The rapid acceleration of climate change has led to the exacerbation of serious environmental, social, and economic challenges around the world. Mongolia is particularly vulnerable to the risks posed by climate change, experiencing a 2.25°C rise in temperatures over the past 80 years - which is twice the global average - along with a 1.8-fold increase in climate-related disasters over the past two decades. In response, Mongolia has committed to a 22.7% reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, under the Paris Agreement.
Sustainable public procurement (SPP) is a strategic tool that aligns government purchasing with sustainability objectives by prioritising goods, services, and works that minimise environmental harm while promoting social and economic benefits. Although Mongolia has set SPP targets in its national strategy, ‘Vision 2050’, whereby 10% SPP will be achieved by 2025, 20% by 2030, and 50% by 2050, research on its practical implementation remains limited. Overcoming this gap between policy and practice defines the core objective of this research.
This work aims to investigate avenues to the successful implementation of SPP in Mongolia to advance sustainable development and mitigate climate impact, while integrating a resource nexus perspective. Intrinsic to the study will be a global systematic review of SPP practices through the lens of the resource nexus, an assessment of the current state of SPP implementation and subsequent barriers within the country, an analysis of the economic and environmental impacts of a resource nexus approach to SPP execution, and the formulation of evidence-based policy recommendations. The findings will aim to support a green transition in Mongolia, and strengthen sustainable public procurement systems to better align with national and international sustainability goals.
This project is supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) under the Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS) program.
