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PAGE Receives 9 Additional Country Proposals for Green Recovery Support

November 24, 2020

Following the successful selection of five countries to receive targeted green recovery funds in November, PAGE has received additional applications from 9 partner countries. These additional program proposals have been submitted from Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Burkina Faso, Mauritius, Indonesia, Ghana, Barbados, the Kyrgyz Republic and Uruguay.

Themes within these proposals include policy assessments for fiscal support to green businesses; assessing and developing policy strategies to support sustainable consumption and production practices; green economy educational development and awareness-raising among youth; and technical support to create enabling environments for high potential SMEs in the sustainable agro-processing industry.

Funding support for green recovery through PAGE was first announced in June at the High Level Political Forum, as a further contribution from long-time PAGE partner, Germany, through the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

The process for developing these proposals has engaged across five UN agencies along with UN Resident Coordinators and government ministries. All proposals have been developed with country-specific needs at the forefront, targeting actions that will fuel green and inclusive recoveries from the impacts of COVID-19.

Country Spotlight: Mongolia

October 27, 2020

While Mongolia joined PAGE in 2013 and graduated in 2018, it remains a key member of the PAGE family, most recently committing to a green recovery with a proposal for support through PAGE's Green Recovery Funds.

Throughout the course of the partnership, there have been a number of achievements in Mongolia, including the integration of IGE goals and targets into national economic and development planning; sectoral and thematic reforms in green buildings and construction, green finance, waste management and sustainable procurement; and strengthened institutional capacity of government institutions, the media, universities, research institutes and businesses. Building on this foundation, the new proposal includes national targeting for growth in the eco-tourism sector, in order to serve livelihoods among those hardest hit by COVID-19 impacts, such as rural communities.

The development of this proposal engaged the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, PAGE Agencies and the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mongolia, Tapan Mishra. Continue reading for Mishra's perspective on the plans for green recovery in the country.

New Global Green Recovery Exchange: Platform for Redesign 2020

October 5, 2020

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, Burkin a 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.

Mongolia and Peru a step closer to reach inclusive green economies

April 2, 2019

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.

Find out more:

South-South Cooperation on Green Economy

September 14, 2018

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.

Mongolia News

August 24, 2018

Mongolia in the news

From an online course to the classroom: adapting the green fiscal reform concept to the Mongolian context

June 13, 2018

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.

Building the Future Leaders of Green and Inclusive Development in Mongolia

March 23, 2018

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.

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.

PAGE small grants programme fosters local green economy initiatives in Mongolian provinces

February 27, 2018

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.

Mongolian and Swedish Students Discuss an Inclusive Green Economy

December 22, 2017

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.