Press Release

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South Korea and Mongolia to Pursue Cooperation in the Mitigation of GHG in Accordance with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement

▷ South Korea and Mongolia Signed an MOU on GHG Reduction in Environmental Field


Sejong, May 09 - The Ministry of Environment (ME, Minister Han Jeoung Ae) had a bilateral meeting with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (Minister Bat-Ulzii BAT-ERDENE) at the Intercontinental Seoul COEX on May 3. The two sides signed an “Implementing Arrangement for Cooperation on Paris Agreement Article 6 Cooperative Approach (Agreement for Global GHG Reduction)” and an “MOU on Environmental Cooperation.” The implementing arrangement for global GHG Reduction is the agreement in accordance with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The agreement with Mongolia is the second agreement, following that with Vietnam signed last December. It specifies how the two countries will cooperate in responding to climate change and work for sustainable development. Upon signing the agreement, the Ministries of both countries agreed to carry out the GHG reduction project and develop the measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) capabilities, strengthen cooperation in sharing policies for responding to climate change and organize a joint committee to monitor the implementing arrangement. In addition, the two Ministers signed the renewed MOU on Environmental Cooperation that expired in 2019. The MOU on Environmental Cooperation aims to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in environmental fields encompassing biodiversity, soil, and water management. Both countries agreed to discover various collaborative projects for the next five years and maintain active exchanges.


Based on the Implementing Arrangement for Cooperation, South Korea and Mongolia will execute the pilot project for reducing methane at Narangjin, a landfill located in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. This project is to collect and incinerate methane gas generated in the landfill, which is expected to reduce about 540,000 tons of methane for the project period of 10 years. The Ministry of Environment and the Korea Environment Corporation have plans to finish the working design of the GHG reduction pilot project in Mongolia by the end of this year and achieve GHG reduction by installing methane-reducing facilities in the Narangjin landfill by 2023. As the global society is having an active discussion on making efforts to reduce methane, such as joining the Global Methane Pledge1, the pilot project in the field of waste is expected to draw attention as one of the major means to reduce methane.


The Ministry of Environment will provide institutional and technical support for Mongolia to achieve carbon neutrality, such as building a GHG emission inventory, technical support, and reinforcing the MRV capability. It is anticipated that signing the Agreement for Global GHG Reduction will boost reduction projects in various environmental fields in Mongolia. Moreover, the Ministry of Environment will lead such cooperative projects a success and expand such collaboration with other countries.


Mongolia is one of the key partners with whom South Korea collaborates in environmental fields. The two countries are jointly pursuing a Green ODA project, such as Hygiene Improvement and Prevention of Desertification in the Ger Area of Ulaanbaatar2, and it is expected that South Korea and Mongolia will be in a closer relationship in environmental Cooperation. The project is expected to improve the hygienic environment of the local residents and prevent the pollution of underground water and the desertification in the Ger area of Ulaanbaatar by installing a lagoon-type toilet from which organic matter is generated then made into fertilizer and sprayed in the desert area. The Ministry of Environment has plans to expand the scale of Green ODA specialized in climate and environmental fields. It will strategically carry out global collaborative projects by developing and diversifying areas of cooperation considering the association with global reduction projects.


South Korean Minister of Environment Han Jeoung ae said, “By signing an implementing arrangement, we have laid a bilateral foundation for GHG reduction that the Paris Agreement can acknowledge. We will closely cooperate with Mongolia to draw beneficial results for both countries and spare no effort in supporting Mongolia to achieve carbon neutrality.”


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         


1 A global commitment to cut the global methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030, compared to that of 2020

2 Total project cost: KRW 7.26 billion (2022-2024), bilateral grants


Contact: KIM Do-hoon, Deputy Director

Climate Change International Cooperation Team / +82-(0)44-201-6606


Foreign Media Contact: CHUN Minjo

+82-(0)44-201-6055 / rachelmchun@korea.kr