Geres successfully closes the Switch Off Air Pollution project in Ulaanbaatar and announces new activities
Since 2018, Geres has been running a project with its local partners and the municipality of Ulaanbaatar to provide communities and the private sector with the tools to reduce air pollution in Mongolia. On 14 April, a closing event took place in the Mongolian capital. It was an opportunity to thank the stakeholders and to announce new actions.
After four years of field work in Ulaanbaatar, it is time to acknowledge the work done and take stock. The first phase of the energy renovation project for fragile housing in Ulaanbaatar was successfully completed in April.
Building on Geres’ 20 years of experience in the cold climate of Central Asia, the project called “Switch Off Air Pollution” (2018-2022), supported by the European Union, aims to provide affordable building renovation solutions to households living on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia.
In particular, the project focused on home insulation and thermal comfort for families while reducing air pollution in Ulaanbaatar, the most polluted city in the world in winter.
An event to celebrate four years of service to the people
On 14 April, in the heart of the Mongolian capital, an event organised by Geres was held to celebrate the last four years of the project.
The European Union ambassador to Mongolia, a representative of the EU SWITCH programme (supporting the project), the French ambassador extraordinary to Mongolia, a representative of the Ministry of Construction and the Czech consul in Mongolia were present.
They all praised the successful implementation of the project and congratulated the partners involved. These were: the European Union, Switch Asia, Fondation Abbé Pierre, Czech Republic Development Cooperation and Agence Française de Développement for the financial support and People In Need, the Mongolian National Construction Association and the Centre for Energy Efficiency in Buildings of the Mongolian University of Science and Technology for the technical part.
Each partner organisation was keen to present the highlights of the activities and stakeholders shared their experiences of participating in the project
The objective here was therefore mainly to thank everyone and to congratulate the local teams for the actions accomplished.
Although the official results will be communicated later, it should be noted that in 2021, 275 households benefited from simple insulation solutions in their homes, around 200 energy assessments were carried out and more than 100 additional households received a roof insulation premium.
An event to announce new actions for a more sustainable building sector in other Mongolian cities
One page is turned, but another is starting. During the ceremony on 14 April, our Mongolian representative, Eliane Jarry, took the opportunity to announce a new project, still related to housing and energy efficiency.
From spring 2022, Geres and its partners will be promoting a just transition towards a low-carbon building and housing sector in several Mongolian cities.
In recent years, Mongolia has become highly urbanised at a very rapid pace, with gaps in awareness about energy production and consumption. Today, this results in high costs for the inhabitants, almost exclusive use of fossil fuels, low energy efficiency in housing, high air pollution and health problems in all urban areas.
The project led by Geres will have to work hand in hand with consumers, households, companies, financial organisations, technicians and the public sector, taking advantage of existing solutions and raising awareness among all audiences.
With two clear objectives:
- To contribute to the adoption of cleaner and more resource-efficient housing practices in Mongolia;
To improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Mongolia’s urban areas by increasing access to finance and energy efficiency solutions in the individual housing sector.
To find out more about the actions planned, read the article by our partner
To be continued!
The Switch Off Air Pollution project is led by Geres in Mongolia, in collaboration with the Building Energy Efficiency Center, the NGO Mongolian National Construction Association and the NGO People in Need.
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