accelerate the global transition towards an inclusive green economy, and emphasizes the importance of effective partnerships, collaboration and learning that is at the heart of PAGE’s work.
For more on the south-south cooperation between Mongolia and the Kyrgyz Republic, see Page Steering Committee Meeting and Sustainability Week Take Place in Mongolia and Kyrgyz Republic: Green Economy Forum Features New Opportunities for Business from Theory to Action.
Dr. Ganzorig Gonchigsumlaa, originally from Mongolia, studied at the University of Manchester, where he obtained a Master of Science in Environmental Economics in 2010. He gained his PhD in Agricultural Economics at the Georg-August University of Goettingen, Germany in 2016.
Since then, he has become a Senior Lecturer at the Mongolian University of Life Sciences where he teaches three courses: Introduction to Economics, Cost-Benefit Analysis and Development Economics. In addition, he also has experience working with the UN System and the Mongolian government.
During the weeks of 8 September to 10 November 2017, PAGE delivered an e-learning course on green fiscal reform to meet the learning needs and build capacities of national stakeholders.
The interactive and practice-oriented course provided participants from government, business, civil society and academia with an introduction to various approaches and policy instruments for reforming government spending and revenue generation with the goal of supporting the transition to a green economy.
Ganzorig participated in the course and shares with us his experience:
"The GFR e-course was amazingly well-prepared and organized. The course plan, evaluation methods, training materials, online discussions and receiving feedback for my submitted assignments was fantastic. It was my first time taking an e-course, and I understand better now how useful it can be to take an e-course."
In terms of content, Ganzorig says he "gained knowledge related to fiscal and financial aspects of the green economy for a variety of economic sectors including agriculture and transportation."
The most important aspect of the course for him was the "chance to pool out every aspect of green fiscal reform with very practical international case studies and examples."
Among all the new concepts that he learned, one of the key takeaways is that a biggest challenge to fulfill country goals might be the financial gaps, and thanks to the e-course, he grasped this more clearly.
He encourages people who want to learn about GFR in a constructive manner to take the e-course. "The flexibility of taking the course at my pace, reading the training materials, and having homework was a good balance for me. The live discussions through the webinar was also very interesting and essentially allowed me to connect with other participants and talk about the same topic regardless of our geographical locations," he adds.
After taking the course, Ganzorig had a chance to share his knowledge through PAGE at UN Mongolia to develop a course on Green Economy and Modelling among the undergraduate students.
The team of professors at the Mongolian University of Life Sciences, National University of Mongolia, and the University of Finance and Economics in Mongolia developed the course curriculum, and lecture and seminar materials.
"I was in charge of the topics on Green Fiscal Reform: Rationale and related concepts and Green Fiscal Reform: Instruments. The two topics are translated versions of the Module 1 and 2 of the GFR e-course; in addition to, a few more cases focused on the context of Mongolia. This is evidence that the course was beneficial to the participants, like myself, who can later evolve the concepts to reach more people," he concludes.
March 2018, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia -
What do you think is the most popular course among architecture students at the Mongolian University of Science and Technology (MUST)? It’s a course on green buildings.
“Even former students are asking us if they can take the course,” says B. Munkhbayar, a Senior Lecturer at MUST.
The interest in the course reflects a broader shift in the building sector in Mongolia where energy efficient buildings are more and more in demand.
“Currently, the manufacturing and construction sectors consume 60 percent of total electricity and 24 percent of the heat. The building heat loss is about 30 percent – we want to change this,” says L. Batjargal, Director of Policy and Planning at the Ministry of Construction and Urban Development (MCUD).
The National Green Development Policy sets a target for reducing heat loss through buildings by 20 percent by 2020 and by 40 percent by 2030. To achieve this, MCUD is working on a green building code and rating system and is revamping its construction sector policy, with support by PAGE, the International Finance Cooperation (IFC) and a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) project.
Constant Van Aerschot, who advises the Government on the new construction sector policy on behalf of PAGE highlights: “It is important to not only think about individual buildings but also about energy supply and urban planning as a whole.”
Arab Hoballah, Team Leader, SWITCH-Asia SCP Facility adds: “The goal needs to be sustainable housing and resource efficient cities, considering relevant consumption and production patterns, if we want to have a transformative impact.”
A new morning for Mongolian cities? The Government is promoting more resource-efficient and inclusive urban development.
Back to B. Munkhbayar and the education sector. The green building course offered by MUST is not the only green-economy related course run by Mongolian universities.
With support from PAGE, the National University of Mongolia (NUM), the Mongolian University of Life Sciences (MULS) and the University of Finance and Economics (UFE) are developing a new undergraduate course on green economy and macro-economic modelling, to be launched in 2018. A new course on sustainable finance is planned to be piloted next year, in partnership with the Mongolian Sustainable Finance Association (MSFA), IFC and PAGE.
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Mongolian universities are joining forces to green their operations and educational offer.
“When I first came to Mongolia in 2015, the higher education sector was not yet much involved in the green and sustainable development agenda. There were a few initiatives but I think the momentum created over the past two to three years is quite remarkable,” says Amrei Horstbrink, a Green Development Specialist at the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).
Beyond the launch of new courses, universities are joining forces to green their campuses and are planning to work on a submission to the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Furthermore, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports is focusing the new higher education policy on sustainable development to encourage universities to green their teaching and operations. S. Munkhbat, Adviser to the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports points out: “We are aiming to increase investments into higher education to contribute to a shift towards sustainable development”.
If university students are becoming leaders in society they need to fully integrate the concept of sustainable development. And this is not just as a matter of principle, as Cristina Martinez from the International Labor Organization (ILO) highlights: “We estimate that by 2030, 14 million jobs will be created in climate change mitigation in Asia – most of them for high skilled labor, i.e. both university and vocational education graduates.”
By greening their educational offer, the Mongolian universities are not only preparing their students to be better citizens but also to be competitive in a changing labor market.
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PAGE started its engagement in Mongolia in 2013, supporting the development of the National Green Development Policy which was approved by Parliament in 2014. Over the past four and a half years, PAGE has supported Mongolia in advancing its green development agenda with evidence-based policy appraisal using system dynamics modelling, analysis of different options for implementation of the NGDP, and support for policy development and reform in specific sectors and thematic areas, such as green construction, sustainable public procurement, green economy learning, sustainable finance, waste management and trade. In the week of 12 March 2018, a series of 10 meetings and workshops took place to advance technical work under the different thematic workstreams and to discuss with national and international partners how to ensure sustainability of the work supported by PAGE.
27 February 2018, Erdenet, Mongolia - For decades the only source of lighting at the regional public hospital in Mongolia’s Orkhon province came from high-energy inefficient bulbs that did not meet health and safety standards.
“I was hospitalized twice last year and stayed in the rehabilitation section of the hospital. When I first stayed the lighting was bad, some bulbs and lights were not working properly and those working bulbs did not have sufficient lights. It was always dark,” said S. Baljinnyam, an elderly patient.
The hospital in Erdenet, Orkhon’s capital city, is solely dependent on the province’s budget which usually falls short for routine maintenance, as is the case for many of Mongolia’s hospitals. But thanks to a small project grant awarded by the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) following a tender competition in 2017, the hospital was able to install LED lights in some areas and slash its annual energy costs, funded by the province, by an estimated 55 per cent. The diagnostic and medical center selected Erdenet-based And Energy LCC, the only Mongolian producer of LED lighting, to replace the old light bulbs, thereby fostering local green jobs.
“With LED lighting we have improved our energy efficiency, improved our cleaning, and provided a better and safer environment for our patients and staff,” said hospital director, B. Batsukh.
20 December 2017, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia - Students from Lund University in Sweden and three Mongolian universities connected via video-conference on 20 December 2017 for a dialogue on how young people can contribute to an inclusive green economy. The students in Mongolia are from the National University of Mongolia, the University of Commerce and Business, the MB Park and GAIN. The Swedish students are part of the International Masters Programme in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science (LUMES).
The group discussed environmental issues Mongolia and Sweden are facing, as well as initiatives by students in both countries to advance green and sustainable development. For example, in the case of Lund, students managed to convince the university management to divest from fossil fuels and invest in renewable energies instead. In the case of Mongolia, the students are likewise actively engaged in a series of initiatives, including a project that aims at transforming a former landfill. At the end of the dialogue, the students exchanged views on professional opportunities in the area of green and sustainable development. Both sides see growing job opportunities both in the public and private sectors. For example, in the case of Mongolia, more and more companies are hiring ‘ecology managers’ to green their production chains.
Blog by Angus Mackay - Manager of UNITAR's Climate Change Programme
19 September 2017, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia - There can be no question that Mongolia has international visibility and a reputation that far surpasses what might be expected from a country with a population of little over 3 million and a per capita national income of 3,800 dollars. It is remarkable, that is, until you actually visit for the first time.
Mongolia is cold, it is vast in size and, not so long ago, inherited a Soviet industrial complex ill equipped for a more socially and environmentally conscious 21st century. With an economy that is largely based on the extractive industry it takes today about 17 kilos of natural resources to generate 1 dollar value in economic output. When compared to a global average closer to 2 kilos per dollar of economic output, this is incredibly wasteful.
Yet the people are pragmatic and action oriented, mixed in with just the right amount of (justifiable) national pride. And so there hasn’t had to be too much debate about whether or not reforms are necessary. From the purchase of government paperclips, to the design of public buildings, to the diversification of its industries, Mongolia is going green.
As part of a programme of support provided by the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), the UN and its partners has been working with the government to think through what this ‘greening’ could mean in practice, so as to transform the economy towards greater modernity, sustainability and fairness for all.
“He who wants to build high must dig deep” so the Mongolia proverb goes. Noone under-estimates the scale of the challenge and that it will require an unprecedented national effort. Everyone will have their part to play.
Very much with this sentiment in mind, the great and the good in higher education recently met at an event, co-hosted by the Ministries of Environment and Education and the PAGE partnership, under a suitably large and resplendent banner that read “Mongolian Universities for Sustainable Development”.
The hall was packed out right until the very end, when formal presentations gave way to active discussion on how to take action. Most significantly educators felt that all levels in the education system should teach the sustainability message, not just the higher levels. Green and pleasant campuses were seen as vital for the retention of knowledge and to promote behaviours conducive to learning. All agreed that national universities should work together on these issues through a national coordinating body that would facilitate creative ideas and the sharing of experience.
As part of PAGE, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is proud to have been present at this event and to be working with the government and leading universities in considering how Mongolia’s education sector should play its part by preparing coming generations for a greener and fairer future.
As an outsider one is struck both by the quality and maturity of the exchange; for here was a group of highly motivated, right thinking people who never for a moment question the idea that we all bear responsibility for our actions and that we are all fully accountable to future generations. No wonder Mongolia’s reputation precedes it. I’ll bet that by 2050 Mongolia will be one of the ‘go to’ places on the planet.
18 – 22 September 2017, Ulannbaatar, Mongolia - As the first country to join the PAGE partnership, Mongolia stands as a beacon for other nations wishing to pursue a green economic growth trajectory. Through the dedication of stakeholders across the economy, including government, private sector, academia and civil society, Mongolia has made significant progress in aligning national policies and targets with inclusive green economy principles, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
During the week of 18-22 September, the Government of Mongolia hosted a series of thematic events, meetings with national partners, and the PAGE Steering Committee Meeting – a biannual meeting of representatives from the PAGE Management Board and Funding Partners. The week highlighted the important role of a cross-sectoral approach towards green economy, and the significance of interministerial coordination towards a shared national green and sustainable development vision.
A delegation from Kyrgyz Republic, which joined PAGE in 2016, participated in several events throughout the week in order to learn from Mongolia’s experience in green economy policy reform. The delegation, led by Green Economy Advisor to the Minister of Economy, Kylych Djakypov, will incorporate best practices and lessons learned from the PAGE programme in Mongolia into their planning for a green economy in Kyrgyz Republic.
Mongolian News Agency Montsame captured key messages at a Press Conference held by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. Watch the video here. At the Press Conference, Deputy Ministry of Environment and Tourism Ts. Batbayar highlighted findings of a Policy Brief prepared by PAGE on “Turning Challenges into Opportunities."
The events received wide coverage in the Mongolian media. Please find a list of media coverage here.
Thematic events on key workstreams
On 18 September, the Ministry of Finance hosted a Technical Meeting on “Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP): Actions and Future Plans," co-hosted by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and PAGE. The technical meeting presented the ongoing work on SPP, including a proposed legal amendment, an Action Plan on SPP, and SPP tools, including standards, eco-labelling, life cycle analysis, among others.
Ms. T. Bulgan, Director General of Green Development Policy and Planning, Ministry of Environment and Tourism provides welcome remarks at the Technical Meeting on Sustainable Public Procurement
On 19 September, the National Development Agency hosted a “Stakeholders Roundtable on Harnessing Trade Opportunities in Transition to a Green Economy in Mongolia”, co-hosted by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and PAGE. The Roundtable presented ongoing work in trade, including on identification of trade opportunities, agricultural development, export competitiveness, green production and green supply chains.
Deputy Ministry of Environment and Tourism Ts. Batbayar gives opening remarks
Following the Roundtable on trade, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports hosted a partnership event “Mongolian Universities for Sustainable Development”. The event identified key actions to scale-up initiatives to strengthen the contribution of higher education to sustainable development. 130 policy makers, public officials, administrators, managers and lecturers of national universities, as well as students and student organizations participated in the event.
Learning from National Partners
In addition to these thematic events, the week also included a series of meetings with national partners Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Construction and Urban Development, the Economic Policy Competitiveness and Research Center, and a private bank, Golomt Bank, active in the Mongolian Bankers Association. Minister of Environment and Tourism D. Oyunkhorol affirmed her support for the green economy pathway in Mongolia, and noted that the PAGE partnership has been an important driver of inclusive and low-resource growth. Deputy Ministry of Finance Kh. Bulgantuya highlighted PAGE’s role in supporting interministerial coordination and evidence-based policy assessment.
D. Oyunkhorol, Minister of Environment and Tourism hosts representatives from the PAGE Steering Committee and the delegation from Kyrgyz Republic
Deputy Ministry of Finance Kh. Bulgantuya discusses PAGE support on workstreams in sustainable public procurement and macroeconomic modelling
Mr. Batjargal, Director General, Ministry of Construction and Urban Development and private sector representatives discuss energy efficient and green building in Mongolia
PAGE Steering Committee Meeting
The Steering Committee Meeting was held over two afternoons on the 20-21 of September. The first session, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, focused on Mongolia’s achievements thus far under PAGE. The second session, held at the UN offices in Ulaanbaatar, focused on planning for the PAGE programme in the coming year across the 13 PAGE partner countries and globally, and on refining PAGE operations and model for supporting a global transition to green economy.
UN Resident Coordinator Beate Trankmann provides opening remarks at the PAGE Steering Committee Meeting, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
What next?
Throughout the week, Government and PAGE partners advanced planning for the sustainability of these initiatives and workstreams past the PAGE programme. Government ownership, collaboration with partners, and institutionalization of knowledge will ensure that Mongolia’s journey to green economy continues to advance. Mongolia remains a model for PAGE partner countries, as well as across the globe, for its impressive leadership towards a green and inclusive future.