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 overall objective of the UNEP’s Economy Division is to encourage decision makers in government, local authorities and industry to develop and adopt policies, strategies and practices and technologies that promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production, make efficient use of natural resources, ensure safe management of chemicals and contribute to making trade and environment policies mutually supportive. It promotes the development, use and transfer of policies, technologies, economic instruments, managerial practices and other tools that assist in environmentally sound decision making and the building of corresponding activities. The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) is the strategic partnership between the United Nations and over 500 banks, insurers and investors. 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. UNEP FI convenes the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB), a unique framework for ensuring that signatory banks’ strategy and practice align with the vision society has set out for its future in the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. Over 330 banks representing close to half of global banking assets have now joined this movement for change, leading the way towards a future in which the banking community makes the kind of positive contribution to people and the planet that society expects. Most PRB Signatories have identified climate change as one of their significant impact areas, for which they are committed to set and implement targets to improve their impact on people and planet, and publicly report on progress, yet fewer banks have identified their pollution impacts. Yet these are issues of similar magnitude and importance for the banking sector, warranting target-setting and action on a comparable scale. Resource use is at the centre of the triple planetary crisis with resource extraction and processing accounting for over 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions and a major source of biodiversity loss and pollution, making implementation of the circular economy critical to achieve net-zero and other sustainability objectives. In order to transition to a more circular economy, it will be essential to unlock financing for circular business models and activities. This will require enhanced collaboration between public actors, including multilateral development banks (MDBs) and other development finance institutions, and private financial institutions. UNEP FI will work in enhancing collaboration between MDBs and private financial institutions by developing sectoral briefings and workshops in select high impact sectors to identify circular solutions and opportunities across the value chain, and blended de-risking mechanisms and solutions via blended finance to increase mobilisation of private capital. UNEP FI will also work in developing a proposal for possible pilot projects to pilot the development and structuring of circular projects in select countries and high impact sectors. UNEP FI does not currently have the required capacity to develop this work and needs a consultant to run this initiative. The consultant will develop sectoral briefing notes, workshops and a proposal for possible pilot projects. The consultant will work in close collaboration with UNEP FI Pollution and Circular Economy team, and with other relevant UNEP and UNEP FI teams. The consultant will also actively engage with relevant experts and stakeholders. The Consultant is required to develop and deploy a series of sectoral briefs for MDBs/Development Finance Institutions (DFIs). The sectoral briefs will aim to enhance understanding of the value chain and its hotspots, identification of circular solutions and opportunities across the value chain and their expected impact on climate, nature and pollution, while ensuring a just transition, guidance on possible indicators, sources of data, templates and tools to support engagement with clients and financial intermediaries. The sectoral briefs will include case studies and examples of investment opportunities, and will identify de-risking mechanisms and solutions via blended finance schemes to increase the bankability of circular projects and mobilisation of private capital. In order to inform the development of the sectoral briefs the Consultant will run desktop research and engage with MDBs, DFIs, private financial institutions, including UNEP FI members, with other relevant experts and stakeholders, and with relevant UNEP and UNEP FI teams. The Consultant will run consultations that can take the form of interviews, workshops, etc. Objectives: Enhance MDBs’ understanding and capacity on how they could finance the transition to a circular economy across some specific sectors and enhance collaboration with private financial institutions Output expectations: – Through the sectoral briefs, enhanced understanding by MDBs and DFIs of the value chain and its hotspots, identification of circular solutions and opportunities across the value chain and their expected impact on climate, nature and pollution, while ensuring a just transition, and enhanced knowledge of de-risking mechanisms and solutions via blended finance schemes to increase the bankability of circular projects and mobilisation of private capital – Through the workshops, enhanced MDB’s/DFI’s capacity at sectoral level and improved exchange and collaboration between MDBs/DFIs and private financial institutions e.g. on blended finance instruments that can support financing of circular solutions in the targeted sectors. – Through pilot project proposals, next phase of work developed in up to 3 countries (one in each region, LAC, Africa, APAC) and 3 sectors, and resources in place for Phase II of the work as from 2026 Specific tasks and responsibilities The consultant’s role covers both coordination and substantive delivery of the activities to be undertaken to develop the sectoral briefs, workshops, pilot project proposals and preparation for the next phase of work. This will include the following: · Run the Project Management for the development of the sectoral briefs, workshops, pilot development and related activities, including the definition of a detailed work plan · Lead the development and launch of 4 to 6 sectoral briefs to enhance understanding of the value chain and its hotspots, identification of circular solutions and opportunities across the value chain and their expected impact on climate, nature and pollution, while ensuring a just transition including gender considerations, guidance on possible indicators, sources of data, templates and tools to support engagement with clients and financial intermediaries. This will include the following: · Run desktop research to inform the development of the sectoral briefs, including detailed research on the value chains of each targeted sector (e.g. mining, buildings and construction, agriculture, textiles, plastics). This will include exploring synergies and co-benefits with the climate, nature, pollution and social agendas. It will also include desktop and market research on de-risking and blended finance schemes to increase the bankability of circular projects and mobilisation of private capital. · Prepare and hold consultations and/or interviews with various stakeholders, including financial institutions in various regions, especially UNEP FI members, MDBs and DFIs, and relevant experts, whose input will inform the development of the sectoral briefs. This will include understanding their existing knowledge, hotspots, opportunities and financing models related to circular economy solutions. It will also include identifying relevant case studies and examples of investment opportunities and examples of de-risking mechanisms and solutions via blended finance schemes. · Liaise as needed with UNEP FI and UNEP teams working on circular economy and its financing and/or in the targeted sectors, and incorporate their input in the development of the sectoral briefs · Draft the sectoral briefs including key findings and opportunities identified through research and multistakeholder engagement, submit them to financial institutions, experts, and other relevant stakeholders, submit them to peer review and finalise them · Coordinate the editing and design of the sectoral briefs · Lead the launch of the sectoral briefs, liaising as needed with UNEP FI communication team and other communication teams, especially within UNEP · The sectoral briefs will build on previous relevant work of UNEP FI and UNEP to support the acceleration and scaling up of circular economy financing and/or targeting high impact sectors, taking inspiration from best practices to develop and implement national circular economy action plans, and to support the implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements, as well as best practices related to the financing of solutions to end plastic pollution and solutions to manage interlinkages between the circular economy and the climate, nature, pollution and social agendas. · Prepare and hold a launching webinar and support the deployment of the communication plan to disseminate the recommendations of the sectoral briefs to the finance community and other relevant audience, in coordination with UNEP FI communication specialists and other communication teams as needed · Prepare and hold a series of 4 to 6 workshops with MDBs/DFIs and commercial banks, including UNEP FI members, on the basis of the sectoral briefs, to build MDB’s/DFI’s capacity at sectoral level and facilitate exchange and collaboration between MDBs and private financial institutions e.g. on blended finance instruments that can support financing of circular solutions in the targeted sectors. The workshops will build on UNEP FI’s work to launch a Circular Economy Community of Practice for finance. This will include developing the content of the workshops on the basis of the sectoral briefs, identifying and engaging with experts and potential speakers, reaching out to targeted financial institutions in coordination with relevant UNEP FI teams, including regional teams, and holding interactive workshops for all high impact sectors covered in the sectoral briefs. · Develop a proposal for the potential development of up to 3 pilot projects. This will include: · Develop a preparatory analysis to scope the pilots development · Engage with potential country-level partners, including development banks and private financial institutions, to define pilot projects design and objectives · Identify key risks and de-risking strategies to ensure pilot project feasibility and bankability the possible development of a Handbook for policymakers · Develop concept note, work plan and budget for each pilot project, ensuring alignment with development banks’ investment goals and including partnerships, financing mechanisms and operational steps for upcoming pilot phase · Lead fund raising efforts for the development of pilot projects in Phase II of the work as from 2026 · Develop recommendations for further development of the work, with a strong emphasis on execution, scaling and replicability of the pilots. · Liaising as needed with relevant UNEP / UNEP FI teams and relevant experts, partners and stakeholders · Ensure to incorporate findings and learnings from recent and current negotiation processes and /or support to implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements, such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the Global Framework on Chemicals and the future international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution currently under negotiation, in their aspects related to circular economy and its financing · Make best use of the work developed amongst others by UNEP and UNEP FI on the circular economy and its financing, especially in high impact sectors, on the nexus between the circular economy and the broader sustainability agenda, as well as on policy and sustainable finance regulation including sustainable finance taxonomies and circular economy categorisation systems and metrics, at global and regional level. · Mobilise experts as needed to provide input, feedback and comments and to share examples of best practices that are replicable and/or scalable. The consultant shall be under the overall supervision of the Head of UNEP FI and report directly to Programme Management Officer, working in close coordination with Pollution and Circular Economy Lead.
Qualifications/special skills
Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) is required, in business, finance, environment, sustainability, administration, social studies, science, or agriculture. A first-level university degree with 7 relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of advanced university degree. Professional Experience: A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible work experience related to sustainable finance, banking and/or circular economy (ideally in high impact sector(s)). Experience working in/with banks, insurers, investment firms and/or development financial institutions is an advantage, as well as experience working in international contexts. Furthermore, the candidate should have a track record of delivering consistently high-quality outputs on time and on budget. The candidate should have successfully managed complex, ideally multi-stakeholder, research projects or studies. Experience of stakeholder engagement is a plus.