Forest Finance and Carbon Market Specialist

Result of Service

Working as part of the Climate Change Division/ Climate Change Mitigation Unit, the UNREDD Forest Finance and Carbon market Specialist will be responsible for ensuring quality support to countries on the UN-REDD technical assistance Outcome 2 (Forest solutions rewarded) in the Africa region, with particular focus on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana, Uganda, Zambia, Republic of Congo. i) overall UN-REDD in-country activities in Africa well implemented, (ii) documents related to activities across the region well prepared, in excellent quality and in a timely manner, (iii) UN-REDD Results-Based Finance (RBF) elements initiated and implemented.

Work Location

Nairobi

Expected duration

12 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is a 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. The UN-REDD is the UN's knowledge and advisory platform on forest solutions to the climate crisis. It is composed of three agencies – FAO, UNDP, and UNEP – that work together to form a UN flagship partnership, assisting countries to implement the Paris Agreement, particularly Articles 5 and 6. UN-REDD strives to reduce deforestation, promote sustainable land uses, advance international cooperative approaches to climate change mitigation, and mobilize climate finance to reverse the trend on tropical deforestation. Since its inception in 2008, UNEP, within the UN-REDD Programme, has built unparalleled expertise in taking stock, producing, and disseminating knowledge in the form of lessons learned, good practices and proven methodologies; more specifically in the following areas of work: safeguards, access to finance and knowledge management. In relation to finance and private sector engagement, the UN-REDD Programme supports crowding in diverse funding sources and revenue streams for all three phases of REDD+ (readiness, implementation, and results-based finance), country by country, tailored to national circumstances and engaging the full range of in-country stakeholders. Going forward, the Programme will continue to put a strong emphasis on its core strength of being a knowledge broker and catalytic convener in innovative ways to scale up REDD+ financing, implementation, and impacts. African countries are a crucial part of the forest solutions for Climate action, however, progress within the AFOLU sector remains slow. To help address this issue, this position seeks to support the work of the UNEP UN-REDD Team in Africa. This position is based in Nairobi, under the direct supervision of the UNEP UN-REDD Africa Region Coordinator and in close collaboration with the Head of the Climate Mitigation Unit of UNEP. The position holder will specifically support the delivery of UNEP UN-REDD implementation plan for Africa: this involves working closely with other UN agencies, governments, and other relevant key stakeholders to ensure countries accelerate financing for forests, via upfront financing, REDD+ Results-Based Finance (RBF) and other forms of climate finance when applicable. The consultant will perform the following tasks: 1. Programme implementation quality assurance, for results delivery (Output 1, 20%) • Ensure capacity development to countries on topics such as carbon market, and other REDD+ related issues, provide input into papers and briefing notes, conduct meetings with stakeholders from both the private and public sector. • Support on reporting and ad hoc requests from colleagues in the organisation. 2. Access to REDD+ financing and private sector engagement (Output 2, 65%) • Jointly with the UNEP UN-REDD Africa Regional Coordinator and the Global UN-REDD Finance Specialist leads the agenda on REDD+ and forest carbon finance, as well as private sector engagement initiatives and activities in in the Africa r region. • Provides policy advisory support to African priority countries in accessing and scaling up sustainable financing for REDD+ activities (upfront, carbon finance and results-based financing). • Liaise with and convene other REDD+ initiatives and potential co-financing agencies and institutions to ensure REDD+ implementation consists of one nationally owned REDD+ process. • Bring about purchases or investments of REDD+ projects in target countries and foster better policy and financial instruments to encourage further investment. • Generate and disseminate knowledge around financial mechanisms such as blended finance to be used to scale investment into REDD+ and NBS. This requires both public and private relationships and joint conversations. • Establishes good working relationships with partners (public and private) working towards the REDD+ and carbon finance field in Africa. • Contributes to advance global UNEP UN-REDD led initiatives agenda on upfront financing and results-based financing by generating and disseminating knowledge, including but not limited to forest carbon markets and by convening relevant actors to act.   • Provide support as requested by ROA and other UN agencies 3. Support the resources mobilization process (Output 3, 15%): • Identify strategic opportunities, needs and gaps to contribute to the planning process in line with the UN-REDD Results Framework for the 2021-2025 period. • Transform these opportunities into project ideas with theory of change to be implemented on the ground. • Initiate drafts project concept notes, documents/proposals according to donors' procedures and support the submission process. • Consult with partners, country focal points and related stakeholders to collect feedback and update the documents as needed. • Contribute to finding and arranging new funding opportunities within the branch.

Qualifications/special skills

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Natural Resources, Forestry, Environmental Engineering, Economics, Public/Environmental Policy, Environmental impact assessment of projects, public management, or forest management, economics, finance, sustainable development, business administration, Biology or Agronomy, economics, finance, sustainable development, business administration or related field is required. •A minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience in public or private sector entities, including in the African region is required. •Strong knowledge about REDD+ mechanism, not limited to the financing aspects, as well as understanding of financial institutions and sustainable finance with practical experience with at least an African country is required. •Within the required 5 years, a minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience in the provision of technical assistance in sustainable forest management or conservation, coordination and planning with national and regional actors related to forest management and/or forest management and climate change will be desirable. •Excellent knowledge of Africa's REDD+ context would be an asset. •Experience working with international organizations is desirable. Skills •Strong and proven project management skills. •Ability to work independently with limited supervision. •Ability to convene partners and facilitate consensus. •Ability to coordinate a wide range of different outputs and partners. •Ability to analyse materials from various sources and expertise and recommend alternative options if needed.

Languages

•English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consulting position, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another UN language is highly desirable.

Additional Information

Not available.

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.