UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) – Asia Pacific Coordinator

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Application deadline 1 year ago: Sunday 19 Jun 2022 at 23:59 UTC

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Result of Service Expected results/outputs to be achieved:

1.Work plan for regional coordination in Asia Pacific. 2.Coordination of national consultants in countries including Japan, Korea, China and Indonesia. 3.Coordinate capacity building workshops and technical assistance with partners to facilitate setting and implementing targets by banks and insurers in the region, in line with the PRB and PSI work programmes. 4.Engagement of public and private banks to mobilise private sector financing towards achieving the SDGs. 5.Project management of donor funded projects and resource mobilization to scale up sustainable finance in Asia Pacific line with UNEP FI’s global strategy and work programme. 6.Knowledge shared across Asia Pacific financial ecosystem on good practice in managing and disclosing climate-related and nature-related risks and opportunities. 7.Awareness raised across the Asia Pacific financial system on emerging UNEP FI guidance, resources and tools, and supporting the UNEP FI work programme outputs to enhance policy environments 8.Coordinate events, peer exchanges and technical assistance to share good practice in responsible banking and sustainable insurance in Asia Pacific. 9.Financial sector players and market supervisors engaged to support adoption and implementation of the PRB, PSI, and related initiatives to advance sustainable finance in the region. 10.Collaboration with other important organizations in Asia Pacific (e.g. WWF Sustainable Finance, GFANZ Asia) on UNEP FI priority areas on sustainable finance.

Work Location Bangkok,Thailand (Remote working arrangement possible)

Expected duration The expected duration is 12 months.

Duties and Responsibilities The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 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.

The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) is a strategic public-private partnership between UNEP and the global financial sector with over 450 members. For 30 years UNEP FI has been shaping and driving the international sustainable finance agenda, setting global standards and growing a global network of leading financial institutions. Through its work-streams and regional activities, peer learning, methodology development, training and research, UNEP FI carries out its mission to help the financial industry align with and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals and with that take on the crucial role it must play in achieving a sustainable future.

In addition, UNEP FI has a strategic objective to implement global programmes through regulatory engagement regional delivery of implementation support/knowledge sharing/capacity building, including in Asia Pacific. The regional work programme supports implementation of the key industry frameworks - the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) and Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI) and thematic activities such as TCFD and TNFD. UNEP FI also operates country projects and activities in the Asia Pacific.

The consultant will assist the implementation of UNEP FI’s strategy to mobilise sustainable finance in Asia Pacific, working in co-operation with UNEP FI’s national coordinators in China, Japan and Korea. The consultant with coordinate with UNEP FI’s industry and thematic secretariats and the Asia national coordinator to ensure joined-up member engagement and activities across Asia Pacific, particularly in developing and delivering capacity building on PRB and PSI implementation on setting and implementing targets across the region. The coordinator will be responsible for outreach to banks to become signatories to the PRB and insurers to join the PSI and assist in the engagement of financial institutions in other UNEP FI initiatives such as the Net Zero Banking Alliance and Blue Economy Finance. The consultant will be responsible for relationship management with UNEP FI members to engage them to participate in UNEP FI’s work programme, promote leadership, raise awareness, and share knowledge. The consultant will establish and maintain partnerships to promote training and other capacity building opportunities to advance sustainable finance. The consultant will develop UNEP FI’s coordination plan for Asia Pacific and engage supporting institutions in accelerating sustainable finance. The consultant will liaise with industry associations, regulators and supervisors, relevant networks and other key stakeholders in the region, as well as coordinating events and convening meetings with financial institutions. The coordinator will support the Secretariat on member communications on sustainable finance in the region and maintain regional information on UNEP FI’s website. The coordinator will provide the Secretariat with information on members’ news and priorities to accelerate sustainable finance market practice in Asia. The consultant will support the UN Environment Secretariat as required. E.g., surveys, briefings, meetings.

Overall objective:

•UNEP FI members develop the capacity and implement the Principles for Responsible Banking and/or Principles for Sustainable Insurance to drive financing for sustainable development in the Asia Pacific. •Raise awareness and action among Asia Pacific financial institutions on sustainable finance. •Grow the UNEP FI’s community in the Asia Pacific and enrich the peer-to-peer exchanges within the community. •UNEP FI projects in Asia Pacific are implemented and completed effectively and in a timely manner. •Grow and enrich UNEP FI’s relationships with partner institutions, governments and the UN agencies and offices.

Specific tasks and responsibilities: Tasks:

•Develop work plan to advance sustainable finance in Asia Pacific through regional coordination, including sub-regions and priority countries, aligned with UNEP FI’s global strategy and work programme. •Coordinate with UNEP FI national coordinators in China, Japan and Korea for their activities in the region to support implementation of UNEP FI’s work programme for 2022 and 2023 •Support implementation of the Principles for Responsible Banking and Principles for Sustainable Insurance in the Asia Pacific through knowledge sharing, peer exchanges, technical assistance, events and workshops. •Facilitate capacity building across UNEP FI members on setting and implementing targets and coordinate collaboration across public and private banks and partners to mobilise private sector financing towards achieving the SDGs. •Develop a regional strategy for engaging development banks to scale up private financing •Coordinate with the UNEP FI industry and thematic teams to support work plan implementation including uptake of guidance/methodologies and tools, opportunities to participate in projects and events in Asia Pacific. •Outreach in the Asia Pacific to potential signatories to the Principles for Responsible Banking, Principles for Sustainable Insurance and collective commitments •Project management of donor funded projects and resource mobilization to scale up sustainable finance in Asia Pacific line with UNEP FI’s global strategy and work programme. •Coordinate externally funded projects in the region, namely the Joint SDG Fund Vietnam project on developing a sustainable finance action plan, the Joint SDG Fund Indonesia project on developing SDG-linked loans for SMEs, the SAICM Sri Lanka project on financing green buildings and TCFD and Net Zero capacity building activities/projects. •Knowledge shared across Asia Pacific financial ecosystem on good practice in managing and disclosing climate-related and nature-related risks and opportunities. •Inform project leads of national and regional context, regulatory and market developments such as taxonomies, financial sector priorities and needs where relevant to catalyse sustainable finance. •Support UNEP FI strategy on policy and regulatory engagement and awareness raising to create an enabling environment for sustainable finance and alignment of the financial system with multilateral agreement such as the Paris Agreement, SDGs and post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. •Collaborate with the communications team in Geneva and the Asia Pacific national coordinators to deliver regional and national communications to members and supporting institutions and update UNEP FI’s regional and national web pages for Asia Pacific. •Collaboration with other important organizations in Asia Pacific (e.g. WWF Sustainable Finance, GFANZ Asia) on UNEP FI priority areas on sustainable finance. •Coordinate on sustainable finance related activities in Asia Pacific within the UN system, in particular the UNEP Asia Pacific Office and Resident Coordinator’s Office in Thailand. •Coordinate with UNEP FI partners and supporting institutions in the Asia Pacific on sustainable finance. •Feedback on the local markets for training of the banking industry. •Coordination with GIZ and other key stakeholders in India. •Outreach and engagement of potential partners and banks. •Pilot participant outreach/recruitment.

The consultant shall be under the overall supervision of the Head of UNEP FI and report directly to Regional Coordination and Membership Manager UNEP FI. The consultant will work in close cooperation with colleagues in the Secretariat, particularly the national coordinator in China, Japan and Korea and regional, banking, insurance and thematic teams. The consultant will also work closely with project partners, collaborators in the UN system and government stakeholders.

Qualifications/special skills Skills: Required: Proven knowledge of the field of sustainable finance is required; understanding of drivers of sustainability in the financial sector in the Asia Pacific. Skilled in convening public and private sector stakeholders to create consensus or mobilise action. Ability to juggle varied work programmes, multiple projects and activities in an organized and timely manner; Excellent communication skills (listening, spoken and written). Strong interpersonal and relationship management skills. Ability to translate new and diverse ideas and concepts into practical outcomes, to identify and prioritize common interests in a diverse set of point of views. Strong project management skills and ability to deliver within project timelines. The incumbent is expected to work independently with minimal supervision and must have significant latitude to be self-directed and be highly motivated. Fluency in written and spoken English. Desirable: Problem solving ability skills, an established network of sustainable finance decision-makers /influencers/practitioners. Ability to mobilise resources and manage project budgets and donor reporting. Fluency in a least one Asian language would be an advantage.

Academic Qualifications: A Masters’ degree is required, business, finance, environment, sustainability, administration, social studies, international relations, marketing and communications. A First degree could be taken in lieu of advanced degree provided the selected candidate has 12 years of relevant experience.

Experience: At least 10 years’ experience of working with the financial services sector. Experience of working with public and/or private banks or insurers/reinsurers. Experience of building and managing relationships with external stakeholders. Experience of presenting and moderating conference calls and organising events/workshops. Programme management and project management experience in international organizations. NGOs or consultancies. Experience working on public-private sector partnerships, specifically in the sustainable finance field or in related field such as corporate responsibility. Event management and moderation/public speaking. Experience of writing/editing technical reports desirable.

Language: English is the working language of UNEP FI. Knowledge of other United Nations languages is an asset. Fluency in Asian languages is an asset.

No Fee 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.

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: careers.un.org