Ulaanbaatar, June 6, 2025 /MONTSAME/. Under the auspices of President of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, the “Sustainability Dialogue 2025 - Climate Action: Billions of Trees” International Forum is taking place at the State Palace of Mongolia.

The Forum serves as a platform to align Mongolia’s climate-related policies and measures, attract investment, strengthen cooperation among stakeholders, and support innovative initiatives.

It also aims at intensifying cooperation toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13 by addressing shared challenges and pressing issues of environmental and climate change. In connection with the “Billions of Trees” National Movement initiated by the President of Mongolia, participants of the Forum will discuss urgent environmental challenges, including land degradation, desertification, forest loss, and the decline of biological diversity.

President of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa delivered opening remarks at the Forum, emphasizing that addressing environmental issues such as climate change, desertification, land degradation, and pollution requires cooperation between countries, regional collaboration, mutual understanding, a united stance, and a unified voice.

President Khurelsukh expressed Mongolia’s readiness to collaborate with countries around the world, international organizations, donors, and development partners openly and effectively in a mutually beneficial way. The Head of State of Mongolia called on people to work together with a common purpose and a united aspiration to cherish and protect Mother Earth and leave a green future for the coming generations.

Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Laureate of the State Supreme Decoration of Mongolia, Order of Chinggis Khaan, eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Founder of the Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future, expressed gratitude that Mongolia is organizing the “Sustainability Dialogue 2025 - Climate Action: Billions of Trees” International Forum.

Mr. Ban Ki-moon underlined that the “Billions of Trees” National Movement constitutes Mongolia’s tangible contribution to achieving the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius. The eighth Secretary General of the United Nations noted that implementation of climate-change measures and the Sustainable Development Goals has reached a new level over the past ten years and urged everyone to continue working hand-in-hand as brothers and sisters, fostering new research, innovation, and policy partnerships, engaging all parties, and demonstrating steadfast commitment.

Over 600 participants from 11 countries and over 40 distinguished speakers from the climate, finance, and technology sectors are attending the Forum.

The Forum is co-organized by the Office of the President of Mongolia, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Mongolia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, the Ban Ki-moon Foundation For a Better Future, the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center at Stanford University, and the Mongolian Sustainable Finance Association, with support from the United Nations, the Asian Development Bank, Oyu Tolgoi LLC, and other organizations from the private sector and civil society.

Mongolia aims at pursuing climate change resilient development policies to close the gap between greenhouse-gas absorption and emissions to net zero by 2050, and adopting advanced technologies in the energy, transport, agriculture, mining, and urban development sectors.

Over the past three years, Mongolia has stockpiled 86 million saplings, planted and nurtured 84 million trees, and protected 1.9 billion trees from destructive pests under the “Billions of Trees” National Movement.

Mongolia initiated the UN General Assembly draft Resolutions “Proclaiming 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives” and “Proclaiming 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists,” which were discussed and adopted.

Moreover, Mongolia proposed the umbrella initiative “Global Alliance on Sustainable Rangelands and Land for the Future” as part of the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification to be held in Ulaanbaatar in 2026.

This initiative aims at channeling investment and financing toward more than 100 countries practicing traditional pastoralism, thereby helping safeguard and improve the health and livelihoods of approximately 500 million people.