Ulaanbaatar
“Chimney-Free Zone” to Be Established in Ulaanbaatar
Politics
Ulaanbaatar, December 19, 2024 /MONTSAME/. During its regular session on December 18, 2024, the Cabinet of Mongolia tasked the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Health, Minister of Energy, and Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia with renewing and enforcing the “Air Quality. General Technical Requirements MNS4585:2016” standard, which aimed improving monitoring and evaluation of air quality in urban and rural areas as well as indoor air quality, in accordance with the World Health Organization's recommendations and the “General Technical Requirements for Refined Coal Briquette MNS5679:2022” standard within the relevant legal framework.
Also, the relevant officials were also instructed to develop and present to the Cabinet a regulation that determines the form and percentage of the fuel price subsidy for households using any type of gas heating in the air quality improvement zone as well as a draft resolution on prohibiting the use of all types of solid fuel in the "Chimney-Free Zone" in Ulaanbaatar and to provide interest subsidies for households planning to switch to gas heating in this zone, facilitating the acquisition of gas heating equipment through green loans.
A detailed household survey and zoning map will be created for areas designated as “Chimney-Free Zone.” Households within the zone will be provided with green loan products such as energy-efficient, low-heat-loss housing, complete insulation for traditional Mongol gers, gas and electric heaters, and double-chamber stoves that meet standard requirements.
The National Committee on the Reduction of Environmental Pollution of Mongolia Established
The National Committee on the Reduction of Environmental Pollution of Mongolia to coordinate the implementation of air pollution reduction policies and ensure the coherence of related activities was established, and its composition approved. The Committee will be chaired by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia and include the following members: relevant ministers, the Mayor of Ulaanbaatar, representatives from the National Emergency Management Agency of Mongolia, the National Police Agency of Mongolia, the Disaster Research Institute under the National Emergency Management Agency, the Deputy Governor of Ulaanbaatar City in charge of the Social Sector, Green Development, and Air and Environmental Pollution, and the Director of the Air Pollution Reduction Department of Ulaanbaatar City.
