UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) – Consultant Senior Technical Coordinator

at  United Nations

Result of Service
UNEP FI requires a Senior Technical Coordinator on Sustainable Finance Taxonomies to manage and technically supervise the development of the BST: · Supervising and technically coordinate the development of the sectoral technical annexes of the BST for the eight economic sectors in accordance with BST’s objectives as set out in its Action Plan. · Supervise the development of the sectoral technical annex for the adaptation objective for the priority economic sectors in accordance with BST’s objectives as set out in its Action Plan. · Technical coordination and supervision of the technical team deliverables set forth in the Agreement PCA-CC-001-2024 between UNEPFI and CBI, ensuring they are delivered with the agreed upon methodology and framework, expected quality and on the agreed upon dates. · Ensure that the application of the methodology is aligned with the process for developing activity-based technical criteria (metrics and thresholds) within each defined sector frameworks to ensure that science-based criteria are proposed. · Based on feedback received, revise the activity-based technical criteria (metrics and thresholds) and impact indicators within each defined sector frameworks for a) substantial contribution to climate change (mitigation and adaptation) and conservation, sustainable management and use of soil and forests objectives, and b) do no significant harm to all the environmental objectives included in the BST. · Ensure an in-depth assessment of the structural elements of other taxonomies (e.g., EU, Colombia, and Mexico), particularly the list of economic activities included and activity-based technical criteria (metrics and thresholds), relevant to develop the respective structural elements for the BST to enhance interoperability. · Ensure that the recommendations received by the technical roundtables and from the different levels of the BST’s governance structure (IC, Supervisory Committee and Advisory Committee) are incorporated into the working document of the BST. All changes must be documented and approved by the IC and Supervisory Committee. · Ensure that the recommendations received during the public consultation process are incorporated into the BST working document. · Collaborate with the Supervisory Committee to identify and incorporate cross-cutting considerations among different Technical Groups when developing technical criteria and the sectoral/thematic chapters. · Support and advise Brazil’s authorities in developing a taxonomy that address the local context whilst ensuring interoperability on a regional and global level and enhanced usability across users. · Coordinate with the consultants of all Technical Groups (GT in Portuguese) their respective Coordinators, to ensure coherence of the different elements of the BST and usability/practicality of the BST for its users. · Guarantee effective and efficient communication: a. Maintain close collaboration and communication with the technical team and GT Coordinators of the Technical Group / Secretariat of the Supervisory Committee, and the other members of the Technical Group. b. Work with the technical team to provide the Coordinators of the respective Technical Group with relevant information that will be part of the periodic report of the work and progress and results of the Technical Group. c. Maintain strict neutrality in the performance of their duties. d. Participate in project coordination, organization and implementation meetings C. Deliver capacity-building programme to financial supervisors, regulators, and financial institutions on the implementation of the Panama’s Sustainable Finance Taxonomy. D. Assess the interoperability of different national sustainable finance taxonomies (e.g., Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia) by applying them to a real-world bank portfolio and processes in the region. The Senior Technical Coordinator and sustainable finance taxonomies specialist with a focus on adaptation will also work as part of the UNEP FI Policy team, under the supervision of the LAC Policy Lead, and in close coordination with the Coordinator Consultant of the BST.
Work Location
Latin America and the Caribbean; home based with option to work remotely
Expected duration
11 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 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 over 32 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 promotes sustainable finance and helps the financial industry align with and contribute to the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals. Global policy and regulatory measures on sustainable finance have increased substantially over the recent years. Public policy critically affects the ability of finance institutions to generate sustainable positive and reduce negative impacts through financing decisions. It affects the sustainability and stability of financial markets, as well as social, environmental and economic systems. Sustainable finance policies have become central to enabling and accelerating a successful transition. UNEP FI’s activities in in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region contribute to expand the regional sustainable finance market with the aim to attract private capital towards environmentally sustainable investments. Working on policy and regulatory developments in the LAC region provides an unique opportunity for UNEP FI’s Policy Team to consolidate its position as a leading advocate for sustainable finance globally. In addition, UNEP FI has been mandated by several Member States to support the development of policy and regulatory frameworks in the LAC region including contributing to several Multilateral Policy Platforms on Sustainable Finance. At country-level, specifically, in Brazil, UNEP FI is supporting, together with GIZ, the German Agency for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH), the Ministry of Finance (MF) in the development, implementation and adoption of the Brazil’s Sustainable Taxonomy (BST). Both institutions were appointed as Technical Partners by the MF. GIZ and UNEP FI are part of the Secretariat of the Supervisory Committee led by the MF for the development of the BST. On 3 December 2023, the MF launched the Action Plan of the BST . The Action Plan is the first step towards the construction of the BST, whose technical development has been carried out during 2024 and will be extended during 2025. The development of the BST will unfold in multiple phases. During the initial phase of taxonomy development in 2024 and 2025, the technical criteria will be developed, with an initial focus on the climate and environmental objectives 1, 2, and 4 (Climate change mitigation, Adaptation to climate change, and Conservation, sustainable management and use of soil and forests respectively). As indicated in the Action Plan, the economic sectors selected to be part of the Action Plan were: • Agriculture, Livestock, Forest Production, Fishing and Aquaculture • Extractive Industries • Manufacturing • Electricity and Gas • Water, Sewage, Waste Management Activities and Decontamination • Construction • Transportation, Storage and Mail • Social services for quality of life and planning (tourism, urban planning, and Information and Communication Technologies) In addition, at country-level, specifically, in Panama and Costa Rica, UNEP FI is also supporting the national authorities in the implementation and adoption of their published national sustainable finance taxonomies. Since the publication of both taxonomies, UNEP FI has been supporting country authorities in the piloting of national taxonomies in the financial entities’ portfolio and processes (meaning banks, insurers, investors, and green bond issuers). Considering this context, UNEP FI will hire a Technical Coordinator on Sustainable Finance Taxonomies to work with the: A. Sectoral Technical Groups (GTs) and the technical team, comprising the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) and Ambire Global, in the development of the BST. The work of the Technical Coordinator, GTs and the technical team is carried out in accordance with the principles and guidelines established by the Interinstitutional Committee (IC) and the Supervisory Committee and under the direct supervision of the Secretariat of the Supervisory Committee of the BST. The Technical Coordinator on Sustainable Finance Taxonomies will be in overseeing the accurate and timely delivery of (i) the BST activity-based technical criteria for each respective economic sector, including the development of the technical criteria of (a) “substantial contribution” for climate change mitigation, adaptation to climate change, and conservation, sustainable management and use of soil and forests and (b) “do no significant harm” for all the environmental objectives included in the BST; (ii) the technical annex for the respective sectors for the BST document; and iii) the technical annex sectoral technical annex for the adaptation objective for the respective sectors for the BST document. B. Panama’s and Costa Rica’s financial authorities and the Project Coordination Units in testing the application of national taxonomies in the financial entities’ portfolios and processes (banks, investors, insurers, and green bond issuances). The successful candidate will play a critical role in supervising and technically coordinating the development of the sectoral technical annexes of the BST for the eight sectors in accordance with BST’s objectives as set out in its Action Plan, specifically regarding coordination of the activity-based technical criteria developed. Moreover, this candidate will also develop the sectoral technical annex for the adaptation objective for the priority economic sectors in accordance with BST’s objectives as set out in its Action Plan. Objectives: The Senior Technical Coordinator and sustainable finance taxonomies specialist with a focus on adaptation will work in tandem with subject matter experts, the GIZ, the German Agency for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH), the Brazilian Ministry of Finance, in accordance with the product approvals made by the Supervisory Committee and IC of the BST to deliver • Supervising and technically coordinate the development of the sectoral technical annexes of the BST for the eight economic sectors in accordance with BST’s objectives as set out in its Action Plan. • Develop the sectoral technical annex for the adaptation objective for the priority economic sectors in accordance with BST’s objectives as set out in its Action Plan. • Technical coordination and supervision of the technical team deliverables set forth in the Agreement PCA-CC-001-2024 between UNEPFI and CBI, ensuring they are delivered with the agreed upon methodology and framework, expected quality and on the agreed upon dates. • Ensure that the application of the methodology is aligned with the process for developing activity-based technical criteria (metrics and thresholds) within each defined sector frameworks to ensure that science-based criteria are proposed. • Based on feedback received, revise the activity-based technical criteria (metrics and thresholds) and impact indicators within each defined sector frameworks for a) substantial contribution to climate change (mitigation and adaptation) and conservation, sustainable management and use of soil and forests objectives, and b) do no significant harm to all the environmental objectives included in the BST. • Ensure an in-depth assessment of the structural elements of other taxonomies (e.g., EU, Colombia, and Mexico), particularly the list of economic activities included and activity-based technical criteria (metrics and thresholds), relevant to develop the respective structural elements for the BST to enhance interoperability. • Ensure that the recommendations received by the technical roundtables and from the different levels of the BST’s governance structure (IC, Supervisory Committee and Advisory Committee) are incorporated into the working document of the BST. All changes must be documented and approved by the IC and Supervisory Committee. • Ensure that the recommendations received during the public consultation process are incorporated into the BST working document. • Collaborate with the Supervisory Committee to identify and incorporate cross-cutting considerations among different Technical Groups when developing technical criteria and the sectoral/thematic chapters. • Support and advise Brazil’s authorities in developing a taxonomy that address the local context whilst ensuring interoperability on a regional and global level and enhanced usability across users. • Coordinate with the consultants of the other Sectoral and Thematic Technical Groups, to ensure coherence of the different elements of the BST and usability/practicality of the BST for its users. • Guarantee effective and efficient communication: a. Maintain close collaboration and communication with the technical team and GT Coordinators of the Technical Group / Secretariat of the Supervisory Committee, and the other members of the Technical Group. b. Work with the technical team to provide the Coordinators of the respective Technical Group with relevant information that will be part of the periodic report of the work and progress and results of the Technical Group. c. Maintain strict neutrality in the performance of their duties. d. Participate in project coordination, organization and implementation meetings E. Deliver capacity-building programme to financial supervisors, regulators, and financial institutions on the implementation of the Panama’s Sustainable Finance Taxonomy. F. Assess the interoperability of different national sustainable finance taxonomies by applying them to a real-world bank portfolio and processes. Specific tasks and responsibilities: The consultant will provide assistance in the following project/tasks: A. Supervising and technically coordinate the development of the technical criteria of the Brazilian Sustainable Taxonomy (BST), for the 8 sectors in accordance with BST’s objectives as set out in its Action Plan, as well as developing a technical annex for the adaptation objective for 7 sectors which include: • Supervising and technically coordinate the development of the sectoral technical annexes of the BST for the eight economic sectors in accordance with BST’s objectives as set out in its Action Plan. • Develop the sectoral technical annex for the adaptation objective for the priority economic sectors in accordance with BST’s objectives as set out in its Action Plan. • Technical coordination and supervision of the technical team deliverables set forth in the Agreement PCA-CC-001-2024 between UNEPFI and CBI, ensuring they are delivered with the agreed upon methodology and framework, expected quality and on the agreed upon dates. • Ensure that the application of the methodology is aligned with the process for developing activity-based technical criteria (metrics and thresholds) within each defined sector frameworks to ensure that science-based criteria are proposed. • Based on feedback received, revise the activity-based technical criteria (metrics and thresholds) and impact indicators within each defined sector frameworks for a) substantial contribution to climate change (mitigation and adaptation) and conservation, sustainable management and use of soil and forests objectives, and b) do no significant harm to all the environmental objectives included in the BST. • Ensure an in-depth assessment of the structural elements of other taxonomies (e.g., EU, Colombia, and Mexico), particularly the list of economic activities included and activity-based technical criteria (metrics and thresholds), relevant to develop the respective structural elements for the BST to enhance interoperability. • Ensure that the recommendations received by the technical roundtables and from the different levels of the BST’s governance structure (IC, Supervisory Committee and Advisory Committee) are incorporated into the working document of the BST. All changes must be documented and approved by the IC and Supervisory Committee. • Ensure that the recommendations received during the public consultation process are incorporated into the BST working document. • Collaborate with the Supervisory Committee to identify and incorporate cross-cutting considerations among different Technical Groups when developing technical criteria and the sectoral/thematic chapters. • Support and advise Brazil’s authorities in developing a taxonomy that address the local context whilst ensuring interoperability on a regional and global level and enhanced usability across users. • Coordinate with the consultants of the other Sectoral and Thematic Technical Groups, to ensure coherence of the different elements of the BST and usability/practicality of the BST for its users. • Guarantee effective and efficient communication: a. Maintain close collaboration and communication with the technical team and GT Coordinators of the Technical Group / Secretariat of the Supervisory Committee, and the other members of the Technical Group. b. Work with the technical team to provide the Coordinators of the respective Technical Group with relevant information that will be part of the periodic report of the work and progress and results of the Technical Group. c. Maintain strict neutrality in the performance of their duties. d. Participate in project coordination, organization and implementation meetings B. Deliver capacity-building programme to financial supervisors, regulators, and financial institutions on the implementation of the Panama’s Sustainable Finance Taxonomy. C. Assess the interoperability of different national sustainable finance taxonomies by applying them to a real-world bank portfolio and processes: • Data Collection: o Collect relevant data on the bank’s loan and investment portfolio, including information on sectors, activities, and geographical locations. o Ensure data quality and consistency. • Taxonomy Mapping: o Map the bank’s portfolio activities to the classification systems used in different national taxonomies. o Identify potential inconsistencies and overlaps between different taxonomies. o Develop a methodology for aligning different taxonomy classifications. • Interoperability Assessment: o Apply the different taxonomies to the bank’s portfolio and assess the consistency of the results. o Identify any discrepancies or challenges in applying multiple taxonomies. o Analyze the impact of interoperability on the bank’s reporting and decision-making processes. • Identification of Gaps and Challenges: o Identify any gaps or inconsistencies in the taxonomies that may hinder interoperability. o Assess the challenges in applying multiple taxonomies to a single portfolio. o Evaluate the data requirements and technical capabilities needed to implement interoperability. • Recommendations: o Provide recommendations for improving the interoperability of sustainable finance taxonomies. o Suggest potential solutions for addressing identified gaps and challenges. o Propose best practices for applying multiple taxonomies in a consistent and efficient manner. Outputs and Deliverables: A. Supervising and technically coordinate the development of the technical criteria of the Brazilian Sustainable Taxonomy (BST), for the 8 sectors in accordance with BST’s objectives as set out in its Action Plan, as well as developing a technical annex for the adaptation objective for 7 sectors which include: • A document with the final standardized methodology, templates, and other guidance materials for the Brazilian Sustainable Taxonomy (BST) (Product 2 of the PCA-CC-001-2024) • Final Technical Report of the first in-person technical roundtable of the BST (October 2024) (Product 5 of the PCA-CC-001-2024) • First version of BST’s technical annexes for the eight economic sectors to be presented in the in-person mission (Product 3 of the PCA-CC-001-2024) • First Version of the sectoral technical annex for the adaptation objective to be presented in the in-person mission. • Materials developed for the internal revision process (presentations, feedback questionnaire and other required support materials), and the feedback received by stakeholders and the responses provided (Product 6 of the PCA-CC-001-2024) • Second version of the BST’s technical annexes (objectives 1, 2 and 4) for the economic sectors approved by the IC and Supervisory Committee ready to be submitted to the first phase of the public consultation (Product 7 of the PCA-CC-001-2024) • Second Version of the sectoral technical annex for the adaptation objective to be submitted to the first phase of the public consultation. • Third version of the BST’s technical annexes (objective 1, 2 and 4) for the economic sectors approved by the IC and Supervisory Committee ready to be submitted to the second phase of the public consultation (Product 7 of the PCA-CC-001-2024) • Third Version of the sectoral technical annex for the adaptation objective to be submitted to the second phase of the public consultation. • An Excel document that includes all the comments received by the two phases of the public consultation process, how the comments were addressed. • Fourth version of the BST’s technical annexes (objectives 1, 2 and 4) for the economic sectors including comments received from the two phases of the public consultation to be approved by the sectoral working groups. • Fourth Version of the sectoral technical annex for the adaptation objective including comments received from the two phases of the public consultation to be approved by the sectoral working groups. • Final Technical Report of the second in-person technical roundtable of the BST (October 2024) (Product 11 of the PCA-CC-001-2024 • Final document of the BST’s technical annexes for the economic sectors (objectives 1, 2 and 4) approved by the IC and Supervisory Committee and ready to be published (Portuguese and English version). (Product 9 of the PCA-CC-001-2024) • Final Version of the sectoral technical annex for the adaptation objective approved by the IC and Supervisory Committee and ready to be published (Portuguese and English version) • PowerPoint presentation of the BST’s technical sectoral annexes and other materials developed for the launch event (factsheet about the BST) (English and Portuguese). (Product 10 of the PCA-CC-001-2024) B. Capacity Building Programme on the Panama’s Taxonomy implementation: • Training workshop for key stakeholders (ministry of finance, financial regulators and supervisors, and financial entities) on the practical implementation of the Panama’s Sustainable Finance Taxonomy (outreach programme syllabus, including all materials and guidelines used, and list of participants). This training workshop will include two modules. The first module will focus on building capacity in the financial institutions participating in the piloting phase of the Panama’s Taxonomy. The second module will focus on building capacity in the ministry of finance, financial regulators and supervisors, and financial entities on how to implement the Panama’s Taxonomy. Each module will have a limited number of session to be agreed. C. Interoperability assessment of applying different national sustainable finance taxonomies into a real-world bank portfolio and processes: • An outline of the report on the interoperability assessment of applying different national sustainable finance taxonomies into a real-world bank portfolio and processes. • A detailed report outlining the methodology, data, and analysis used in the interoperability assessment of the selected taxonomies. The report will include a set of guidelines or best practices for applying multiple taxonomies to bank portfolios and processes, prior identification of practical challenges and opportunities associated with applying multiple sustainable finance taxonomies. This information can be used to inform the development or update of taxonomies and promote greater harmonization and consistency across different jurisdictions and improve usability and practicability of these tools. The consultant shall be under the overall supervision of the Head of UNEP FI and will be reporting directly to the Programme Officer responsible for LAC Policy.
Qualifications/special skills
Education: A master’s degree or equivalent in economics, business administration, administration, engineering, finance studies, law or another relevant field. First level degree accepted provided relevant years of experience are provided. A first-level university degree in combination with twelve (12) relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. Professional experience: A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in finance, economic development, environmental law or international cooperation. Desirable: 3 years of experience in drafting sustainable finance taxonomies.
Languages
Languages: Fluent in English is required. Fluency in Portuguese and Spanish is desirable.
Additional Information
Special skills/Knowledge: • Leadership/management experience: at least 3 years of management/leadership experience as project team leader or manager in a company. • International cooperation experience: previous experience in international cooperation projects, with a focus on developing and analysing national and regional taxonomies. • Experience in climate change (mitigation/adaptation) • Experience with governance in taxonomy development. • Experience with national and cross-jurisdiction taxonomies. • Experience with standards, instruments, norms, initiatives, and metrics related to the environmental/climate/social aspects (systems/taxonomy for sustainable economic/financial activities). • Experience in taxonomy implementation projects. • Experience in facilitating knowledge exchange and dialogue with the private, public and third sector, including ministries, embassies, funding organizations, official authorities, regulating authorities, among others. • Experience in project management, client communication and policy analysis.
No Fee

Please refer the Job description for details