Job Opening
Job Opening ID: 224152
Job Network : Economic, Social and Development
Job Family : Environmental Affairs
Category and Level : Consultants, CON
Duty Station : GENEVA
Department/Office : United Nations Environment Programme
Date Posted : Jan 5, 2024
Deadline : Jan 19, 2024

Result of Service
Provision of technical services for Pillar 1 of the Global Platform of the NZNPA IP.
Work Location
Remote
Expected duration
7 months
Duties and Responsibilities
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority. It sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. This consultancy is with the “Global Platform” team of the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded Net-Zero Nature-Positive Accelerator Integrated Program (NZNPA IP), in UNEP’s Economic and Trade Policy Unit, Resources and Markets Branch, Industry and Economy Division. The consultancy will be home based.

As the “Global Child Project” of the NZNPA IP, the Global Platform will address complex and systemic connections between climate change and biodiversity loss by supporting countries’ pathways to carbon neutrality while securing nature-positive outcomes. Through the Global Platform, the 12 NZNPA IP countries will benefit from a pool of shared knowledge materials and resources and the possibility to engage in join initiatives and activities to share good practices and experiences.

The Global Platform comprises three pillars which will support countries across all components of the NZNPA IP: Pillar 1 – Strengthening the foundations and knowledge base of NZNP participant countries and global community on NZNP strategies and policies, Pillar 2 – Financing enabling environment and investment mobilisation and Pillar 3 – Coordination, knowledge, awareness raising and tracking results. Each pillar is designed to produce three corresponding outcomes.

The Global Platform is currently in the Project Preparation Grant (PPG) phase of development, with UNEP-ETPU as the executing agency. The Global Platform PPG phase involves developing, presenting and tailoring the available technical services for countries across the three pillars. For Pillar 1, UNEP requires a consultant with macroeconomic and environmental modelling expertise.

The consultant will undertake the following three tasks during under the supervision of the Senior Economic Affairs Officer of ETPU:

A) Designing and delivering the Global Platform’s Pillar 1 PPG phase webinars to country stakeholders;
B) Participating in technical meetings concerning methods for NZNP modelling;
C) Reviewing proposed scope of work and modeling approach developed by country teams.

Specific tasks and responsibilities

• Design and deliver two rounds of two webinars under Pillar 1 for the PPG phase of the Global Platform of the NZNPA IP:
1. Role of scenarios and policy analysis in the context of NZNP strategy formulation and assessment, creation of an investment plan and financing strategy; use of sectoral models (industry, agriculture, energy and mobility/built environment sector, etc.);
2. Integrating nature/biodiversity in the modelling exercise (jointly with UNEP-WCMC), and how capacity building could be provided to countries
• Participate and provide technical advice in five online and in-person meetings to present and discuss the use of qualitative and quantitative methods for NZNP modelling.
• Review the proposed scope of work, and modelling approach developed by country teams, in relation the breadth and scope of NZNP definition adopted (estimated three countries)
Qualifications/special skills
• Advanced university degree in economics, geography or a related discipline is required;
• A first level degree with additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree;
• Minimum of five years of experience developing and conducting qualitative and quantitative modelling, including through Systems Dynamics techniques, in the field of macroeconomics and environmental affairs is required;
• Familiarity with net-zero and nature-positive objectives is required;
• Experience in working on global projects is required;
• Experience in working for multilateral or bilateral funding entities in the field of climate change, biodiversity or development is desirable;
• Experience working with GEF or UNEP projects is desirable;
Languages
• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consultancy, fluency (both oral and written) in English is required.