INTRODUCTION TO GGGI

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. To learn more please visit about GGGI web page.

Investor and corporate demand for high-quality environmental, social and governance (ESG) systems has grown dramatically over the past decade. Increasing media, consumer and shareholder scrutiny of corporate behavior around hot-topic global issues, such as climate change, human rights, diversity, and inclusion is applying pressure on executives to demonstrate their commitment to business practices in alignment with ESG criteria. Initially conceived to identify risks and opportunities that may not be captured by traditional financial analysis, ESG considerations are now also being incorporated into corporate strategies and operational plans for companies to contribute positively to sustainable growth and social goals.

But even as senior management may be setting out ESG-aligned strategic priorities, what this means in practice, including implications for daily activities, may still be a cause of confusion amongst employees. Awareness raising and capacity building will serve as critical components for achieving deeper integration across the various tiers of the organization. Moreover, one of the biggest gaps that need to be bridged in mainstreaming ESG practices is the lack of adequate internal skills and expertise within organizations to implement ESG initiatives.

With these considerations in mind, the United Arab Emirates Leadership in ESG Advancement Framework (UAE-LEAF) Program aims to guide the development of an integrated environmental, social and corporate governance program in the UAE.

To complement the work being undertaken by other UAE authorities in terms of ESG from a reporting compliance perspective, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) intends to implement the UAE-LEAF program, which will focus on mobilizing the private sector to action and equipping professional with the tools to mainstream ESG into their corporate practices from a non-regulatory standpoint.

To inform on the design and implementation of the UAE-LEAF program, a Roadmap and Workplan have been prepared as guiding documents, putting forward modalities for the mainstreaming of ESG practices in the UAE and an implementation approach for key programmatic components.

The role of the Consultant-ESG is guided by the UAE-LEAF program Workplan. The Consultant shall be responsible for providing support to the project by leading the efforts on the ground, ensuring that the key deliverables outlined below are comprehensively covered, and robustly designed, allowing for review of and immediate action for any gaps and/or overlaps, conducted on schedule, pertinent documentation are prepared, validated, and submitted on time and by the UAE-LEAF program Workplan.

Scope of Work and Activities

The Consultant will support the delivery of outputs as part of Outcome 1 (Strengthened capacity of the UAE’s local ESG-supporting institutions to provide leading knowledge and guidance on the latest ESG development) and Outcome 2 (Outcome 2: Enhanced readiness on measurements and reporting from private sector). S/he shall participate in the key processes (consultations and meetings) in connection with stakeholders mapping & engagement, the stocktaking of policies and capacity, and developing a baseline understanding of ongoing and planned ESG-related policies, projects, stakeholders, and practices in the UAE; understanding the current institutional set-up and arrangements about development planning at the federal and emirates-level and the integration of ESG therein; identifying the stakeholders across government, private sector, academe, and non-government and their roles to foster a more robust ESG framework development.

At the very beginning of the assignment, the consultant is expected to submit a Work Plan (Deliverable 1) that bears the indicative timelines, tasks, activities, methodological approach and standards to be adopted, and corresponding deliverables to accomplish the scope of work, detailed methodological approach/es, models or standards to be adopted in the execution of the assignment. Point out any anticipated challenges, risks, and bottlenecks and bring them to the attention of GGGI for their attention or action (if within GGGI’s power).

Schedule of Deliverables and Payment Schedule

The consultant is expected to be based in GGGI’s office, inside the premises of MOCCAE in Dubai, throughout the contract duration.

The consultant may be required to support some ESG / Sustainable finance related tasks if they came on ad-hoc basis from MOCCAE’s side. This should not cover any major additional scope, but it may include supporting the development of presentations, technical talking points, etc. for high-level officials who may want to go out and speak about the project and other relevant topics.

• A Master degree in finance, sustainable finance, law, political science, governance, climate change and policy, economics, or related fields
• At least 8+ years of relevant experience in sustainable finance and governance, institutional development, ESG
• Experience with stakeholder engagement particularly with government, private sector and CSOs
• Fluency in English and excellent writing skills are required
• Knowledge of green growth would be an advantage
• Experience with the UN system or other international organizations is required
• Experience in organizing, and facilitating workshops, meetings, and stakeholder consultation
• Good level of proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Understand and actively support GGGI’s mission, vision, and values

• Self-motivated, team player, with creative problem-solving abilities
• Interest in being a part of a multi-cultural team within a dynamic fast-paced environment
• Experience working in an international development agency with cross-functional departments and across multiple country contexts
• Excellent communication skills (both written and oral)

• Promote an organizational culture of trust, transparency, respect, and partnership
• Process and share information accurately and transparently
• Positive team player attitude builds rapport and resolves conflict easily
• Promote creativity and innovation among staff
• Able to support the project management team in executing the necessary consultations and meetings with key stakeholders, especially the key government counterpart.

• Total contract value will be up to 40 Thousand United States Dollars (USD40,000).
• Date to close is 16:00 (time and date)18 July 2024 (KST). Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered. Application, cover letter, and CV must be sent in English. A consortium, or a firm, may not be engaged for this individual consultant assignment.