Sustainable Textiles Specialist

Details

Mission and objectives

Since its inception in 1972, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been the global authority that sets the 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.
UNEP’s mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, UNEP works through its divisions as well as regional, liaison and out-posted offices and a growing network of collaborating centres of excellence.

Context

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that 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. UN Environment’s mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action.
UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division provides solutions for economic decision-makers and helps change the business environment by offering platforms for dialogue and cooperation, innovative policy options, pilot projects and creative market mechanisms. Textiles being one of UNEP’s high-impact sectors under the PCP on circularity, the One UNEP Textile Initiative provides strategic leadership and encourages sector-wide collaboration to accelerate a just transition towards a sustainable and circular textile value chain. It has outlined the imperative for the fashion sector to become radically and rapidly transformed to become circular and encapsulates and aligns all UNEP work on textiles to do so.

Task description

Under the direction of and reporting to the Textiles Lead Programme Officer, within the Consumption and Production Unit of the Resources and Markets branch of the Industry and Economy Division, the Sustainable Textiles Specialist will undertake the following activities:
• Support implementation of the One UNEP Textile Initiative, including representing the One UNEP Textile Initiative in calls/meetings with UNEP colleagues working or planning to work on textiles, as well as with external organisations, including within the UN, with the textile industry, industry associations, and other organisations.
• Apply UNEP’s eco-innovation methodology in textiles, both with industry (especially SMEs) and governments in developing countries (including for instance Kenya, India, Viet Nam), including providing training modules on the eco-innovation methodology to implementing partners, SMEs, or policymakers, reviewing eco-innovation reports such as policy analyses and SME assessments.
• Identify opportunities for potential collaboration and represent the One UNEP Textile Initiative in in-person meetings with UNEP colleagues based in Nairobi
• Support UNEP’s work across areas including chemicals in textiles, fashion marketing, and textile standards.
In undertaking these duties, the Sustainable Textiles Specialist will establish and maintain relationships to support collaboration with other UNEP teams working on textiles, as well as technical staff across UNEP and in UN as well as representatives in national governments, international organizations, consultants, and NGOs.
Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:
• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day).
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country.
• Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities.
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publica-tions/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers.
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.
Results/Expected Outputs
The Sustainable Textiles Specialist will be expected to contribute to One UNEP Textile Initiative indicators, including increasing the number of textile companies and industry standards and initiatives shifting practices and/or norms towards sustainability. The Specialist will help stakeholders understand and apply the eco-innovation methodology to their context (e.g., the needs of an SME versus the needs of a national-level policymaker) to enable the implementation of circular business models and the adoption of circular products. They will, through their understanding of the textile value chain developed through the application of the eco-innovation methodology, have developed an in-depth understanding of the textile sector, and be able to build and leverage networks in the sector, identifying areas of synergy for potential partnership and collaboration.