Ulaanbaatar, 15 May 2014. The 2014National Implementation Workshop to Advance a Green Economy and Green Development in Mongolia took place on 15 -16 May 2014 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. It brought together more than 100 participants from numerous ministries and government departments, UN agencies, universities, research centers, international organizations, as well as representatives from the private sector. The workshop was organized by the Government of Mongolia and the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), a joint initiative between UNEP, ILO,UNIDO, UNITAR, and UNDP. One of the main objectives of the workshop was to take stock of green development and PAGE implementation activities in Mongolia, seven months after the official launch of PAGE in November 2013, and to identify further PAGE actions for 2014 and beyond. The workshop was chaired by Mr. A. Enkhbat, Head of Division of Clean Technology and Science, Ministry of Environment and Green Development (MEGD), and national PAGE focal point in Mongolia.
In her opening remarks, Ms. S. Oyun, Minister of Environment and Green Development, highlighted the momentum in Mongolia to advance green development, referring in particular to the Green Development Strategy, which is expected to be adopted by Parliament in June 2014. “Green economy and green development are not only the priority for MEGD, but also becoming important for other ministries” Minister Oyun stated, citing the construction of green and energy efficient buildings as an example, where collaboration of Government, the private sector, and international partners such as PAGE is valuable to advance green development.
Mr. G. Batkhurel, Deputy Director of Development Policy, Strategic Planning and Regulation Department, Ministry of Economic Development (MED) referred to the new planning law under development, which will establish a comprehensive planning system at the national and local level to advance policy coherence, including for green development. The law has the potential to become one of the most significant pieces of domestic legislation since Mongolia’s transition in the early 1990s.
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