Opportunities from taking integrated actions on air pollution and climate change in Mongolia

The sustainable development of Mongolia faces numerous challenges and risks associated with the adverse impacts of climate change on natural ecosystems and socio-economic sectors. Mongolia also faces short-term economic, health and environmental impacts from air pollution which reaches dangerous levels in cities in winter due to rapid urbanization and a significant increase coal combustion in the energy sector. 

The two issues of climate change and air pollution are closely linked because i) in many cases greenhouse gases and air pollutants are emitted from the same sources, and ii) some of the same substances contribute to climate change, and to air pollution impacts, for example short-lived cliamte pollutants (SLCPs) like methane, black carbon and tropospheric ozone. These two linkages provides substantial opportunity to design strategies and identify mitigation measures that can simultaneously air pollution and mitigate climate change.

To address these emerging problems caused by climate change and air pollution, an integrated assessment of emissions of air pollutants, SLCPs, and greenhouse gases, and their impacts on environment, human health and economic sectors of Mongolia was undertaken through the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC). The aim of this assessment was to evaluate the potential of different mitigation options to simultaneously improve air quality and mitigate climate change, including those included in Mongolia’s revised NDC.