Ulaanbaatar is the capital and political, business and cultural center of Mongolia. The city has rapidly grown in size over the last decades as a result of rural to urban migration, attracting people seeking education, employment, services and business opportunities. Currently, the city is home to 1.3 million people, almost half of the nation’s population of 3 million. However, the rapid rate of urbanisation also presents various challenges which negatively impact the environment and the livability of the city.
The Municipality is committed to address these challenges and develop Ulaanbaatar into a green city, characterised by environmentally sustainable and inclusive economic growth and a safe and healthy living environment for its citizens. Ulaanbaatar’s vision is to become a green city supports the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 “to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”, Goal 13 “to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts” and many of the other goals.
The Capital City Governor and Mayor of Ulaanbaatar in June 2015 initiated the preparation of a green development strategic action plan, which links planned and ongoing projects and planning decisions to existing policy documents, to ensure that they collectively contribute to the overarching vision of Ulaanbaatar becoming a greener city.