Consultant: Climate Finance - African Strategy for Climate Change

The formidable challenge posed by the wide ranging, climate change impacts on Africa’s development prospects (which would include among other things, the realization of Millennium Development Goals, achievement of economic prosperity and improvement in social well being), has heightened the need for Member States to design robust approaches that would give instrumental direction, coherence and focus to their efforts in confronting the challenge. The significant increases in temperatures, the confirmed rises in sea levels, notable shifts in weather patterns, and other adverse effects on human health, natural ecosystems, and the economy, are critically serious that urgent strategic action is needed to address the climate change risks. In the 1990s, especially after the Earth Summit in Brazil in 1992, many Member States had devised climate change related policies, often articulated in National Environmental Action Plans (NEAPs), but these were neither accompanied by heuristic frameworks of implementation, nor by attempts to mainstream climate change into development policy in an integrated, holistic manner. The rationale for devising an African strategy on climate change is to provide Member States with a single source of strategic direction that would enable them to mitigate and adapt to the challenges of climate change. However, the challenges of mitigation, adaptation, technology transfer, capacity building, and so on, would need substantial amounts of financial and other resources to contend with. The economics and finance of climate change is a subject that will occupy the very centre of the discourse, and measures and action lines need to be identified and promoted to ensure that Africa mobilizes and acquires the requisite resources to address climate change.

Duties and Responsibilities

The objective of this exercise is to prepare a comprehensive chapter on climate finance that will provide the necessary material for the drafting of the overall strategy. The consultant will be required to prepare a chapter of roughly 30 pages, single spacing, that would take into account the broad themes under climate change finance. The chapter should have a log-frame that would breakdown the main specific areas of intervention, with very clear policy proposals. The consultant is expected to review relevant materials such as IPCC reports, UNEP and AMCEN reports, the sub-regional plans developed under the auspices of AMCEN and RECs should be consulted for reference and strengthening of the chapter.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies: Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values (especially the approach that UNDP takes towards, gender, trade and human development); Practices adherence to corporate rules, regulations and procedures; Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability. Functional Competencies: Good knowledge, understanding, and some experience of the international climate change architecture; Excellent research and data collection and analytical skills. Excellent report writing skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education: Master's degree holder (Ph.D. is an added advantage) in Environmental Law or any of the following environmental sciences, physical or biological sciences, or related field Have at least 10 years experience in leadership, and management of, climate change issues Have excellent knowledge of contemporary climate change trends in Africa and around the world Fluent in English or French and have a practical knowledge of one of the two languages; Computer literate and familiar with the Internet.

Consultant: Climate Finance - African Strategy for Climate Change