Article 6 and Carbon Pricing Expert At UNOPS

Background

In 2021, the third session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA) set out the framework for voluntary participation by Parties and other stakeholders in market and non-market approaches that support the implementation of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) through the following decisions:

2/CMA.3 Guidance on cooperative approaches referred to in Article 6, paragraph 2, of the Paris Agreement
3/CMA.3 Rules, modalities and procedures for the mechanism established by Article 6, paragraph 4, of the Paris Agreement
4/CMA.3 Work programme under the framework for non-market approaches referred to in Article 6, paragraph 8, of the Paris Agreement

The decisions set out the framework for voluntary participation by Parties and other stakeholders in market and non-market approaches that support the implementation of nationally determined contributions (NDCs). In the annexes to the decisions, the Parties elaborated on participation requirements and governance matters, the rule basis for implementation, infrastructure requirements, and necessary operative provisions. Through the same decisions, Parties requested the Secretariat to design and implement a capacity-building program, including through its Regional Collaboration Centers, to assist Parties wishing to voluntarily participate in the mechanism established under Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement.

The UN Climate Change Regional Collaboration Centers (RCCs) support national climate action through capacity-building, technical assistance, and strategic networking – sourcing know-how and resources to help developing countries participate in efforts to address climate change. They were initially established to support the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) but have since evolved to support relevant workstreams under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.

UN Climate Change partners with organizations in operating six RCCs globally covering Asia and the Pacific: RCC Asia Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand; Middle East, North Africa and South Asia: RCC MENA-SA in Dubai, UAE; Eastern and Southern Africa: RCC EASA in Kampala, Uganda; Western and Francophone Africa: RCC WACA in Lome, Togo; Caribbean: RCC Caribbean in St Georges, Grenada; and Latin America: RCC Latin America in Panama City, Panama. The regional partners that act as conduit legal entities of the respective RCCs include the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES); the World Green Economy Organization (WGEO); the East African Development Bank (EADB); the Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement (BOAD); and the Windward Islands Research & Education Foundation (WINDREF).

Purpose of the Position

Under the direct supervision of the Regional Lead of RCC Asia Pacific, the expert will deliver on a work plan assigned by the relevant teams in the Markets, Non-Markets, and Stakeholder Interaction subdivisions in Bonn to support Parties in Asia and the Pacific in implementing Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

Tasks expected to be undertaken by the expert in the Asia-Pacific region will include:

Proactively identifying, prioritizing, and developing targeted opportunities for collaboration and partnerships. Managing and implementing these opportunities in line with the mandate, strategic direction, and guidance from the Regional Lead and relevant teams at the UNFCCC Secretariat.
Gathering, analyzing and compiling information from various sources (including those presented in NDCs) on the current and proposed use of market and non-market approaches for the implementation of NDCs, including performing qualitative and quantitative analysis on GHG mitigation impacts and other macroeconomic, fiscal, trade, social and broader environmental impacts, and creating a repository of information in coordination with substantive teams in Bonn;
Supporting Parties and Non-Party stakeholders in using market and non-market approaches for the implementation of NDCs, through cooperative approaches under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, including supporting countries in establishing domestic carbon pricing (policies or instruments), carbon market mechanisms, voluntary carbon markets, potential use of offsets, internationally-linked Emissions Trading Systems, that would support the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement;
Supporting RCC activities in reaching out to countries in the Asia-Pacific region to develop understanding on the needs for capacity building on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, including through establishing and strengthening relationships with policymakers, multilateral and bilateral development agencies, collaboration with national focal points in raising awareness on the benefits of cooperative and collaborative instruments of climate action and assessing the political appetite for implementing market and non-market policy approaches for the achievement of their NDCs;
Supporting national governments in the deployment of institutional arrangements and infrastructure requirements to fulfill participation requirements as defined in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

Tasks and Outputs

Detailed tasks and timelines will be elaborated and confirmed with the expert upon the start of the assignment. The incumbent will assume responsibility for executing the following tasks:

1) Support Parties in the implementation of Article 6.2, specifically reporting and review

Conduct workshops, trainings and/or webinars for the region to build countries’ capacity on reporting and accounting obligations and procedures under Article 6.2;
Support the elaboration of knowledge products on reporting and accounting concerning Article 6.2;

2) Support Parties in the implementation of Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM)

Support the dissemination of knowledge and the explanation of information emanating from the CMA and/or the A6.4 Supervisory Body (A6.4 Activity Cycle, Methodologies, or Standardized Baselines development procedures, Registry, corresponding adjustments, Sustainable Development Tool, among others).
Support Parties and DNAs in integrating Article 6.4 participation into broader national carbon market strategies, NDC implementation frameworks, and climate finance planning processes.
Provide support for activities entering the A6.4 pipeline.
Address procedural and methodological queries from designated national authorities (DNAs) and activity participants (APs) regarding the Article 6.4 activity cycle, in coordination with the Article 6 team based in Bonn, in accordance with agreed modalities of support, i.e., events, written outputs, in-person interactions, etc.
Assist in providing technical assistance to Parties and DNAs for establishing and operationalizing institutional arrangements, regulatory frameworks and national procedures required to participate in the Article 6.4 mechanism, as per the guidance of the Article 6 team at the secretariat.
Conduct capacity-building (CB) activities (webinars, workshops, and training sessions) to support countries and Activity Participants in their participation in Article 6.4.
Support the preparation of technical materials, guidance documents and knowledge products related to Article 6.4

3) Support the Implementation of Article 6.8 (Non-Market Approaches).

Conduct and lead the organization of regional workshops to facilitate the use of the Non-Market Approaches Platform and to disseminate its Manual.
Support and follow up with Parties on the nomination for Article 6.8 Focal Point.

4) Support the Implementation of the Collaborative Instruments for Ambitious Climate Action (CiACA) Project.

Support to countries in the Asia Pacific region in evaluating the design and implementation of carbon pricing instruments (or other economic instruments of mitigation action) through the elaboration of research work and publication of relevant studies.
Organize and facilitate Regional Dialogues on Carbon Pricing (REDiCAP), including the planning and delivery of regional workshops, peer-to-peer exchanges and capacity-building activities to support knowledge sharing on carbon pricing instruments.
Promote CIACA outcomes through publications and workshops.

5) Article 6 data and intelligence gathering

Maintain a database of relevant regional and national stakeholders, including implementing partners, regional cooperation, and progress on Article 6 readiness and implementation, and carbon pricing instruments, contacts in the region per topic and expertise (speaker, expert, moderator, etc).
Support the elaboration and maintenance of country profiles updating on country readiness status in relation to the participation in the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism and other collaborative approaches, as well as their associated gaps and needs.

6) Stakeholder engagement and collaboration

Establish and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including cooperation or partnership alliances with local entities.
Facilitate regular coordination meetings with key regional partners.

Location and Duration

The assignment is for a period of one year with the possibility of extension, thereafter, starting as soon as possible. The expert will be based in RCC Asia Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand. Travel within the region and beyond will be required as needed to deliver the outputs.

Supervision

The expert will work under the direct supervision of the RCC Asia Pacific Regional Lead, including for performance and administrative issues, and under the overall guidance of the designated Team Lead of the Markets, Non-Markets and Stakeholder Interaction Sub-Division of the UN Climate Change secretariat in Bonn, Germany.

The expert will be hired as a consultant and is not considered an employee of the UNFCCC secretariat. The expert will receive the required IT, office, and administrative support from the respective RCC partner.

Requirements

Education: Advanced university degree (Masters) in development studies, economics, business administration, international relations, environmental studies, or in a related discipline. A combination of a university degree plus substantial professional experience in the field may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree in the relevant discipline.

Experience: At least three (3) years of relevant professional work experience in climate change/environment, development cooperation, relationship management at the institutional level, stakeholder engagement, and/or capacity building. Knowledge and experience in addressing climate change are essential. Excellent oral and written communication skills, especially in communicating with technical experts and policy makers.

Additional requirements:

Experience in the design, development, operation or evaluation of market-based measures for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (e.g. emissions trading systems, offsetting standards or programmes, the international carbon market) is an asset**;**
Experience in ensuring the transparency and accountability of carbon market programmes and carbon market operations is an asset**.**
Thorough knowledge of the GHG mitigation ambitions of countries and their NDCs in the RCC region including deep understanding of the climate change policies, institution and regulatory frameworks being pursued by countries in relation to low carbon development and carbon market development, especially in the context of their NDCs is an asset**.**

Language: Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required.

The selected candidate should be responsible for ensuring a valid legal status to work in the Kingdom of Thailand.

Competencies

Applying professional expertise: Demonstrates a working knowledge and interest in the substantive functions of the work unit, including those not within own area of expertise; Manages effectively and fairly across different substantive functions to establish integrated, multidisciplinary teams to address complex issues; Coordinates the input of different functional specialists to achieve sound, integrated solutions; Drives others to develop their functional and substantive skillsets, and to build their understanding of related disciplines; Maintains and disseminates an understanding of best practice standards in all substantive areas represented within the work unit.
Communicating with impact: Communicates with confidence to external audiences and credibly represents the organization; Negotiates effectively with individuals and groups; Encourages effective and open communications within the unit, holds regular meetings and actively fosters communication among staff members; Delivers engaging and persuasive presentations that hold the attention of the audience, and presents complex information in a manner that is understandable to non-experts; Supports and coaches team members in the preparation of effective communication.
Delivering results: Creates policies, programmes, or processes which are mindful of minimizing potential negative social, economic and/or environmental impacts; Identifies the resources needed to deliver results, and manages their use to ensure the utmost efficiency, effectiveness and impact; Creates an environment where staff, regardless of their gender, family situation or other circumstances, are able to perform at their best; Promotes a mindset of results orientation, aligns systems and processes to support the achievement of results, and holds staff members to account for their commitment; Holds regular reviews to assess the results achieved against targets; Manages, reduces or mitigates risks without compromising results, where possible.

How to apply

HOW TO APPLY

Candidates whose qualifications and experience match what we are looking for, please send your CV/resume/P11, a letter of motivation (1 page), and a cover letter to Ms. Ariel Yu (YYu@unfccc.int) at RCC Asia Pacific**,** copying Nthongchan@unfccc.int. Please indicate “Application for Article 6 Expert” in the subject line of your email.