GHG Accounting Specialist

Overview

Provide technical and methodological guidance for GHG accounting in evaluations.

You have:

• Advanced University degree/university degree in environmental science, climate change, natural resource management, forestry, agronomy, agricultural economics, or related discipline.
• At least 7 years of relevant professional experience in GHG accounting, carbon flux estimation, or climate change mitigation assessment in the AFOLU sector.
• Demonstrated practical experience with at least two of the three tools: EX-ACT, IPCC Inventory Software, NEXT.
• Working knowledge (Level C) of English is required; knowledge of French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian is desirable.

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

The independent Office of Evaluation (OED) conducts independent evaluations of FAO’s strategies, programmes, and projects at the global, regional, and national levels. OED is led by a Director who reports to the FAO Governing Bodies and the Director-General, and is mandated to generate credible and useful evidence to inform decisions, support oversight, and contribute to accountability. OED evaluates FAO strategies, initiatives, programmes, and projects covering strategic, thematic, country programme, and project evaluations. As part of its mandate, OED evaluates projects addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation, including a growing number of projects funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector. These projects routinely involve ex-ante and ex-post greenhouse gas (GHG) estimates produced using tools such as EX-ACT (Environmental eXternalities ACcounting Tool), NEXT (Nationally Determined Contribution Expert Tool), GLEAM (Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model) and the IPCC GHG Inventory Software. While all three tools may produce IPCC-consistent estimates for AFOLU projects, they differ substantially in methodological depth, scope, scenario-handling capabilities, and intended use.

Reporting Lines

The GHG Accounting Specialist will report directly to the OED Director and to the OED Better Environment Coordinator. The Specialist will work in close coordination with the OED GCF Coordinator, and with OED Lead Evaluators and Evaluation Managers, and will liaise as needed with FAO technical divisions (including ESA, OCB and CFI), GHG tool developers, and external evaluation consultants.

Technical Focus

GHG accounting and carbon flux estimation in the AFOLU sector; application and critical assessment of GHG accounting tools (EX-ACT, IPCC Inventory Software, NEXT, GLEAM); alignment with IPCC Guidelines (2006, 2013 Wetlands Supplement, 2019 Refinement); methodological guidance and quality assurance for project-level GHG estimates in FAO/GCF/GEF evaluations; and capacity development for OED staff and evaluation consultants.

Tasks and responsibilities

The GHG Accounting Specialist will be responsible for the following:

Technical Advisory and Methodological Guidance

• Provide systematic technical guidance to OED staff and external evaluation consultants on the appropriate selection, application, and interpretation of GHG accounting tools (EX-ACT, IPCC Inventory Software, NEXT) across different project phases (design, mid-term, final/ex-post). • Conduct a comparative analysis of results when using different approaches to measuring GHG emissions or reductions in emissions, specifically the IPCC Inventory Software, IPCC, and EX-ACT. • Advise on the harmonization of inputs, emission factors, tier levels, and scenario assumptions when cross-validating GHG estimates produced by different tools or different evaluators across the portfolio. • Assist in identifying methodological divergences, calculation errors, or data gaps in project-level GHG assessments submitted to OED, and advise on corrective actions. • Stay current with updates to GHG accounting tools, IPCC Guideline revisions, and evolving donor expectations for GHG reporting under the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF), and communicate relevant changes to OED staff.

Quality Review of GHG Estimates in OED Evaluations

• Review and validate GHG estimates (ex-ante, mid-term and ex-post) included in FAO projects evaluated by OED, particularly GCF- and GEF-funded projects, ensuring consistency with IPCC Guidelines. • Verify the completeness, accuracy, transparency, and comparability of GHG accounting applied in evaluated projects, covering all relevant AFOLU categories (land-use change, forestry, livestock, soils) and carbon pools (above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass, soil organic carbon, dead organic matter, harvested wood products). • Assess whether the tier level (Tier 1, 2, or 3) and the land representation (Approach 1, 2 or 3) applied are appropriate given available data, project scale, and reporting requirements, and flag cases where a simplified approach may materially affect results. • Apply cross-validation practices by re-running or spot-checking GHG estimates using a second tool where feasible, and by cross-checking data sources against national statistics, default IPCC values, or field measurements, in line with Recommendation 5 of the Comparative Study. • Identify non-AFOLU components of a project (e.g. Energy, Waste, Industrial Processes and Product Use (IPPU)) and advise on how these should be addressed in the GHG accounting. (recognizing that AFOLU source/sink categories and carbon pools are unlikely to cover the entire set of emission sources associated with a project in agriculture or forestry);

Transparency and Documentation

• Support the development and roll-out of OED’s standardized guidance document for methodological choices, capturing: assumptions and emission factors used; data sources and their justification; tiers and approaches applied; parameters and units; and comparison notes where multiple tools or sources are used. • Maintain or contribute to a decision log for methodological choices made in OED evaluations, improving auditability and consistency across the portfolio. • Ensure that any differences between OED’s re-estimated GHG figures and original project estimates are clearly documented, explained, and reflected in evaluation reports.

Capacity Development and Helpdesk Support

• Provide targeted technical training to OED staff and external consultants to build familiarity with EX-ACT, the IPCC Inventory Software, and NEXT, and with OED’s methodological standards for GHG-related evaluation findings. • Serve as an internal helpdesk resource, responding to technical queries from OED evaluators and consultants during active evaluations involving GHG accounting. • Contribute to the development of training materials, methodological annexes, and guidance notes that facilitate consistent tool selection and application across OED’s evaluation portfolio. • Collaborate with the evaluation team integrating GHG-related indicators and data into baseline, midterm, and final evaluation survey instruments, ensuring that data collected are suitable for ex-ante and ex-post GHG quantification. • Liaise as needed with FAO technical divisions (ESA, OCB), tool developers (IPCC TFI, ESA, OCB), and external institutions (GCF, GEF) to ensure OED’s guidance remains aligned with current best practice.

Strategic Support to OED Climate and Environment Evaluations

• Advise OED management on the criteria for identifying projects that require use of the IPCC Inventory Software for alignment with National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (NGHGIs) and the ETF, including the NDCs and thresholds related to project scale, duration, sectoral contribution, and budget (Recommendation 4 of the Comparative Study). • Support OED’s engagement with national partners, ministries, and NGHGI teams to facilitate earlier alignment of project data with national reporting needs, where relevant to ongoing evaluations. • Contribute, as requested, to OED’s participation in system-wide evaluation initiatives and to the development of methodological guidance for climate-related evaluations across the UN system.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced University degree/University degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in environmental science, climate change, natural resource management, forestry, agronomy, agricultural economics, or a closely related discipline relevant to the work of the Organization. Consultants with bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience • At least seven (7) years of relevant professional experience in GHG accounting, carbon flux estimation, or climate change mitigation assessment, with demonstrated focus on the AFOLU sector. o Demonstrated practical experience with at least two of the three tools covered in OED’s Comparative Study: EX-ACT, the IPCC Inventory Software, and/or NEXT. • Working knowledge (Level C) of English is required; working knowledge of French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian is desirable

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus • Teamwork • Communication • Building Effective Relationships • Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• In-depth knowledge of the IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (2006 Guidelines, 2013 Wetlands Supplement, 2019 Refinement), including tier levels, carbon pools, and AFOLU methodologies for land-use change, forestry, livestock, and soil organic carbon. • Ability to critically assess the methodological quality, completeness, transparency, and comparability of project-level GHG estimates against IPCC principles. • Experience with scenario analysis for climate mitigation projects, including baseline/BAU scenario development and estimation of mitigation potential across different project phases. • Familiarity with GCF and GEF requirements for GHG accounting and reporting in project design, monitoring, and evaluation. • Understanding of the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) under the Paris Agreement and its implications for project-level reporting and alignment with NGHGIs and NDCs. • Ability to communicate complex methodological findings clearly to non-specialist audiences, including evaluation managers, donor representatives, and country partners. • Experience working in or with a monitoring, evaluation, or quality assurance function within a development or multilateral organization is an advantage. • Work experience in more than one country or regional context, particularly in countries with significant AFOLU sectors (Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, South and Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and the Caucasus), is desirable.

Selection Criteria

• Extent and depth of hands-on experience applying EX-ACT, the IPCC Inventory Software, NEXT and/or GLEAM, to real project or country-level datasets in the AFOLU sector, including also experience in monitoring rangeland emissions. • Demonstrated ability to identify and document methodological divergences across GHG accounting tools and to advise on harmonization of inputs and assumptions. • Proven experience developing or contributing to methodological guidance, training materials, or quality assurance frameworks for GHG accounting in a multilateral or development finance context. • Demonstrated understanding of the relationship between project-level GHG estimates and national inventory reporting under the UNFCCC/Paris Agreement framework.

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 3 days ago - Updated 8 hours ago - Source: fao.org