The Mongolian government has approved a resolution to ban the burning of low-grade coal in Ulaanbaatar city 15 May 2019. All citizens and organisations will be forbidden to burn low-grade coal in Ulaanbaatar with the exception of the thermal stations operating in the Bayanzurkh, Chingeltei, Sukhbaatar, Bayangol, Khan-Uul and Songinokhairkhan districts of the capital

Furthermore, the Cabinet has tasked the ministers of finance, environment and energy as well as the mayor of Ulaanbaatar to examine demand and the supply of enriched alternative fuels.

Air pollution in Ulaanbaatar is expected to be reduced by 50 percent after the banning low-grade coal burning.

The main challenge is offering an a cheap alternative to the many thousand people living in the capital’s ger-districts, who can at present only afford low-grade coal to heat their homes. In a country where the winter temperature can fall below -40 deg C, having a reliable source of warmth is a matter of life or death.