Karin Hulshof: Need to stop burning coal indoors is URGENT www.zgm.mn

A Science and policy dialogue on combat-ing urban air pollution impacts on maternal and child health in Asia took place in Ulaanbaatar at the start of the so called “smoke season”. This is when the amount of pollutants in Ulaanbaatar’s air reaches it annual peak. ZGM Daily had the chance to sit down with Ms.Karin Hulshof, UNICEF Rуgional Director for East Asia and the Pacific to discuss out-comes of the dialogue and ways Mongolia can utilise to better its air quality.

-Моngolia has made some pro-gress in reducing air pollution, fol-lowing the government’s decision to ban raw coal this year. What’s your verdict on the government’s policies on air pollution reduction?

-In terms of reducing PM2.5 levels, I think we need a few more months data. So far the winter has been mild. We should also keep in mind that even if it would result in a 50% improvement, it would still leave us with very toxic levels of pollution affecting our health. To provide clean air to its citizens, the government has to rapidly and com­pletely phase out the burning of any type of coal and other solid fuels in residential areas. I like to quote the UN Secretary General Antonio Gu-terres who said that Asia’s “coal addiction” should end. This will require expanding district heating and strengthening the electric grid, much better insulation, and proper pricing of energy. Especially insu­lation of people’s homes has been neglected far too long. I really hope the government will come up with a very ambitious plan and deliver the result within the next 5 years.

-Although we have witnessed reduction in presence of partic-ulate matters in the air, the fact that the amount of NO2, SO2 and CO is increasing is not receiving the attention it deserves. A 2005 study conducted in India, New Delhi had proven that NO2, among the other six types of air pollut-ants identified by the WHO is the most harmful to human health. Yet, the amount of this pollutant in Ulaanbaatar has been kept at 2-3 times higher levels than previous years. You have served as UNICEF representative in India. What can Mongolia learn from the policies India implemented in terms of re-ducing NO2, SO2 and CO?

-The main sources of air pollution in India are different from Mongolia. In India, it is a combination of indus­try, traffic, burning of urban and ag­ricultural waste, and the use of solid fuels for cooking. In Mongolia, the air pollution is by far dominated by the burning of coal for heating. As a re­sult, PM2.5 is clearly the most harm­ful pollutant in the context of Mon­golia. I am however very concerned about the high number of carbon monoxide poisoning associated with the use of the refined coal (enhanced coal briquettes). This is particularly dangerous to pregnant women because it can deplete the fetus from oxygen which can affect the development of the fetus in many ways and can increase the risk of a miscarriage. It again highlights the urgency to stop burning coal indoors. We have to imagine the im­pact of air pollutions on every child.

-A Science and policy dialogue on combating urban air pollution impacts on maternal and child health in Asia recently conclud-ed successfully in Ulaanbaatar. What’s your take on the results of the forum?

-This dialogue brought together some of the world’s top scientists and policy makers from Mongolia and from across the region and the world. We learned that there is in-creasing evidence that air pollution affects fertility. On the positive side, there is also evidence that air purifiers, when correctly used, can contribute to better birth outcomes. Policymakers brought solutions and knowledge from their countries and discussed potential collaborations at the regional level. It was clear that the health sector needs to get much stronger involved. Mongolia shared with other countries what the health sector can do in terms of awareness raising and strength­ening health services for vulnera­ble children. The Ministry of Health with the support from the Ministry of Finance is providing pneumonia vaccines to children which makes them less sensitive to air pollution. Also, UNICEF and the Ministry of Health are rolling out a training programme on air pollution and maternal and child health, to fur-ther educate health practitioners.

-Child health depends on adults. Could you give examples of good experience from the workshops or seminars for adults to help raise their children healthy?

-Indeed, parents play a critical role in a child’s health and devel­opment. Parents should play with their children, read books with them and make sure they get healthy di­ets and their vaccinations on time. Мany governments and companies have already started to adopt family-friendly policies and proce-dures including paid maternal and parental leave, paid sick-leave, breastfeeding breaks, quality childcare and child benefits. Now we need commitment to implemen­tation. Family­friendly policies are not just the right thing to do, but also the smart and equitable thing to do for the economy and the society.

-What other things have you achieved other than attending the forum during your visit in Mongolia? How many high-lev-el meetings have you attended? Can we expect positive outcomes regarding child labor, children’s and maternal health following your visit?

-In all my conversations I high­lighted that this year the world is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Mongolia has made very good progress. There are more children surviving than ever before, there are more children in school than ever before. There are also unfin­ished business and emerging is­sues to address. I visited Kinder­garten #63 in Bayanzurkh District where UNICEF installed mechanical ventilation and air purification and GIZ improved the insulation of the building, financially supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). This kindergarten is now more energy efficient and has cleaner air inside, protect­ing children from air pollution. The teachers, children and parents were very happy. This should become standard practice in all kindergar­tens and UNICEF will continue to advocate for this. I had the hon­or to meet the Minister of Health Mrs D.Sarangerel. I truly appreciate her leadership and commitment to advance the air pollution related agenda in her capacity of Member of the Parliament. I also had the opportunity to facilitate a produc­tive meeting between UNICEF and the Governments of Mongolia and China to explore possible South­South Cooperation. We discussed potential concrete opportunities to collaborate in the field of air pollu­tion and maternal and child health, such as knowledge exchange, joint research and technology exchange. I also had a very good meeting with the Minister of Education Mr. Yo Baatarbileg. We agreed on the need to invest more in improving the quality of learning, improving water, sanitation and hygiene in kindergar­tens and schools, and addressing climate change. With support from our partners such as ChildFund Korea and KOICA, UNICEF will provide technical assistance on those issues and I expect good results moving forward.

By: Aminaa

Five Mongolian Ambassadors: Parliament approves finally! www.news.mn

In 8 November, parliament approved the nominations for five Mongolian ambassadors including the representative to the United Nations. The appointment of the ambassadors to some countries has been postponed for over a year.

U.Khurelsukh: Bichigt-Khuut industrial park should be established based on Sukhbaatar aimag www.montsame.mn

Sukhbaatar /MONTSAME/. As a part of his working visit in the eastern region, Prime Minister of Mongolia U.Khurelsukh worked in Sukhbaatar aimag. During the meeting, he expressed that the railway industrial park en route Bichigt-Khuut that will pass through the eastern region of Mongolia should be established based on the aimag. With this, it is considered that infrastructure would not be as much of an issue. The PM is visiting the aimag in aims of becoming acquainted with some of the correlating issues.

Prime Minister visits oil field of "Petro China Daqing Tamsag" www.montsame.mn

Prime Minister of Mongolia U.Khurelsukh got acquainted with the operation of oil extraction of “Petro China Daqing Tamsag” company from fields 19 and 21.

Ukraine, Mongolia sign agreement to cancel visas www.unian.info

The governments of Ukraine and Mongolia have signed an agreement on the mutual cancellation of visas. Members of the two countries' governments on Friday, November 8, signed the document at the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Poland, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said on Facebook. Read also Zelensky asks Japan to introduce visa-free travel for Ukraine "We have signed an agreement allowing Ukrainian citizens to travel to Mongolia without visas. This means that Ukrainian citizens can stay in Mongolia without visas for 90 days within 180 days," Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Andriy Deshchytsia said. As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Japan's leadership to introduce visa-free travel for Ukrainians

Mongolia's Baasankhuu, Netherlands' Stegehuis win titles at 2019 Yunnan Granfondo cycling www.xinhuanet.com

KUNMING, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's Myagmarsuren Baasankhuu and the Netherlands' Annemiek Stegehuis won the titles out of men's and women's categories respectively at 2019 Colourful Yunnan International Granfondo in Lijiang, Yunnan province on Saturday.

Cost of Ivanhoe’s giant copper project in Congo hits $1.3 billion www.mining.com

Canada’s Ivanhoe Mines (TSX:IVN) said Friday that initial capital costs for its Kakula copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is now estimated at $1.3 billion, and 18% increase over planned costs.

Russia scraps plans to set climate-change goals for businesses www.mining.com

Russia has ditched plans to set greenhouse-gas emissions targets for companies as a sign of its commitment to fighting climate change, following lobbying from big businesses that risked fines if they didn’t comply.

The measure was part of a bill intended to accompany Russia’s ratification of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change in September. Instead, the world’s fourth-largest carbon polluter scrapped the proposal after the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) warned it would raise costs for companies and delay investment.

“After consultations with the government, it was decided to abandon the specific regulatory requirements,” the press department of the Economy Ministry, which is drafting the bill, said by email. “The government will have the right to decide after Jan. 1, 2024 what measures to introduce if Russia is forecast to miss its emissions targets.”

Economy Ministry
Rising global temperatures pose potentially devastating risks for Russia, where thawing of the vast permafrost area covering more than half the country threatens damage to buildings, energy pipelines and other infrastructure. With the Arctic warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, Russian government estimates put economic losses at $2.3 billion a year.

While President Vladimir Putin has questioned whether human activity is solely responsible for climate change, he finally agreed to ratify the Paris accord this year and declared that Russia must do whatever it can to mitigate the effects of global warming. It’s a particular challenge for Russia’s economy, which is heavily dependent on oil and gas production and mining. The permafrost zone contains 15% of Russia’s oil and 80% of its gas operations.

Fining companies
Companies would have been fined for exceeding their emissions targets under the abandoned legislation. The measure wasn’t a requirement of the Paris accord, since Russia has a low goal for greenhouse gas reductions. But advocates argued it would demonstrate the Kremlin’s commitment to confronting climate change, and also bring Russia into line with international practice as part of efforts to shift the economy away from carbon-heavy industries.

The RSPP attacked the draft proposals at a meeting in parliament in March, warning they would lead to increased energy prices and inflation that would “negatively affect the well-being of ordinary people” and force companies to abandon investment plans. An RSPP spokesman didn’t immediately respond to a request to comment.

Critics also argued the measure was unnecessary because Russia can increase its emissions over the next decade and still meet its self-imposed target under the Paris accord. That’s because it uses 1990 as the baseline reference year for reducing greenhouse gases, the year before the collapse of the Soviet Union triggered one of the most devastating economic contractions in modern history.

Russia is pledging to limit emissions to 70% to 75% of baseline levels by 2030. It has until the end of 2020 to present its new long-term strategy for reducing carbon emissions, according to Ruslan Edelgeriev, Putin’s senior adviser on climate change.

“Russia is choosing to delay the process of establishing a system for reducing carbon emissions,” said Georgy Safonov, head of the Center for Environmental and Natural Resource Economics at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics. “The 2030 goals have already been met, so there’s a feeling that we don’t need to do anything to cut emissions before then.”

Even so, Russia is rated among the countries whose efforts are “critically insufficient” to help meet the Paris accord’s overall goal of limiting worldwide warming to well below 2 degrees celsius above pre-industrial levels this century, according to the Climate Action Tracker research group. The London-based Carbon Tracker think tank calculates that the world’s major oil and gas companies need to cut combined production by 35% by 2040 to keep emissions within the Paris targets.

Unlike most developed countries, Russia has no state system for monitoring and regulating companies’ greenhouse gas emissions. Some publicly-listed companies in Russia collect data and set targets voluntarily, following pressure from international investors. In many countries, fines and taxes collected from carbon emitters are invested in renewable-energy projects.

Russia also needs to redirect money into the green economy if it wants to stay competitive abroad, according to Mikhail Yulkin, general director for the Center for Environmental Investments, a consultancy based in Arkhangelsk. In particular, a European Commission proposal for a carbon border tax could have a big impact on Russia’s economy, Yulkin said in comments first published in Kommersant newspaper.

“The model on which the Russian economy has survived for the past 20 years is dying,” Yulkin said. “We just need to find a convenient method of transferring funds to sectors that promote the development of low-carbon industries.”

(By Natasha Doff — with assistance from Anya Andrianova and Andrey Biryukov.)

Bold: 30 percent of net profit will be distributed to shareholders as dividends www.zgm.mn

Tumen Shuvuut JSC, listen on the Mongolian Stock Exchange (MSE), has recently presented its quarterly financial performance. Since its establishment in 2004, Tumen Shuvuut has been con-stantly expanding its operations in egg production and poultry farm-ing. The company launched its IPO on January 16. The Official Gazette sat down with Bold.J, Executive Director of Tumen Shuvuut JSC, to discuss about the IPO and the company’s financial performance.

Great Expectations: Ovoot mine project EBITDA forecasts www.news.mn

ASX-listed and Mongolia-focussed metallurgical coal developer, Aspire Mining, says its Ovoot Early Development Project, will pump out a stunning annual EBITDA of AUD$279 million from the production of 4 million tonnes a year of sought-after “fat” coking coal for delivery into China.