New Delhi: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) agreed to provide a $13.5 million loan to support the construction of Mongolia’s first internationally certified green school campus. The loan will be provided to Orchlon School and Kindergarten Complex LLC and will help finance the construction of a new four-story school building with modern facilities, an ADB press release revealed.
The new building will feature science, arts, and engineering laboratories, as well as indoor multipurpose halls for sports. According to ADB communication, the campus will receive certification under the Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) program, targeting at least a 20% saving in energy, water, and embodied energy in materials.
ADB Director General for Private Sector Operations Suzanne Gaboury said the project was the bank’s first private sector intervention in Mongolia’s education sector. “By supporting the country’s first green campus, we are enhancing educational infrastructure while promoting environmental sustainability and resilience,” Gaboury said.
Mongolia is one of the countries most affected by climate change, ADB said, noting that green buildings are still relatively new in Mongolia. The natural hazards caused by climate trends have increased the risk of children being absent from school or dropping out altogether.
Orchlon School Principal and Founder Batmunkh Dashdeleg said the expansion would allow the school to provide more students with high-quality, bilingual education that preserves and promotes Mongolian culture while “also setting a benchmark for green building practices in Mongolia”.