Output A: 2 business case report on deforestation-free sustainable commodity production
Deliverables: Two case studies (e.g. tea, coffee, beef/soy) conducted, analyzed and whereby findings are condensed in two high-quality reports.
Output B: Project management across several finance facilities and initiatives as part of the Land Use Finance Project
Deliverables: Monthly assignment report depicted project management tasks undertaken and completed that ensure the delivery of the Land Use Finance Project is on track.
Copyrights of the products will be transferred to UN Environment.
Geneva, Switzerland
Duration of contract: 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019
The United Nations Environment (UN Environment) 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. UN Environment's Ecosystem Division works with international and national partners, providing technical assistance and capacity development for the implementation of environmental policy, and strengthening the environmental management capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition.
The loss of forest, and the accompanying loss of ecosystems and the services they provide, threatens the security and livelihoods of local communities, reduces access to clean water, decreases soil productivity and accounts for 12 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. In recent years, it has become apparent that the most significant threat to the world’s remaining forests is conversion for commercial agriculture and other non-forest use. Many of the environmental benefits of intact forest are unpriced ‘externalities’, resulting in the market mispricing natural forest assets. By converting forest to land and then producing tradeable commodities that the market can price, land users are able to take advantage of this perceived arbitrage opportunity. Anticipated global economic growth and changing diets will strengthen the demand for agricultural commodities and place additional pressure on forests in the foreseeable future, meaning that the pressure will get even bigger than it is today without a changing paradigm how land is managed and agricultural commodities are produced. The challenge is to advance sustainable land use by developing business models that can manage sustainable commodity production while also maintaining forests and forest ecosystem services.
Against that background, UN Environment initiated a new Land Use Finance Project (‘the project’) to proactively help unlock and (re)direct public and especially private capital towards sustainable land use, including deforestation-free soft commodity production. The project is effectively an umbrella for a number of initiatives and finance facilities that UN Environment either leads or is involved in, including the Tropical Landscapes Finance Facility (a partnership with BNP Paribas and ADM Capital), the GEF Good Growth Partnership, the &Green Fund (a new de-risking vehicle set up by the Norwegian government and IDH) and a partnership with Rabobank, FMO, Mirova/Althelia and IDH to unlock capital for deforestation-free agricultural production. Given the growing portfolio of projects and growing complexity, there is a need for sound project management between the different initatives to ensure alignment, and capitalizing on the complementarity between the initatives thereby ensuring that the sum is larger than the individual parts.
In addition, as part of this overarching project, UN Environment will scale up the work on business case analysis for a number of key commodities (including e.g. tea, coffee, beef/soy). These commodities are important drivers of deforestation, noting that business models may (slightly) differ depending on the country and local context. Best practice case studies will be shared through private finance initiatives such as the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), IDH/Sustainable Trade Initiative, Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 (TFA2020) and UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) to increase the mainstreaming of these approaches across the industry.
In this context, UN Environment is hiring a consultant, who can provide solid project management for the overaching project as well as contribute substantively to the development of business models for a number of key commodities the project focuses on. The consultant will be part of UN Environment’s Land Use Finance team. This novel area of work falls within the Freshwater, Land and Climate Branch of the UN Environment’s Ecosystem Division. He or she will report to the Head of the Land Use Finance project as well as the REDD+ and Sustainable Land Use Programme Officer of UN Environment Finance Initiative (UNEP FI).
Under the supervision of the Head of Land Use Finance and the REDD+ and Sustainable Land Use Programme Officer of UNEP FI, the consultant will perform a range of project management tasks that ensures that overall delivery of the project is on track. In addition, the consultant will contribute substantively to two high-quality business case studies, outlining conditions how to transition to deforestation-free sustainable and inclusive commodity production. Copyrights of the products will be transferred to UN Environment.
The individual contractor will work directly with the whole Land Use Finance team, but reports to the Head of Land Use Finance and the REDD+ and Sustainable Land Use Programme Officer of UNEP FI.
Skills:
•The consultant should be computer literate in standard software applications; have good interpersonal skills; report writing and communication skills; Although, he or she will work in a small team, it is essential that the chosen candidate can work in an independent manner to complete the given assignments.
Academic Qualifications:
•The consultant should have a Masters’ Degree or equivalent with at least seven (7) years of professional experience in the area of consulting, finance, or in the agribusiness sector. Experience with the UN system having a network in the financial sector and/or with agribusiness firms is considered an asset.
Experience:
•The successful candidate should demonstrate sound project management skills and experience, as well as having the technical and analytical expertise to backstop bespoke projects that seek to develop business models for sustainable commodity production. In addition, he or she is expected the manage a variety of tasks in parallel and be quickly adaptable.
Language:
•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 French and/or Spanish is considered an asset
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.