AGP Executive Report

Mongolia’s climate law: Mongolia has adopted a climate change law, setting out the country’s first comprehensive legal framework for tackling warming and building resilience. UNESCO earth protection: Mongolia opened its first national geopark, “Khanbogd–Shar Tsav,” in Umnugobi, aiming to safeguard geological and paleontological heritage while boosting sustainable tourism and local jobs. Sustainable finance push: The ADB and Golomt Bank signed a $64 million deal to expand sustainable lending for MSMEs, including women-owned businesses, with support for energy efficiency, eco-tourism, and waste management. Desertification focus: Mongolia is intensifying efforts to combat desertification and land degradation, tackling one of the biggest threats to livelihoods and ecosystems. Wildlife monitoring: Motion-sensor cameras are being installed in snow leopard habitats to improve monitoring and protect the species. Nature tourism reality check: New reporting highlights how much tourism revenue actually reaches rural communities in Mongolia, pointing to leakage beyond local economies. Regional conservation spotlight: UNESCO added new biosphere reserves worldwide, including Mongolia’s South Gobi site, underscoring biodiversity and people–nature coexistence. Mongolia in the news beyond conservation: A Mongolian dinosaur tracksite study reveals 120-million-year-old footprints, adding to the country’s deep natural history.

Mongolia’s Climate Law: Mongolia has adopted a climate change law, setting up the country’s first comprehensive legal framework for tackling warming and resilience. Sustainable Finance Push: The ADB and Golomt Bank signed a $64 million deal to expand sustainable lending for MSMEs, including women-owned businesses, with support for energy efficiency, eco-tourism, and waste management. UNESCO Earth Heritage: Mongolia opened its first national geopark, “Khanbogd–Shar Tsav,” aiming to protect geological and paleontological heritage and boost sustainable tourism through UNESCO-linked cooperation. Biodiversity Spotlight: UNESCO added 14 new biosphere reserves for 2026, including Mongolia’s Tost Toson Bumbiin Nuruu in the South Gobi—key habitat for snow leopards, ibex, and gazelles. Desertification Fight: Mongolia intensifies efforts to combat desertification and land degradation, pairing environmental action with broader development goals. Wildlife Monitoring: Motion-sensor cameras are being installed in snow leopard habitats to improve tracking and protection. Regional Cooperation: Mongolia, Russia, and China held a trilateral consultative meeting focused on transport, logistics, energy projects, and the Mongolia–Russia–China economic corridor.

UNESCO & Nature Protection: Mongolia opened its first national geopark, “Khanbogd–Shar Tsav,” in Umnugobi, with local governors signing an MoU for joint protection and management—aimed at safeguarding geological and paleontological heritage while boosting sustainable tourism. Climate Law: Mongolia’s parliament approved the country’s first stand-alone Climate Change Law, setting a framework for cutting greenhouse gases, building resilience, and creating rules for climate finance, carbon markets, and emissions reporting. Sustainable Finance: The ADB and Golomt Bank signed a $64 million agreement to expand sustainable lending to MSMEs, including women-owned businesses, with support for energy efficiency, eco-tourism, and waste management. Desertification & Land Restoration: Mongolia intensifies efforts to combat desertification and land degradation, including large-scale tree planting and protective forest belt expansion. Wildlife Monitoring: Motion-sensor cameras are being installed in snow leopard habitats to strengthen monitoring and conservation. Regional Cooperation: Mongolia, Russia, and China held a trilateral consultative meeting in Ulaanbaatar, discussing progress on transport and energy corridor projects, including a natural gas pipeline route through Mongolia.

Climate Policy Breakthrough: Mongolia’s State Great Khural approved the country’s first stand-alone Law on Climate Change, setting a framework for cutting greenhouse gases, boosting resilience, and building climate finance, carbon markets, and reporting ahead of COP17. Sustainable Finance Push: The Asian Development Bank and Golomt Bank signed a $64 million loan to expand sustainable lending to micro, small and medium enterprises, including women-owned businesses, with support for energy efficiency, eco-tourism, and waste management. Desertification & Land Degradation Focus: Mongolia intensifies efforts to combat desertification and land degradation, aligning environmental restoration with broader development needs. Regional Cooperation: Mongolia, Russia and China held a 7th trilateral consultative meeting in Ulaanbaatar, discussing progress on transport and energy corridor projects, including a Russia-to-China natural gas pipeline crossing Mongolia. Biodiversity on the Ground: Motion-sensor cameras are being installed in snow leopard habitats, while Mongolia’s 120-million-year-old giant footprints continue to draw attention to the country’s deep natural history. Wildlife & Habitat Monitoring: Mazaalai habitat monitoring is underway with 210 automated cameras, supporting ongoing conservation work for rare species.

Mongolia Climate Law: Mongolia’s State Great Khural approved the country’s first stand-alone Climate Change Law, setting a framework for cutting greenhouse gases, boosting resilience, and building climate finance and carbon-market rules ahead of COP17. Sustainable Finance Push: The ADB and Golomt Bank signed a $64 million loan to expand sustainable lending to micro, small and medium businesses, including women-owned firms, with support for energy efficiency, eco-tourism, and waste management. Desertification & Land Restoration: Mongolia intensifies efforts to combat desertification and land degradation, while separate reporting highlights large-scale tree planting and protective forest belts in Mongolia’s region. Water Stress Lens: A new global map shows how water stress is soaring in many countries, underscoring the pressure Mongolia faces as climate patterns shift and demand rises. Regional Cooperation: Mongolia, Russia and China held a trilateral consultative meeting in Ulaanbaatar, discussing transport, logistics, energy infrastructure, and progress on a Russia-to-China gas pipeline across Mongolia. Biodiversity & Nature Science: Mongolia’s 120-million-year-old giant footprints reveal a busy dinosaur world, adding to the country’s growing record of deep-time ecosystems.

Climate Law: Mongolia’s parliament has approved the country’s first stand-alone framework Law on Climate Change, setting rules for cutting greenhouse gases, boosting resilience, and creating systems for climate finance, carbon markets, and emissions reporting ahead of COP17. Sustainable Finance: The ADB and Golomt Bank signed a $64 million loan to expand sustainable lending to micro, small and medium enterprises, including women-owned businesses, with support for energy efficiency, eco-tourism, and waste management. Desertification & Land Restoration: Mongolia is intensifying efforts to combat desertification and land degradation, while related reports highlight large-scale tree planting and protective forest belt expansion as practical steps to restore degraded land. Water Stress Data: A new global map shows how water withdrawals are outpacing nature in many countries, with implications for climate-linked drought risk and planning. Biodiversity on the Move: Mongolia’s wildlife conservation gets a boost with reports of motion-sensor cameras installed in snow leopard habitats to improve monitoring. Regional Cooperation: Mongolia, Russia, and China held a trilateral consultative meeting in Ulaanbaatar, discussing transport, energy infrastructure, and progress on corridor plans.

Climate Law: Mongolia’s State Great Khural approved the country’s first stand-alone Climate Change Law, setting a legal framework for cutting greenhouse gases, boosting climate resilience, and creating rules for climate finance, carbon markets, emissions reporting, and transparency—an important step ahead of UNCCD COP17. Sustainable Finance: The ADB and Golomt Bank signed a $64 million loan to expand sustainable lending to micro, small and medium enterprises, including women-owned businesses, with support for energy efficiency, eco-tourism, and waste management. Wildlife Monitoring: Zavkhan aimag deployed 100 automated motion-sensor cameras across snow leopard habitat to estimate population size, density, and migration routes, with WWF Mongolia backing the science-based monitoring effort. Regional Cooperation: Mongolia, Russia and China held a trilateral consultative meeting in Ulaanbaatar on transport, logistics, energy infrastructure, and progress on the Mongolia-crossing natural gas pipeline. Tourism Revenue Gap: A new look at tourism in Mongolia highlights how only a small share of visitor spending may reach rural communities, with much absorbed by transport and service fees.

Climate Policy Breakthrough: Mongolia’s State Great Khural approved the country’s first stand-alone Climate Change Law, setting a framework for cutting greenhouse gases, boosting resilience, and creating rules for climate finance, carbon markets, emissions reporting, and transparency. Sustainable Finance Push: The ADB and Golomt Bank signed a $64 million loan to expand sustainable lending to micro, small and medium enterprises, including women-owned businesses, with support for energy efficiency, eco-tourism, and waste management. Wildlife Monitoring Upgrade: Zavkhan aimag deployed 100 automated motion-sensor cameras across snow leopard habitat to estimate population size, density, and migration patterns, with WWF Mongolia backing the work. Desertification Fight: Mongolia is stepping up efforts to combat desertification and land degradation, while reforestation projects reported large-scale tree planting and waste collection under national initiatives. Regional Cooperation: Mongolia, Russia, and China held a trilateral consultative meeting in Ulaanbaatar focused on the economic corridor program and progress on transport, logistics, energy infrastructure, and a Russia-to-China natural gas pipeline crossing Mongolia. Tourism Revenue Gap: New research highlights how only a portion of tourism money may reach rural communities, with spending patterns varying by soum and remoteness.

Climate Law: Mongolia’s State Great Khural approved the country’s first stand-alone Climate Change Law, setting a legal framework for cutting greenhouse gases, boosting resilience, and guiding climate finance, carbon markets, inventories, and reporting. Sustainable Finance: The ADB and Golomt Bank signed a $64 million deal to expand sustainable lending for MSMEs, including women-owned businesses, with support for energy efficiency, eco-tourism, and waste management. Desertification & Land Restoration: Mongolia is stepping up efforts to combat desertification and land degradation, including large-scale tree planting and waste collection under major reforestation and environmental programs. Wildlife Monitoring: Zavkhan aimag deployed 100 automated motion-sensor cameras across snow leopard habitats to track population size, density, and migration patterns, with WWF Mongolia supporting the work. Water & Pollution Control: Ulaanbaatar’s new central wastewater treatment plant began operations in mid-June, boosting daily treatment capacity and helping protect the city’s ecological balance. Regional Cooperation: Mongolia, Russia, and China held a trilateral consultative meeting in Ulaanbaatar, discussing progress on transport, logistics, energy infrastructure, and a Russia-to-China natural gas pipeline across Mongolia. UN Peacekeeping: Mongolian Blue Helmets received UN medals for evacuating civilians and providing emergency assistance during conflict in South Sudan’s Bentiu. Air Quality Health Link: Mongolia is among countries joining WHO-led regional work on air pollution and climate-driven heat risks, aiming to strengthen health impact planning.

Snow Leopard Monitoring: Zavkhan aimag has deployed 100 automated motion-sensor cameras across snow leopard ranges, with WWF Mongolia support, to track population size, density, reproduction and migration. Gobi Bear Protection: Since 2022, 210 automated cameras have been installed at Mazaalai (Gobi bear) water sources and core habitat, helping record 13 cubs so far and guiding science-based conservation. Heat Risk Alert: Mongolia’s weather service warns of extreme heat—over +35°C in western and Gobi aimags and above +40°C in parts of Gobi-Altai and Bayankhongor—urging sunstroke precautions. Water & Pollution Control: Ulaanbaatar’s new central wastewater treatment plant (250,000 m³/day) has started operations, designed to cut pollution and support city expansion for decades. Desertification & WASH: UNICEF says 77% of Mongolia’s territory is land-degraded, driving water scarcity and sanitation gaps; it’s backing WASH systems and linking work to COP17’s Water Day focus on Aug 25. Biodiversity & Climate Health: Cambodia joined a WHO-led push with Mongolia and others to tackle air pollution and climate-driven heat risks, including health impact assessment work.

Wildlife Monitoring: Zavkhan aimag has deployed 210 automated motion-sensor cameras across snow leopard habitat, using individual spot patterns to track population size, density, and migration—supported by WWF Mongolia and local protected-area partners. Heat & Water Security: Mongolia is bracing for extreme heat—over +35°C in western and Gobi aimags and above +40°C in parts of Gobi-Altai and Bayankhongor—while UNICEF warns land degradation affects 77% of the country, worsening water scarcity and sanitation access for children. Urban Pollution Control: Ulaanbaatar’s new central wastewater treatment plant (250,000 m³/day) has begun operations, aiming to cut pollution and protect ecological balance as the city expands. Conservation Tech for Gobi Bear: Since 2022, 24-hour camera surveillance at Mazaalai (Gobi bear) water sources has recorded 13 cubs, helping guide science-based habitat management. Diplomacy & Environment: Mongolia and the EU met in Brussels to push cooperation on renewable energy, infrastructure, agriculture, and climate action ahead of COP17/UNCCD in Ulaanbaatar. Regional Cooperation: A USFK commander visited Mongolia’s Khaan Quest 2026, stressing multinational interoperability and leaving training sites “better than found.”

Water & Pollution Control: Mongolia’s new Ulaanbaatar Central Wastewater Treatment Plant (250,000 m³/day) has started operations, with President Khurelsukh calling it a key step to cut pollution and support city growth. Desertification & Water Security: UNICEF says 77% of Mongolia’s territory is land-degraded, worsening water scarcity and sanitation access; UNICEF is backing WASH systems ahead of COP17’s Water Day (Aug 25). Biodiversity Monitoring: Conservation work for the Gobi bear (mazaalai) is scaling up with 210 solar-powered automated cameras at water sources since 2022, already recording 13 cubs. Urban Greening: Mongolia launched the Green and Inclusive Cities project in Ulaanbaatar, Darkhan and Erdenet, aiming to cut emissions, restore degraded land, and expand green benefits through 2030. Heat Risk: Meteorologists warn temperatures will top +35°C across western and Gobi aimags, with +40°C in parts of Gobi-Altai and Bayankhongor—urging sunstroke precautions. International Cooperation: Mongolia and the EU met in Brussels, reaffirming climate and forest cooperation and discussing COP17/UNCCD preparations.

Wildlife Monitoring: Mongolia’s Great Gobi Protected Area has expanded Mazaalai (Gobi bear) protection with 210 solar-powered automated cameras at core water sources since 2022, already recording 13 cubs. Heat Alert: Forecasts warn of extreme summer temperatures, with +35°C across western and Gobi aimags and over +40°C in parts of Gobi-Altai and Bayankhongor—urging heatstroke precautions. Water & Land Degradation: UNICEF says 77% of Mongolia’s territory is affected by land degradation, worsening water scarcity and sanitation access, and it’s backing sustainable water management ahead of COP17’s Water Day on Aug 25. Urban Pollution Control: President Khurelsukh highlights a new Central Wastewater Treatment Plant for Ulaanbaatar—55 facilities, double the current capacity, and sludge-to-power to cut pollution for decades. Green Cities Project: A GEF-backed “Green and Inclusive Cities” push starts in Ulaanbaatar, Darkhan, and Erdenet, targeting major emissions cuts and land restoration through 2030. Mining Enforcement: Mongolia launches a nationwide mining inspection drive, finding hundreds of violations and fining companies over missing environmental documentation and other breaches. Mongolia–EU Cooperation: The 24th Mongolia–EU Joint Committee meeting in Brussels reaffirmed climate and forest partnership work and discussed COP17/UNCCD preparations. Investment Push: Mongolia’s “Unlock Mongolian Economy” meeting secured USD 545 million in investment agreements and MoUs, while OTP Bank signals interest in opening a Mongolia branch.

Urban Climate Action: Mongolia kicked off the “Green and Inclusive Cities in Mongolia” project in Ulaanbaatar, Darkhan and Erdenet, backed by a USD 7.26m GEF grant, aiming to cut CO2 by 11.8m tonnes, restore 39,000+ hectares of degraded land, and support 75,000+ residents through 2026–2030. Land & Desertification: Gobi Regional Consultative Meetings wrapped up ahead of COP17, highlighting that 77% of Mongolia’s territory is affected by desertification and land degradation, with urgent focus on water scarcity, water pollution and sustainable rangeland management. Mining Oversight: Mongolia launched a nationwide joint state inspection of the mining sector, finding hundreds of violations and issuing fines, with inspectors targeting environmental documentation and licensed extraction compliance. Biosphere Protection: UNESCO designated 14 new biosphere reserves on World Environment Day, including Mongolia, expanding protection for biodiversity and ecosystems. EU Cooperation: The Mongolia–EU Joint Committee met in Brussels, reviewing cooperation on infrastructure, renewable energy, trade, education and agriculture, and reaffirming work under the Forest Partnership to tackle climate change.

Green Cities for Mongolia: Mongolia launched the Green and Inclusive Cities in Mongolia project in Ulaanbaatar, Darkhan, and Erdenet, backed by a USD 7.26m GEF grant plus co-financing, aiming to cut 11.8m tonnes of CO2, restore 39,000+ hectares of degraded land, and support 75,000+ residents through 2026–2030. Desertification Focus in the Gobi: The Gobi Regional Consultative Meetings wrapped up ahead of COP17, highlighting that 77% of Mongolia’s territory is affected by desertification and land degradation, with urgent attention on water access, water pollution, and rangeland management. Mining Enforcement, Environment First: Mongolia began a nationwide joint state inspection of the mining sector, finding 281 violations and issuing orders and fines totaling MNT 44.5 million, with inspectors checking environmental documentation and licensed extraction across multiple aimags. Regional Land Restoration Cooperation: Mongolia joined the DLDD-NEAN expert forum in Moscow, a Northeast Asia network aimed at monitoring and managing land degradation, desertification, and drought, including cooperation on restoration and biodiversity.

Mining Enforcement: Mongolia launched a nationwide joint state inspection of the mining sector to tighten environmental protection and cut risks, with inspectors visiting aimags and Ulaanbaatar, finding 281 violations and issuing fines totaling MNT 44.5 million. Desertification Cooperation: Korea Forest Service hosted the DLDD-NEAN expert forum and steering committee with Mongolia, China and Russia, focusing on monitoring and managing land degradation and yellow dust under UNCCD-linked cooperation. Biodiversity & Climate Risk: A UN FAO official warned that El Niño could intensify pressure on fragile food systems, with impacts expected later this year and into early 2027. Regional Land Restoration: Northeast Asia countries are also pushing land restoration and rangeland protection efforts to combat desertification, including shared policy and research exchanges. Energy Transition Push: CATL met Mongolia’s PM during “Summer Davos” and discussed a planned 100–400 MWh battery energy storage project in Sergelen soum, Tuv, tied to grid stability and battery recycling and manufacturing.