Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia - Oyu Tolgoi took the responsibility and commitment to plant and grow one hundred million trees in support of the Billion Tree national movement initiated by the President of Mongolia. All parties will work together to create public-private partnerships, increase the participation of local administrations and citizens, and provide the necessary support and assistance promptly in line with the strategy of the Billion Tree national movement and the Government agenda. Oyu Tolgoi adheres to the following principles in carrying out its promise to plant and grow one hundred million trees:

Plant and grow suitable trees in places with the explicit purposes
Bring concrete contributions to the development of the Mongolian forestry sector
Sustainable in the long term
Engage stakeholders


Parties agreed that Oyu Tolgoi would implement the 100 million tree planting programme in a ratio of 60:40 to plant 60 million trees and support the development of the forestry sector in order to increase the national capacity equivalent of 40 million trees.

Tree planting and forestation activities are planned as follows that are aligned with each national strategic goal.
Reforestation of 16,000 hectares in the temperate zone of Mongolia to reduce the loss and degradation of forests and increase the area covered by forests
Rehabilitate 2,600 hectares of zag forest in the Gobi region to reduce desertification and land degradation
Construct 160 hectares of cutover for the development of agro-forestry and fruit farming
Plant willow on 1,280 hectares to protect and increase flow through the afforestation of major rivers in Mongolia
Build green areas on 200 hectares to create a healthy living environment reducing air, water, and soil pollution
Construction of a protective forest strip along the highway on a total area of 360 hectares
Reforestation of 500 hectares of land damaged by irresponsible mining in the forest reserves of the temperate zone


At the same time, activities equivalent to 40 million trees will be carried out as follows.

Build new tree nurseries based on local communities and buy seedlings from them to increase their participation and support their livelihoods
Increase the annual capacity of growing seedlings and saplings by supporting the improvement of the techniques and equipment of the operating nurseries
Implement programmes to train skilled experts and professionals in the forestry sector, organise the classroom, study tours, and field training
Conduct research and experiments in afforestation, forest restoration, and desertification reduction (R&D and innovation)


Minister of Environment and Tourism B.Bat-Erdene said, “The Ministry of Environment and Tourism signed an agreement with Oyu Tolgoi in April 2022 to rehabilitate 334.5 hectares of land in the Yalbaga Valley in Yuruu soum, Selenge province and working on completing the rehabilitation between 2022 and 2024. Today, I am grateful that the parties have agreed on the principles of cooperation to continue the activities within the framework of the 100 million trees programme.” and wished success to both parties during the signing ceremony.



Deirdré Lingenfelder, CEO of Oyu Tolgoi, highlighted, “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, the Administration of Forestry as well as the President’s Office for your support and guidance over the past year. Through close partnership with government stakeholders, our specialists have successfully developed the “100M Tree Programme”, Oyu Tolgoi’s plan of action to deliver our promise and pledge.


“The “100M Tree” programme, we believe, will significantly increase the nation’s forest area.From the onset, we looked for a holistic approach to ensure long-term sustainability and maximise benefits. In this context, we will focus not just on planting trees but also supporting the national and regional reforestation efforts, investing in R&D, and building the necessary infrastructure for tree nurseries.”


ENDS.



Additional information:

• In 2022, Oyu Tolgoi provided a total of 18,000 tree saplings to 1,200 employees and donated 1,840 trees to nine schools in remote districts of Ulaanbaatar

• In 2022, Oyu Tolgoi employees and suppliers planted more than 3,400 saplings in Ulaanbaatar city and Dalanzadgad and Khanbogd soums of Umnugovi province.

• In 2022, Oyu Tolgoi started the construction of a protective forest strip in Khanbogd soum near the entrance gate, fenced 15 hectares and planted 15 thousand trees

• As part of the training of forestry specialists, scholarships will be awarded to five students studying forestry engineering every year. In 2022, the scholarship was awarded to two students from the National University of Mongolia and three from the University of Life Science.

About Oyu Tolgoi LLC (www.ot.mn)

Oyu Tolgoi LLC, Mongolia's largest copper and gold mining company, is a strategic partnership between the Government of Mongolia, Turquoise Hill Resources and Rio Tinto. Located in the South Gobi, Oyu Tolgoi commenced shipment of product to customers in July 2013. Oyu Tolgoi is managed by Rio Tinto, which is investing global expertise and cutting-edge technology to help develop Mongolia’s mining industry and ensure Oyu Tolgoi is one of the world’s most advanced mines. For Oyu Tolgoi, nothing matters more than safety. The business operates under the principle that if a job cannot be done safely, it will not be done at all.

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