The results will capture the rapid changing nature of the global context and provide policymakers with more accurate data for policymaking and support decision making that can lead to long term, sustainable recovery in a post-COVID-19 world. Hence, the services of the consultant will include guidance and key messages to countries on how to transition to greener and more inclusive economies while accounting for the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of new global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. The results would inform governments the priority areas where progress is more urgently needed, as demonstrated by the indicators, to reverse unsustainable human practices that are pushing the planetary boundaries.
Remote
The consultancy contract will from July 2022 for 10 months. If the final deliverable under this contract is produced before 30 April 2023, the contract will be terminated sooner.
The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) is a joint initiative of five UN Agencies: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). PAGE responds to paragraph 66 of the Rio+20 outcome document "The Future We Want", which calls upon the UN system to support countries interested in pursuing green economy policies. The partnership supports nations and regions in reframing economic policies and practices around sustainability to advance the 2030 Agenda, to foster economic growth, create income and jobs, reduce poverty and inequality, and strengthen the ecological foundations of their economies.
Since WHO declared a pandemic two years ago, PAGE countries have been heavily affected by the social and economic impacts directly resulting from the pandemic. These impacts include reduced fiscal space, job losses, exacerbation of poverty, increased gender, economic and social inequalities, and widespread closure of businesses. The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in 2021 played an important role in shaping the path to recovery through allowing countries to build more resilient economies, increasing mobility, lowering the risk of infection, and easing the pressure on the healthcare facilities. In addition to the humanitarian crisis, the current war in Ukraine is also projected to cause impacts on the global economy. Prices of commodities such as food, oil and natural gas will increase inflation further, while neighbouring economies will have to face the effects of disruptions in trade and supply chains. Such price increase for food and energy can further increase a risk of unrest in many regions of the world, while the war will alter the global economic and geopolitical relationships in the long run. These changing circumstances and new developments require a recalibrated baseline for countries to develop new recovery scenarios and guidance on formulating recoveries which can bring economic, environmental, and social benefits together in the long term.
The Green Economy Progress (GEP) Measurement Framework was initially developed by UNEP and PAGE in 2017 to facilitate cross-country comparison of national efforts to transition to greener and more inclusive economies. The framework was applied globally to a sample of 105 countries in 2017. The first component of the framework, the GEP Index (GEPI), reflects the weighted progress achieved by countries with respect to targets set within planetary boundaries and critical thresholds across several indicators. The second component, the Dashboard of Sustainability, monitors key stocks of capital that are priorities to sustain life on the planet. This framework brings transparency and accountability to policymaking by measuring shortfalls as well as the relative importance of one area of progress with respect to others. This will help not only in the monitoring process but also in the integration and articulation of future policies by enhancing the linkages between green economy policies to the overall national development priorities.
In 2021, the second application of the Framework was developed to update the application of the methodology at the global level with the latest data available. In addition, it introduced new footprint indicators, such as carbon, water stress, and land-use related biodiversity loss footprints to the Dashboard of Sustainability. However, the data used in the second application did not capture the disruptions created by the COVID-19 pandemic due the long-term nature of the indicators, and the time period for the data in the second edition ranges from 2004 to 2019. Therefore, the 3rd edition tries to overcome this gap by considering proxy indicators connected to GEPI indicators that can better capture the economic, social and environmental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and other new developments and context. It will build on the PAGE Data Monitor that was developed back in 2020 to track socio-economic and health impacts from COVID-19 in PAGE countries.
This third application would also explore connections with the planned update of the global green recovery scenario modelling, conducted by PAGE, by considering a set of relevant indicators from the GEP Framework which can feed into the modelling exercise. Examples of some indicators that can be used are share of renewable energy sources and CO2 emissions per capita. These additional inputs will identify updated investment needs and gaps as they relate to targets, as well as make the case for the significance of the role of IGE in recovery efforts. For this third application, UNEP requires support from a consultant with expertise in the GEP Framework. The UNEP Economy Division’s Resources and Markets Branch currently does not have the relevant expertise in house to carry out the required tasks.
Specific tasks and responsibilities
Component 1. Updating the PAGE global tool – The Green Economy Progress Measurement Framework (3rd application)
The consultant will carry out the following tasks:
• Update data for all indicators of the GEP Measurement Framework to be utilised for performing quantitative calculations
• Present preliminary and final results of the updated Framework at PAGE Events
• Develop a technical report no longer than 30 pages, with updated methodology, applied to a sample of over 100 countries and summarised key results and messages
• Create an Excel file with data obtained for all countries and indicators to be uploaded and shared on the PAGE website
Component 2. Establish connections between the Green Economy Progress Measurement Framework and the updated PAGE-Cambridge Econometrics global green recovery analysis.
• Conduct research on how the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine affects the countries’ long-term progress towards green economies.
• Based on this research, conduct an analysis of appropriate GEP Measurement Framework indicators that could be integrated into the PAGE-Cambridge Econometrics global green recovery modelling analysis.
Skills: • Verifiable knowledge of the methodology and application of the PAGE Green Economy Progress Measurement Framework
• Demonstrable knowledge and experience with green economy modelling techniques
• Established track record in implementing policy monitoring frameworks
• Proven capacity for conceptual, analytical, and critical thinking.
• Demonstrable communication skills, both oral and written, including the ability to write clearly and concisely on technical, socio-economic, and environmental topics.
• Proven ability to analyze and communicate complex information at a simpler level to a wide audience.
• Proven organization skills, problem-solving, teamwork and coordination skills.
• Ability to establish an effective working relationship with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Commitment to respect the values advocated by the United Nations.
Academic Qualifications: • A university Masters’ degree in a relevant field: e.g., economics, agroeconomics, environmental economics, public policy, natural resource management, development, environment.
Experience: • At least 5 years of experience in conducting green economy modelling, identifying indicators for monitoring frameworks, implementing green economy monitoring frameworks, research, data analysis; and writing reports with practical recommendations in green economy related areas, including economic reports, briefings and research papers.
Language: • English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required.
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.