Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ On August 13, 2020 the Mongolian Ministry of Construction and Urban Development amended its Construction Codes and Standards on Building Envelope Thermal Insulation.  The new regulation, number 25-01-20, will come into force on January 1, 2021. Technical procedures including Technical Assessment and Quality monitoring implementation form developed by Switch Off Air Pollution, an European Union’s Switch Asia project led by French NGO Geres, are now included in the Construction Codes and Standards on Building Envelope Thermal Insulation of Mongolia.

The new government standards were developed by the Mongolian Association of Civil Engineers under the chairmanship of Munkhbayar B., Director of the Building Energy Efficiency Center at the Mongolian University of Science and Technology.  Mr. Munkhbayar, Switch Off Air Pollution’s principal technical advisor, and his team’s work brings Mongolian energy efficiency assessment methodology and construction energy certification standards in line with those used in the European Union.  

In developing the Technical Assessment form the Switch Off Air Pollution project applied experience gained performing energy assessment and certification in Ulaanbaatar’s ger areas since 2019.  Switch Off Air Pollution will continue to use the form as it works towards insulating and retrofitting 1,000 houses in the ger district in order to reduce air pollution.  The Project has published the form so that others may contribute to its goal of a 30% reduction in emissions from burning coal as a source of heat and a 30% minimum increase in the energy efficiency of ger district houses.  

To make the goal of energy efficiency and pollution reduction more accessible Switch Off Air Pollution has partnered with Xac Bank who will offer 30-month green loans at 8% interest to households who want to insulate their detached houses.  To find out more about the project visit Switch Off Air Pollution’s booth at the Barilga Exhibition at Misheel Expo August 21-23.

About Switch Off Air Pollution

Switch Off Air Pollution is principally financed by the European Union’s Switch Asia Program with additional support from the Abbe Pierre Foundation, the Czech and French Development Agencies.  From 2018 to 2021, the Project is led by Geres Mongolia INGO in collaboration with the Building Energy Efficiency Center at the Mongolian University of Science and Technology, the Mongolian National Construction Association, and People in Need INGO.

Geres is a French NGO with expertise in energy and development, with over 40 years of experience in Europe, Africa, and Asia improving living conditions for the most vulnerable and fighting the impacts of climate change.