Good morning! This Wednesday, Mongolia celebrates its most cherished traditional holiday, the Lunar New Year. As we welcome the Year of the Fire Horse, may the new year bring you happiness, health, and success. 🐎❤️‍🔥

What’s inside today’s edition…

• 🚀 Coal Exports Soar

• ⚖️ Ex-PM Fuels Borderland Debate

• 🌞 Mongolia’s Coal-to-Solar Transition

No Time to Waste. Let’s Get Started! 🦘

MARKET

MNG: Coal exports rose 86.4% year-on-year to 9.7 million tonnes in January.

GOV: The Government of Mongolia and Oyu Tolgoi LLC agreed to enhance Mongolia’s share of returns from the Oyu Tolgoi deposit.

MNG: Mongolia exported 85,400 tonnes of meat and meat products worth $343.9 million in 2025. 

 🥴 Ex-PM Sparks Borderland Controversy

Ouste former Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene, during his final days as head of the government, issued a highly controversial and illegal decree granting land to a private company near the border zone.

• 🚫 His decision was annulled by last Wednesday’s cabinet meeting. Meanwhile, the Minister of Justice and Home Affairs, who appeared to make a statement, also highlighted that coal thefts will be addressed in this spring’s parliamentary session, adding to the heated political atmosphere.

🤔 What happened?

The former Prime Minister approved the use of 34,227.8 hectares of land located 900 meters to 2.5 km from the national border, around 10 border checkpoints, during his last cabinet session, without any discussion. This decision was made 4 days before his resignation, on May 28.

• 😥 Under the pretext of “developing the border checkpoint,” the state-owned company “Border Revival Development Corporation” was granted the right to exploit minerals and occupy the land. In addition, 54 special permits for mineral resources were issued overlapping the border zone: 16 for exploration and 38 for extraction. Each of these permits is now being individually reviewed.

His decision directly violated the Law on Borders, which prohibits land ownership, use, or exploitation within 15 km of the border. Alarmingly, some of the granted land was located just 30 meters to 1.3 km from the national red line, meaning it directly entered the border protection zone.

🤷‍♂️ Who is involved?

The case also involves MP B.Tulga, former chair of the National Committee for Border Revival under the previous government. The timeline suggests, 

• 1️⃣ In January last year, he established the Border Revival Development Corporation.

• 2️⃣ A month later, he defined the land area.

• 3️⃣ On May 28, 4 days before L.Oyun-Erdene’s resignation, the land was granted to the company he had established.

Additionally, the cabinet announced the annulment of the 2022 decree related to “Smart Eco Trans” LLC, a company linked to former Speaker of Parliament D.Amarbayasgalan and the “Admineral” company, which was incorporated on the same day. In conclusion, Prime Minister G.Zandanshatar described the matter as a serious offense threatening national interests, security, and involving corruption and abuse of office.

The key question… Will those responsible be held accountable? 10 months ago, former President Kh.Battulga was involved in the Tugrug Lake deposit case, yet no real legal consequences followed. When will the cycle of naming names without real accountability finally end?

⭐ Selected for you

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

• CIS Group, a Leader in Remote Site Management, Has Announced New Strategic Contracts in Mongolia. (WebDisclosure) 

• TMK Energy Teams up with Mongolia’s Energy Ministry to Study Use of Natural Gas. (PetroleumAustralia)

• Mongolian Mining Clarifies Prime Minister Of Mongolia Signed MOU With Certain Private Entities. (MMC)

POLITICS

• USTDA Grant Signed to Support Technical Prep for Mongolia–US Direct Flights. (USEmbassy) 

• Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong Visits Mongolia to Chair the Strategic Dialogue between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of China and Mongolia. (FMPRC)

• TİKA-Backed Project Establishes Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Capacity in Mongolia. (AzerNews)

CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

• Barça Academy to Open in Mongolia. (FCBarcelona) 

• Mongolian Pilot Student Arrested in Zambales Over Alleged 'Spy' Activities. (DailyTribune)

• Event Held in Mongolia to Promote China's Culture and Spring Festival. (China.org)

• How a Country That’s Never Won a Medal Conquered the Winter Olympics, in Cashmere. (Tovima)

• Mongolia to Host Grand Slam Tournaments for Next 4 years. (Kazinform)

• In ‘Altai,’ Photographer Claire Thomas Chronicles a Time-Honored Way of Life in Mongolia. (ThisisColossal)

🌝 Mongolia’s Coal to Solar Hope

In Ulaanbaatar’s harsh winters, families in traditional gers wake multiple times each night to feed coal into stoves just to stay warm. This long-standing nomadic practice comes at a high cost: coal burning makes the capital one of the world’s most polluted cities. 

• 🛖 Each ger household emits 12–15 tonnes of CO₂ annually, while toxic smog and carbon monoxide create severe health risks every winter.

A Homegrown Solution: The Coal-to-Solar Initiative

URECA’s “Coal-to-Solar” initiative offers tangible hope for Mongolia’s ger districts. Founded in 2021, the Singapore-based Mongolian climate-tech company launched its first pilot in March 2022, installing solar energy systems for five households in partnership with The Asia Foundation and GerHub NGO. Each system, 1.8–5kW solar panels, battery storage, electric heaters, and improved insulation, replaced coal and wood with renewable energy.

From 2023, the initiative expanded with UNDP and other partners, including programs focused on women’s climate resilience. In 2024–2025, URECA partnered with the EBRD under its Star Venture Programme to scale operations further.

• 👩‍💻 What is the Solution? The initiative provides affordable solar systems combined with carbon finance to help ger households switch to clean energy. AI verifies emission reductions, generating carbon credits that families can sell to fund their transition.

👆 Real Impact

After 2 years, nearly 200 households adopted the system, enduring multiple winters without coal. Families report cleaner air, fewer illnesses, better sleep, and improved well-being. Each household avoids up to 15 tonnes of CO₂ annually. Scaling to 100,000+ homes by 2030 could reduce 1.3 million tonnes of CO₂ and cut Ulaanbaatar’s air pollution by over 70%.

• The Result: Beyond household adoption, URECA achieved Gold Standard certification for its carbon credits in early 2026, supported by the EBRD Star Venture Programme and the European Union.

A Just Transition for Mongolia

URECA’s approach prioritizes the most affected, low-income communities. Families become active participants in carbon markets, earning from their own reductions. As Founder E.Orchlon notes, long-term success relies on market fundamentals, not just aid.

With Mongolia’s vast solar and wind potential, this grassroots model demonstrates that clean energy works even in the coldest capital, proving that our nomadic spirit can adapt clean, sustainable, and self-reliant living for future generations.

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Publisher: Ts.Ankhbayar
Writer: M.Khulan
Graphics by: Ts.Tselmeg

Disclaimer: The information Inside Mongolia provides is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be or constitute financial advice, trading advice, or any other advice. The decision whether to consider the information we provide is solely our readers' independent decision.