“ENSURING THE PARTICIPATION AND LEADERSHIP OF YOUTH IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MONGOLIA’S NDC 3.0” POLICY RECOMMENDATION

Developed based on the views of students from Nalaikh District, School No. 152 near the Ulaanchuluut area in Songinokhairkhan District, and public schools in Ulaanbaatar.

ULAANBAATAR 2026

Executive Summary

This policy recommendation, developed by children and youth themselves, aims to ensure their meaningful participation and leadership in implementing Mongolia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 3.0 — and to make climate policy real and actionable at the level of schools, districts, khoroos, and everyday life. Approximately 150 participants aged 13 to 29 took part in the consultation and jointly identified the following recommendations.

Embed NDC 3.0 and climate education into general education schools through regular, practical activities.
Establish functional waste-sorting and recycling systems at school and district levels.
Move beyond tree planting to build lasting systems for tree care, protection, and green-space maintenance.
Make school surroundings climate-resilient, safe, and accessible for all.
Involve children and youth in NDC 3.0 implementation at the local level as problem identifiers, solution providers, and active supporters.
Integrate children's and youth health, nutrition, and mental wellbeing into climate policy in a gender-responsive manner.
Support green jobs, domestic production, and youth-led innovation.

Implementing these recommendations can deepen public understanding of climate mitigation and adaptation, and deliver tangible progress at school and district levels in waste management, green spaces, air pollution, and environmental safety. Crucially, it will help shape children and youth not merely as recipients of public policy, but as responsible, solution-oriented citizens who are active co-implementers on the ground.

Rationale for Developing the Recommendation

This youth policy recommendation was developed from the outcomes of consultation meetings organized with the support of YECAP — the initiative for strengthening youth leadership and capacity on climate change in the Asia-Pacific region — in partnership with the National Environmental Youth Council, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The consultations brought together middle and high school students from Nalaikh District and School No. 152 near the Ulaanchuluut area in Songinokhairkhan District, as well as students from other public schools across Ulaanbaatar. Before the in-person sessions, all participants completed an online webinar to build their understanding of NDC 3.0 and climate change.

During the sessions, climate change specialists shared their practical experience, and young people’s concerns, aspirations, and proposed solutions were carefully heard and consolidated. This recommendation aims to embed the voices, initiatives, and meaningful participation of children and youth into Mongolia’s NDC 3.0 implementation — and to enrich climate policy with proposals and actions that can genuinely take root at the level of schools, districts, khoroos, families, and everyday life.