Carbon Market Specialists

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems,for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. 

The Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB) works to ensure that countries and stakeholders respond to the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. OCB provides a cross organizational coordination role on issues related to climate change, biodiversity, and the environment, and is the focal point for major multilateral environmental agreements including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conferences (UNFCCC), and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). 

The Office also assists FAO Members in their responses towards the interlinked challenges of food security, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation including through facilitating access to climate and environmental financing (such as the GEF and the GCF). In addition, OCB hosts the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme, the Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture as well as FAO’s work on environmental safeguards.

The Climate Change Team (CCT) in OCB provides technical assistance, normative guidance and tools to build the institutional and technical capacity of FAO members to address climate change in agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector, in line with the FAO climate strategy and action plan.

Reporting Lines

The Specialists will report to the Senior Natural Resources Officer in Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB).

Technical Focus 

The Specialists will work in the Climate Change of OCB, supporting the organizing principle of “Better Environment”, linked to theProgramme Priority Area (PPA) on “climate change mitigating and adapted agrifood systems”, as well the organizing principle of
“Better Life”, linked to the PPA on “scaling up investments”. The Specialists will bring technical expertise domestic and international
carbon finance, voluntary carbon markets and the Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, in a view to support countries’ climate actions in
the agriculture sector across all production systems and associated natural resources.
In particular, the purpose of this Call is to identify suitably qualified and experienced Specialists with experience in carbon finance, voluntary carbon market, market approaches under Article 6, carbon finance project development and Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) for carbon markets.

Candidates may be invited to undertake assignments to a maximum of 11 months. The possibility of extension is subject to satisfactory performance and depending on the resources and needs of the Organization.

Tasks and responsibilities

Based on their competencies and expertise, each candidate will perform a selection of the following key functions:

Carbon finance – analysis, policy and regulatory framework

•    Assess carbon finance flows – historical and prospective – to the agriculture sectors and food systems;
•    Analyze carbon finance projects in the agriculture sectors and food systems to draw lessons for country engagement in future opportunities and further global and national carbon market and policy development; 
•    Review evolving carbon finance opportunities, standards and methodologies of relevance to the agriculture sectors, value chains and food systems; 
•    Assess potential of evolving voluntary carbon market to finance food systems transformation under climate change at global, regional, national levels and for different sub sectors;
•    Assess developments under Article 6 negotiations and their implications for the carbon finance opportunities for the agriculture sectors and agrifood systems 
•    Support FAO’s engagement with Article 6 negotiations and related technical discussions, including through preparation of submissions or technical briefs in cooperation with the relevant technical divisions in FAO; 
•    Prepare country and regional analysis on current and proposed use of market and non-market approaches for the implementation of NDCs; 
•    Support climate finance access for developing countries, including the development of readiness and project templates related to the implementation of Article 6 and carbon finance projects; 
•    Prepare guidance materials to support countries in identifying and pursuing suitable carbon finance options in the agriculture sectors; 
•    Support countries in adapting their policy, legal and regulatory frameworks to take advantage of evolving carbon finance opportunities while safeguarding national interests, ensuring environmental integrity and the rights and needs of vulnerable groups; 
•    Support the development of FAO’s strategy and programmes support to member countries on capitalizing on carbon finance including relevant partnerships; 
•    Develop project proposals for external financing to expand FAO’s support to member countries on carbon finance - Develop content for dissemination and capacity building products (technical webinars, policy briefs, analysis).
•    Identify and recommend potential projects and programmes on the voluntary carbon market for the Organization to engage; 
•    Support the stocktake of FAO projects and programmes to identify entry points for carbon finance at country, regional and global level; 
•    Prepare country and regional analysis report on capacity building needs on the implementation of institutional arrangements for Article 6; 
•    Develop a monitoring system to track Carbon Markets-related activities for both internal FAO and external market analysis. 

Carbon finance – design and implementation 

•    Assess the possible implementation of carbon projects under the requirement of Article 6 at country and regional level;
•    Support the development of a “How to Guide” to assess carbon market opportunities and access relevant opportunities benefitting relevant stakeholders in developing countries, in particular governments and Small and Medium Size Entreprises (SMEs); 
•    Assist FAO member countries interested to assess opportunities, requirements and eligibility to engage in carbon market projects; - support and strengthen capacities of countries in assessing relative merits of different carbon finance opportunities in light of country circumstances – biophysical, policy, and institutional/capacity; 
•    Support the origination, evaluation, and management of agriculture and food systems related carbon finance project pipelines where requested by member countries 
•    Carry out feasibility studies/assessments of specific carbon finance (project) opportunities 
•    Conduct financial and economic analysis of potential carbon projects to assess viability and appropriate financing models 
•    Support carbon finance project development, implementation and M&E; 
•    Support development and implementation of capacity building and readiness projects to implement Article 6. 

Carbon markets – MRV

•    Review and provide an overview of standards and methodologies in voluntary carbon markets and compliance markets or relevance to the agriculture sectors (crops, livestock, forestry, fisheries) and food systems; 
•    Review MRV requirements for different methodologies, standards and market segments and assess feasibility (for developing countries), complementarity with existing public data and information systems in different contexts; 
•    Assess cost of MRV (compliance) for specific carbon finance opportunities and contexts; 
•    Assess the applicability and pilot applications of innovative technologies in improving accuracy and/or reducing cost of MRV for carbon finance in the agriculture, in particular related to opportunities for small and medium producers and application in developing economies; 
•    Assess readiness of different agriculture sub sectors and production systems for carbon finance in view of MRV requirements and existing capacities, to identify early upscale opportunities as well as key priority areas for further development of methodologies and MRV protocols; 
•    Support development of methodologies for carbon finance in priority areas, especially for for application under Article 6; 
•    Provide technical guidance and capacity development support to countries and partners on MRV for carbon credits (under article 6 and the voluntary carbon market); 
•    Develop content for dissemination and capacity building products (technical webinars, policy briefs, analysis); - support and backstop South-South/peer to peer learning on MRV for carbon finance.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    University degree in Economics, Finance, Climate policy, Law, Environmental Engineering, and Agriculture, Environment, Forest Sciences, Remote Sensing, or related field;
•    One to four years for PSA.SBS CAT C, two to four years for COF.REG CAT C, at least five years for COF/PSA CAT B and a minimum of ten years for COF/PSA CAT A of relevant experience in issues related to climate change, climate finance, carbon markets, carbon finance project implementation, and climate, environmental, forestry and agriculture policy analysis;
•    Full proficiency/Working knowledge of English

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Knowledge of climate finance architecture, with a focus on carbon finance; ·
•    Knowledge and working experience in the field of addressing climate change are essential · 
•    Demonstrated experience in ensuring the transparency and accountability of carbon market programmes and carbon market operations is an asset · 
•    Knowledge of UNFCCC negotiations and decisions, and climate change policy environment; · 
•    Paris Agreement’s Article 6 implementation; · 
•    Carbon finance-related project development and management; · 
•    Climate policy research; · 
•    CDM and Market mechanism design. · 
•    Knowledge of the UN system · 

Selection Criteria

•    Limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of French or Spanish  or of Arabic, Chinese or Russian is an asset.