Mongolia presented its Steppe Agenda initiative at the G7 Environment Ministers Meeting in France. Specifically, the country received an invitation to participate alongside several other nations. Environment ministers from South Korea, Türkiye, Kenya, Albania, Australia, India, and Brazil also attended. Additionally, international organizations sent representatives to the gathering as well. Overall, the meeting focused on pressing climate change challenges and potential solutions.
This Steppe Agenda initiative aims to tackle climate change, desertification, and land degradation simultaneously. Consequently, Mongolia will use this framework as its key policy proposal for UNCCD COP17. The country will host the 17th Conference of the Parties from August 17 to 28. Within this framework, Mongolia shared its experience in combating desertification. It also promoted sustainable water use and increasing water resources. Furthermore, restoring degraded rangelands and advancing nature based green solutions complete the proposal.
Minister Sandag-Ochir Tsend emphasized the urgency of increasing environmental funding. He noted that economies, food systems, and social resilience depend directly on the environment. Therefore, conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of ecosystems must remain top priorities. The minister welcomed the Finance Coalition for Nature and People as a timely initiative. However, he pointed out that biodiversity financing remains insufficient and fragmented. He also stressed the need for tangible and measurable results from funding.
Mongolia is currently updating its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. The country aligns this update with the Global Biodiversity Framework. Preliminary estimates suggest Mongolia will need approximately 810 million US dollars. In turn, this funding will implement the plan by 2030. The Steppe Agenda initiative will serve as an implementation platform for these goals. Consequently, Mongolia expects to make a meaningful contribution to global environmental targets.
Bilateral discussions took place on the sidelines of the G7 meeting. For instance, Mongolia met with environment ministers from France, South Korea, Kenya, and Italy. These talks aimed to expand cooperation in climate action and desertification mitigation. Financing, technology transfer, and knowledge exchange also featured prominently. Thus, the Steppe Agenda initiative gains international traction through these dialogues.
Environmental stewardship runs deep in Mongolia’s nomadic pastoral traditions. These traditions emphasize living in harmony with nature for generations. However, rapid development and climate change now disrupt this delicate balance. Mongolia hosts UNCCD COP17 to address these growing pressures. Accordingly, the Steppe Agenda initiative will drive practical implementation at the August conference. Moreover, Mongolia has reinforced its position on the international environmental stage through this G7 participation. Future cooperation will likely expand as the COP17 date approaches. Ultimately, the country expects to secure more financing and technical support for its ambitious land restoration goals.
