BBRsO119184:Economist/Climate Finance Expert

Contract

This is a International Consultant contract. More about International Consultant contracts.

Background

To apply, interested persons should upload the combined* Technical Proposal/Methodology (if applicable), CV and Offeror’s Letter to “UNDP Jobs” by navigating to the link below and clicking “APPLY NOW”, no later than the date indicated on the “UNDP Jobs” website. Applications submitted via email will not be accepted**: -

UNDP Job Site – https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=95970 (cut and paste into browser address bar if the link does not work)

* PLEASE NOTE: The system allows the upload of one (1) document ONLY – if you are required to submit a Technical Proposal/Methodology, this document along with your CV/P11 and Offeror’s Letter, MUST be combined and uploaded as one.

NOTE: The Financial Proposal should not be uploaded to “UNDP Jobs”**.

<IMPORTANT>

**Please email the password-protected Financial Proposal to [email protected]. The subject line of your email must contain the following: “BBRSO##### Financial Proposal – Your Name”

If the password for your Financial Proposal is required, it will be requested by the Procurement Unit.

Any request for clarification must be sent in writing to [email protected] within three (3) days of the publication of this notice, ensuring that the reference number above is included in the subject line. The UNDP Barbados & the OECS Procurement Unit will post the responses*** two (2) days later, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to: -

http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=73972 (cut and paste into browser address bar if the link does not work)

A detailed Procurement Notice, TOR, and all annexes can be found by clicking the above link.

*** UNDP shall endeavour to provide such responses to clarifications in an expeditious manner, but any delay in such response shall not cause an obligation on the part of UNDP to extend the submission date of the Proposals, unless UNDP deems that such an extension is justified and necessary

Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries unanimously agreed to work toward global goals that would limit global average temperature rise. Specifically, the Agreement seeks to limit the rise in the world’s average surface temperatures to “well below” 2°C above pre-industrial times this century, while “pursuing efforts” for 1.5°C. It also sets a target of eliminating global GHG emissions by the second half of the century – or at least compensating any residual emissions through, for example, forest growth.

A key principle in the Paris Agreement is that no country should backslide on its intentions, which were put forward in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which describe each country’s self-determined strategy for curbing GHG emissions, typically in five- or ten-year periods and can also include plans to increase resilience. Individually, NDCs represent each country’s climate priorities and vision for achieving sustainable development. Aggregated, they represent the world’s collective efforts to fight climate change. However current NDCs are estimated to collectively result in a temperature rise of 2.9 to 3.4 °C by 2100.

All countries are expected to submit increasingly ambitious NDCs every five years; a first opportunity to do so is in 2020. Achieving the Paris Agreement’s goals will require an emissions peak as soon as possible, followed by sharp reductions in GHG emissions. Therefore, many see high ambition in 2020 as fundamental to get on track to 1.5°C and counter a worrying trend of rising emissions. The transformative climate action required needs a global commitment to raising ambition, articulated in the next generation of NDCs, to create economic drivers that shift investments away from fossil fuel use and carbon-intensive practices.

In response, UNDP is leveraging its extensive climate portfolio and scale up urgently needed support for NDC enhancement in 100 countries, working in close collaboration with UN system partners (e.g. UNEP, FAO, UNICEF), IRENA, the NDC Partnership, the Green Climate Fund, and other strategic partners. An integrated approach will be used that harnesses the wide-ranging expertise of UNDP’s Global Policy Network to strengthen climate solutions with perspectives from governance, health, water, gender equality, women’s and youth empowerment, disaster risk reduction, and inclusive growth, among others.

The UNDP through its Climate Promise initiative is assisting St. Vincent & the Grenadines (SVG) in its efforts to update its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). UNDP will support activities that will contribute to raised mitigation and adaptation ambition in the revised NDC. It is expected that the implementation of the NDCs will be closely linked to global and local goals and agreements such Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other national sectoral policies. As such the UNDP is seeking to hire a consultant to undertake an economic impact assessment of the mitigation and adaptation approaches included in the updated NDC. The assessment should analyse the set of social economic implications in SVG for the selected NDC targets/policies and provide recommendations on policy actions to improve capacity to review, update and report on the NDC implementation.

Duties and Responsibilities

The main objective of this assignment is to assess the socio-economic impacts of NDC targets/measures in St. Vincent & the Grenadines. This would include the development of an integrated assessment approach to assess the continued social economic impacts of NDC targets.

As such, the engaged expert(s) will be expected to conduct/provide the following:

1. Discuss with local stakeholders the socio-economic implications related to the implementation of NDC targets.

   1. Discussion should include but not be limited to development pathways that bear different economic costs and benefits.
2. Assess the social economic impacts of key emission reduction targets in related sectors and the total impact that achieving the NDC targets could have in St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
3. Identify risks associated with achieving NDC targets.
4. Conduct consultations with decision makers and line ministry officials.
5. The consultant will also be expected to provide recommendations for research and policies to strengthen NDC implementation and to support future activities related to NDC update and review.
6. Provide recommendations on social assistance schemes on the immediate, short-medium terms and long-term to alleviate the proposed socio-economic impacts.

Competencies

Functional

• Strong analytical, negotiation and communication skills, including ability to produce high quality practical advisory reports and knowledge products;
• Professional and/or academic experience in one or more of the areas of sustainable development
• Ability to produce high quality outputs in a timely manner while understanding and anticipating the evolving client needs;
• Strong organisational skills;
• Ability to work independently, produce high quality outputs.
• Communication
• Strong ability to write clearly and convincingly, adapting style and content to different audiences and speak clearly and convincingly;
• Strong analytical, research and writing skills with demonstrated ability to think strategically;
• Strong inter-personal, negotiation and liaison skills.

Required Skills and Experience

• Master’s degree in a relevant field, such as Economics, Environmental Science, Climate Change, Environmental Policy, Development Economics, Environmental Economics, or related fields