Opening remarks by Ms. Nashida Sattar, DRR  - UNDP Mongolia,

Ulaanbaatar, 23 December 2019

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to be here today at the opening of this initiative which demonstrates that renewable energy can be efficiently used in the construction sector, enforcing energy efficient standards.

This initiative is supported through our project Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions in the Construction Sector, implemented with the Ministry of Construction and Urban Development. This is one of six demonstrations that is supported by the project.

About a month ago, Mongolia updated its ambitions to reduce its GHG emissions and decided to increase its promise from 14% to 22.7% by 2030. It is a huge commitment for a country that is almost fully reliant on coal as an energy source.

As the construction sector accounts for 65% of country’s total emissions, greening this sector is extremely important in achieving this, especially because of a rapid urbanization, escalating both demand on and consumption of energy. And unless we take preemptive steps the challenges around pollution, and sustainability will be aggravated.

The solar panels we helped install, with its emission reduction of 138ton/year, is going to be a very modest contribution to 35% GHG emission reduction target of the construction sector, but it will serve as an example for other buildings that are newly built or undergoing renovation and retrofitting.

It is not by chance that ERC building was chosen as a demo project, it is an entity that is in charge of enforcing the country’s poliy on energy efficiency and conservation. 

Investing in greener buildings in Mongolia, offers compelling multiple benefits for mitigating GHG emissions through energy efficiency and saving, as well as improving the air quality that urban Mongolia desperately needs.

I am pleased to note that the NAMA project responded well to country's need to generate ever more energy efficiency in the construction sector. Through the project we will demonstrate energy efficacy potential in the construction sector, which we trust would convince the sector and  policy makers to realize these potentials.  

I would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Ministry of Construction and Urban Development for its active engagement in the endorsement and implementation of the NAMA in the construction sector in Mongolia project

Thank you very much!