Researchers
Associate Professor Carmen Leong, UNSW Business School
Professor Barney Tan, UNSW Business School
Professor Wenjie Zhang, UNSW Engineering
Dr Xiaoyang Wang, UNSW Engineering
Funding
This project was part of the Australian Human Rights Institute’s 2024 seed funding round, receiving $9,950.
Summary
Despite the urgent need to transition to renewable energy, many communities, especially in developing countries like Mongolia, face significant challenges in changing their energy consumption behaviour. Coal has historically been a cheaper and more accessible option, making it difficult for communities to transition to renewable sources due to the perceived high costs and unfamiliarity with alternative technologies. Additionally, cultural and social factors may contribute to resistance to change.
This project is anchored in a clear goal: to facilitate the transition of communities in Mongolia to renewable energy sources. To achieve this, the project has forged a strategic partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), leveraging their expertise and resources to develop targeted interventions.
The project team will work alongside GerHub, a non-for-profit community organisation, and URECA, the provider of the renewable energy solution who will implement renewable energy support initiatives in 100 households within the Ger district. While URECA will provide technical assistance for the deployment of renewable energy systems, the project's multidisciplinary team, comprising experts in engineering and information systems, will focus on addressing the behavioural barriers to change within the community.
The project represents a unique collaboration between the associates of the Australian Human Rights Institute and the UNSW Faculty of Engineering, leveraging interdisciplinary expertise to address the complex challenges of renewable energy transition in Mongolia.