Local Energy Efficiency Consultant

Result of ServiceThe incumbent will undertake this part time assignment to perform the tasks mentioned above. Work LocationVientiane, Lao PDR Expected duration3.5 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre (UNEP CCC), together with the UNEP initiative United for Efficiency (U4E), is aiming to develop a set of procurement guidelines for sustainable air conditioning for government buildings in Laos. This stems from a large opportunity for financial and emissions savings, identified by U4E in the cooling sector. We believe implementing these guidelines in government buildings could have a positive demonstration effect in Laos and support the replication of these measures on a larger scale by the Lao government. The recommendations would include technical criteria, such as energy efficiency, refrigerants, durability, etc. They would also cover environmental impact and ESG guidelines. To this end, the support of a Local Energy Efficiency Consultant is required. Under the direct supervision of the UNEP Project Manager, the Local Energy Efficiency Consultant will collect data on energy efficiency to build a baseline of existing AC fixtures in government buildings, establish a connection with relevant government contacts, research existing energy efficiency policies in Laos, especially those pertaining to AC, undertake a quality review of Sustainable procurement guidelines produced by the UNEP CCC and translated into Lao, and present and discuss the draft procurement guidelines at a validation workshop. The consultant will also include the feedback from the workshop into the draft and help finalize the guidelines. The Local Energy Efficiency Consultant will be responsible for the following tasks which are to occur between May and August 2025. With support from UNEP CCC and another local technical consultant, the Local Energy Efficiency Consultant will apply his/her technical expertise and knowledge and leverage her/his network to fulfil the following tasks. 1. Collect data on energy efficiency to build a baseline & establish a connection with relevant government contacts (May). UNEP-CCC is looking to develop a set of sustainable procurement guidelines for AC targeting the Lao government buildings, as stated above. The team plans to assess the state of energy efficiency of AC in government buildings, to build a baseline for energy consumption and financial spendings. The benefits of implementing sustainable procurement guidelines could then be weighed against this baseline. Until now, available data has been limited to broad country assessments by UNEP’s initiative United for Efficiency (U4E), as well as assumptions on the stock of AC fixtures in Lao PDR, based on data from neighbouring countries. The consultant would support the UNEP team in evaluating the number and models of AC fixtures in Laos government buildings, ideally by contacting members of relevant government entities (Department of Energy Efficiency Promotion, Imports section of the Ministry of Commerce, etc.). This research could include securing records of which AC models are used in government buildings, and which are the most common; records of energy consumption for cooling from government buildings; data concerning the imports of cooling units by the government; existing guidelines, if any, regarding AC in government buildings. The consultant would then help organize the data in a comprehensible manner, to be used for the baseline assessment. 2. Undertake a quality review of Sustainable procurement guidelines (June). UNEP CCC will produce a draft of sustainable procurement guidelines including criteria for room air conditioners (RAC) based on technical guidelines for green public procurement and specifications for energy-efficient air conditioners by U4E (https://united4efficiency.org/resources/green-public-procurement-technical-guidelines-and-specifications-for-energy-efficient-air-conditioners/ ). UNEP CCC will tailor these to the Lao PDR context by the end of May. The recommendations would include technical criteria, such as energy efficiency, refrigerants, durability, etc. They would also cover environmental impact and ESG guidelines. The final product will be a compact set of actionable guidelines, for the government to procure energy efficient AC. The guidelines will ideally be replicable by the government at a larger scale (i.e., beyond government facilities) in the future. The draft will then be translated into Lao at the beginning of June. The local energy efficiency consultant will undertake a quality review of the draft and provide any edits or technical inputs required. This review will include a comparison to existing energy efficiency policy, especially for cooling, in effect in the country, to ensure alignment and avoid redundancy. 3. Present the draft procurement guidelines in Lao at a validation workshop in Vientiane (June/July). The consultant will present this draft in Lao at a validation workshop in Vientiane. She/he will communicate the findings to stakeholders and ask for feedback to improve the recommendations. She/he will help facilitate the discussion. The invitations and workshop organisation will be handled by UNEP CCC and another consultant but the Local Energy Efficiency Consultant will be asked to review the invitee list to ensure topical experts are in attendance to validate. 4. Include validation workshops and finalize outcomes (July/ August). The consultant will also include the feedback from the workshop into the draft and help finalize the guidelines. The consultant is expected to conduct the aforementioned project activities and submit the two deliverables mentioned below in a timely manner and at a level of quality satisfactory to the UNEP team. 1st deliverable – Data collection and quality review of the sustainable procurement guidelines 2nd deliverable – Slides of the presentation of the draft procurement guidelines, workshop participation, presentation and discussion, workshop report summarizing feedback, and final version of procurement guidelines including feedback. The consultant/individual contractor will report to Miriam Liliana Hinostroza Suarez at UNEP-CCC. Qualifications/special skills● A Master’s Degree or equivalent, in environmental engineering, finance, economics, public policy, development studies, business, management, administration or another relevant field is required. ● A minimum of 5 years of work experience in development project on energy efficiency, or HVAC systems implementation, working with national public institutions, private sector, academia or similar. 7 years of work experience in the same field is desirable. ● Sector experience: At least five years of experience with energy efficiency reforms and actions and experience in the energy sector. ● Demonstrated capability to undertake stakeholder engagement to validate technical contents relating to energy or energy efficiency in Lao PDR. ● Experience in presenting at workshops and/or similar events is an asset. Languages● Fluency in written and spoken English and Lao is required. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.