Researchers
A/Prof Carmen Leong, Business School, UNSW
Dr Mairead O’ Connor, Business School, UNSW
Dr Xiaoyang Wang, Engineering, UNSW
Jargalan Bat-Orgil, UNDP Mongolia
Funding
This project was part of the Australian Human Rights Institute’s 2026 seed funding round, receiving $20,207
Summary
The global climate crisis poses not only an environmental emergency but a profound human rights challenge. Communities already facing structural disadvantage bear disproportionate burdens of environmental degradation, pollution, and climate-related risks. Fossil fuels remain the dominant source of global energy production, contributing the vast majority of greenhouse gas emissions and driving air pollution. In Mongolia, coal remains the most accessible and affordable source of heating given the extreme winter conditions (~-30°C at night).
Ulaanbaatar is frequently cited as one of the most polluted capital cities during winter months. The most significant contributor to pollution comes from household coal burning, the primary form of heating in the ger districts in the outskirts of Mongolia. An estimated 7,000 citizens died last winter and respiratory illness among children, chronic health conditions, and daily exposure to toxic smoke constitute a severe health risk and human rights concern.
Within this context, women occupy a paradoxical position. They bear the daily burden of coal heating, yet they are often excluded from decisions regarding energy transition. This project builds on an ongoing Action Design Research collaboration with UNDP Mongolia designed to investigate human rights and gendered dynamics in the transition to renewable energies. Joint funding from the Australian Human Rights Institute and UNSW Digital Grid Futures Institute will support an opportunity to embed gender-inclusive safeguards into emerging policy directions rather than retrofitting them after institutionalisation. This will ensure that renewable energy infrastructure does not only reduce emissions, but also strengthens equity, agency, and participation.