The result of the services will support UNEP’s work under the SIP in order to raise awareness of infrastructure’s centrality to the 2030 Agenda, develop and share knowledge related to digital infrastructure, build capacity to initiate the development of innovative models for incentivizing data compliance with green economy policy, circular economy standards and digital product passports in collaboration with private sector. This consultancy will be focused on tackling negative incentives associated with the increasing volume and varieties of sustainability requirements as embodied in circularity economy standards and green economy policies and promoting positive incentives for value chain players to convert the information cost for the compliance with sustainability requirements into values and allow fair distribution of information cost along the value chain. This work will ultimately contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals through the adoption and implementation of inclusive green economy (IGE) pathways, policies, and action plans by facilitating interventions on agenda setting that is based on the technical readiness and digital capacity reality so that global standards, resolutions and commitments of circular economy can generate concrete actions; as well as the formulation of standards in hight-impact sectors through the development of solutions of translating among different standards, and digital circular economy practices through innovative models of information value generation and cost sharing.
Geneva
6 months
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the voice for the environment within the United Nations system. UNEP acts as a catalyst, advocate, educator and facilitator to promote the wise use and sustainable development of the global environment. UNEP's Economy division plays a leading role in the Green Economy Initiative (GEI), launched by UNEP in 2008. The GEI aims to transition national economies onto a new path, in which jobs and output growth are driven by increased investment in green sectors, and by a switch of consumers’ preferences towards environmentally friendly goods and services.
Located within Economy Division, the Resources and Markets Branch examines how economics, trade and finance interact with the environment and contribute to sustainable development at the local, national, regional and global levels. Located in Geneva, it heads the Green Economy Initiative to assist countries in integrating environmental considerations into economic and trade policies.
In 2018, the Sustainable Infrastructure Partnership (SIP) was established as a platform to promote and support integrated approaches to sustainable infrastructure planning and development. Integrated approaches recognize the centrality of infrastructure to the 2030 Agenda, and can help deliver optimal environmental, social, and economic outcomes of infrastructure development by considering the complex interlinkages between different infrastructure systems, sectors, phases, governance structures, and aspects of sustainability. In collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders, the SIP provides knowledge, facilitates international collaboration, and supports capacity-building at the country-level to foster systems-level approaches, which more fully exploit the complex interlinkages between infrastructure and the SDGs.
The specific objective of this consultancy is to support UNEP’s work for green economy transition of countries and for informing policy makers and other key stakeholders to better design and implement economic policies, enabled by digital technologies. To implement digital infrastructure projects, the Economic and Trade Policy Unit requires assistance for activities related to data and policy analysis, knowledge management, outreach, expert engagement and for scoping technical solutions related to incentive challenges that prevent companies from collecting and sharing the data for the compliance of green policies (such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, internet of things, additive manufacturing and big data for data collection, analysis, automation and dissemination), as well as for incentivizing information value generation and cost sharing.
4. Specific tasks and responsibilities
The main duties and responsibilities of the consultant, include, but are not restricted to, the following:
(1) Produce one briefing note on the consultations for the design of standards for digital product passports that track a product’s climate, environmental, and social impacts throughout value chains, focusing on an identified high-impact sectors; and one fact sheet on areas of collaboration identified under the EF Critical Capacity Investment: Digitalization with partnered initiatives.
(2) Deliver one engagement plan to reach technical experts on digital technologies being used to promote circular economy approaches to build a community of practice and organize a consultation with e-commerce platforms on challenges of standard enforcement and existing solutions.
(3) Produce one draft concept note and delivery of an expert group meeting on scoping “last-mile” data challenges in the compliance of sustainability standards and green economy policies, including a meeting report.
(4) Draft one concept note and organize an expert group meeting on “digital standards” of standards and Web 3.0 data markets, including a meeting report.
(5) Develop one draft use case on digitally enabled monitoring for a selected supply chain in Latin America or the Caribbean; one finalized piece with peer review comments integrated; and one publication webpage to present the knowledge resource product.
(6) Produce one briefing note with technical inputs for a global hackathon on innovative models of information value generation and cost sharing.
Advanced university degree in economics, political science, international development, law, computer science, international relations, communications, journalism, or other relevant field of study;
A minimum of 4 years of experience related to project / programme management on green economy, climate change, sustainable infrastructure, or sustainable development; and a good/broad understanding of digital technologies being used on supply chain management, environmental monitoring, and sustainability standards.
Experience and knowledge of open-source tools for web design, document layout and data visualisation, is considered an advantage.
Proven communication and writing skills in English are required. Fluency in Spanish or Portuguese will be 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.