Every year the Ministry of Nature, Environment and Tourism of Mongolia carries out work to select a civilian, organization or entity, who has been actively involved in eco movements to protect our mother world and who brings out eco initiations. 

This year the Ministry announced the USA Embassy in Mongolia as the “Eco Practicing Organization” and presented with the certificate of honor named after the Minister for Nature, Environment and Tourism on May 29, 2012. The U.S. Department of State is implementing a long term “Greening Diplomacy Initiative thus, the Embassy established a volunteering “Green Team” in 2009, which includes both Mongolian and American staff. In the last few years the Embassy carried out numerous successful projects and activities. 

For instance,

- The U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar provided a benchmark for efforts to reduce their environmental impact and have calculated its “carbon footprint”. 

- A recycling program at the Embassy for cans, plastic, glass, paper, cardboard and newspapers. Revenue from the recycling program is used to plant trees around the Embassy.

- The Embassy uses compact fluorescent lights and rewired several areas in the Embassy, resulting in significant energy savings up to 76%.

- Planted over 150 trees around the Embassy, Selbe River and in the territory of Bayanzukh district and created lawn areas.

- The Embassy constantly delivers advice and information on how to be more environmentally friendly to its staff in order to be of a help to the ecology knowledge of their staffs and their families.

This year the embassy collected and sold 6,240 kg paper waste and 180 kg plastic waste and with its sale revenue they purchased and planted 136 trees. Counting all of their achievements in an eco movement the Embassy became the first ever recipient of the U.S. Department of State’s annual “Greening Diplomacy Initiative Award (GDI)” in 2011. 

“Number of members of Green Team is increasing day by day. Every day we will dedicate our commitment in protecting our mother world” said the Environment, Science and Health Officer at the USA Embassy, Susan Russell while handing the certificate of honor.