Result of Service

The Consultant will support the Climate Ambition and Transparency Team to achieve these main goals:

¿ Collectively improve the overall knowledge of the scope and functioning of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement in Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras through a regional approach.
¿ Collaborate with the relevant stakeholders from these participating countries to comply with the institutional, technical and operational requirements to establish or participate in new or existing carbon markets. This will not only support the participating countries to comply with the goals established in their NDCs but it also allows the national governments to increase their ambition and cooperation among parties in their commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Outputs and Deliverables

Output 1: Technical capacities of NDAs and key stakeholders to comply with the requirements for the implementation of carbon markets are strengthened and eligibility criteria for projects are defined to participate in article 6 in each country.

¿ Product No. 1: One Work Plan specifying the tasks to develop, stakeholders to contact, methodology to use and content structure of the documents to develop related to the technical products 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the consultancy.

¿ Product No. 2: One report per country (Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras) with a stakeholder map, describing key national, subnational, local, and international stakeholders involved in the identification, management, and implementation of potential carbon markets and Article 6 activities, including funding. It will also include actors that may be affected by or benefit from these mitigation activities.

¿ Product No. 3: One coordination and participation plan per country (Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras) for the implementation of carbon markets and Article 6, identifying stakeholders’ roles in light of the NDC.

¿ Product No. 4: One report per country (Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras) on environmental integrity standards and safeguards required to generate high quality carbon units to support the sustainable development of the region.

¿ Product No. 5: One analysis report per country (Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras) of potential social and environmental risks and benefits associated with the implementation of climate change programs and emission reduction or carbon absorption projects.

¿ Product No. 6: One report with results of a virtual regional webinar about stakeholders involved in the identification, management, and implementation of carbon market activities, environmental integrity standards and safeguards required in Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras to generate high quality units, and potential social and environmental risks and benefits associated with the implementation of climate change programs and projects.

Responsibilities and Activities

Under the direct of UNEP’s Programme Manager Officer for Energy Efficiency of the¿Climate Change Unit, the consultant shall perform the following activities:

1. Identify per country (Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras), key stakeholders involved in carbon market mechanisms and Article 6 implementation and prepare a coordination and participation plan for each country. This plan will consider opportunities to engage with the local communities, Indigenous People and businesses.
2. Define quality and environmental integrity standards and safeguards for mitigation outcomes per country (Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras), including an analysis of potential social and environmental risks and benefits associated with the implementation of climate change programs and projects. This activity will support the region to define standards of environmental integrity for the actions eligible under Article 6, considering the national circumstances of each country.

Work Location

Home-Based

Expected duration

12 MONTHS

Duties and Responsibilities

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. Its 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.

The UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office (LACO), located in Panama City, Panama works closely with the 33 countries of the region and its activities are integrated into the Medium-Term Strategy and the Programme of Work approved by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA).

One of the most relevant challenges the implementation of the Paris Agreement poses to countries is to count with strong Transparency Frameworks. Article 13 of the Paris Agreement establishes the need of Parties to implement national robust and transparent monitoring, reporting, verification and accounting systems to give clarity on action and support while providing clear information to stakeholders to be available to assess if the necessary is being done in relation to compliance with the commitments assumed to face climate change. As part of building and enhancing their Transparency Frameworks, Parties of the United Nation Frame Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) -will progressively implement better tools and institutional arrangements, many of them not sufficiently developed in the countries. This is especially true for developing countries.

The UNFCCC enhanced transparency framework demands substantial and immediate progress in the countries´ domestic Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) systems and strategic de-carbonization and adaptation planning. This entails moving from often disintegrated and often different methodological approaches in data management to an integrated and robust system. The success of the Paris Agreement hinges on enhanced transparency of action and support, as a critical foundation to making its bottom-up country-led approach work, as well as mutual trust and confidence amongst Parties.

In this line, the UNEP Transparency and Climate Ambition Team has developed, together with eight (8) countries of the region, a Regional Readiness Proposal “Capacity Building in Carbon Markets and Article 6”. This proposal seeks to collectively improve: i) the overall knowledge of the scope and functioning of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement in Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and El Salvador through a regional approach and, ii) support the relevant stakeholders from these participating countries to comply with the institutional, technical and operational requirements to establish or participate in new or existing carbon markets. This will not only support the participating countries to comply with the goals established in their NDCs but it also allows the national governments to increase their ambition, transparency and cooperation among parties in their commitments under the Paris Agreement.

Therefore, the Climate Ambition and Transparency Team is looking for a Specialist in Carbon Markets, Environmental Integrity and Safeguards Consultant to prepare deliverables related to environmental integrity standards and safeguards required to generate high quality units for Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras, in close collaboration with the Team Leaders of each country, under the Regional Readiness Project in Carbon Markets and Article 6 (GCF) and in close collaboration with the Team Leader of each country.

The incumbent will be supervised by UNEP’s Programme Manager Officer for Energy Efficiency of the¿Climate Change Unit and will work home-based.

Qualifications/special skills

Qualifications / special skills or knowledge

ACADEMIC:

¿ Bachelor’s degree in economics, finance, administration, political science, environmental sciences, international relations, engineering or related studies is required.
¿ A Master’s degree in environmental sciences, carbon markets, environmental economy or related studies is desirable.

PROFESSIONAL:

¿ At least five (5) years of experience in projects of public policy, climate change, environmental economics, fiscal policy, climate policy and economic research is required.
¿ At least three (3) years of experience in carbon markets, climate change, environmental integrity standards and safeguards to generate high quality units is desirable

LANGUAGE:

¿ Fluent in Spanish is required.
¿ Confident level in English is required.

SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

¿ Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
¿ Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.
¿ Strong analytical skills to examine complex data.
¿ Ability to detect opportunities for improvement and provide solutions for design processes and products.
¿ Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
¿ Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards.
¿ Very high level of organizational, attention to detail, and time management skills.
¿ Ability to work with tight deadlines and deliver high quality results on time.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.