Title: National Foam Expert

​Requisition ID: 3400
Grade: SB4 - Local Professional (Junior & Mid Level)
Country: Home-Based (Mongolia)
Duty Station: Home-Based
Category: National Consultant
Type of Job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: NonStaff-When Act. Employed
Contract Duration: 84 working days over a period
Application deadline: 15-Feb-2024, 11:59 PM (CEST)

Vacancy Announcement
TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL
Only nationals or permanent residents of the country of the duty station are considered eligible.
Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission of UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013 as well as the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies in greater or lesser extent to all SDGs. Accordingly, the Organization’s programmatic focus is structured in four strategic priorities: Creating shared prosperity; Advancing economic competitiveness; Safeguarding the environment; and Strengthening knowledge and institutions.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Departments/Offices in its Headquarters, Regional Offices and Hubs and Country Offices.

The Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS), headed by a Managing Director, oversees the Organization's development of capacities for industrial development as well as industrial policy advice, statistics and research activities and the Organization's normative contribution to Member States and the global development community in achieving the SDGs. The Directorate also ensures the application of strategies and interventions for sustainable industrial development related to Environment, Energy, SMEs, Competitiveness and Job creation, as well as Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence. Through coordination in-house and with Member States and industry stakeholders, it ensures that the services provided in these areas contribute toward effective and appropriate technical, business and policy solutions and are focused on results and on realizing any potential for scaling up and positioning UNIDO as a leading platform for industrial development in developing countries and global fora.

The position is located under the Montreal Protocol Division (TCS/MPD) which is responsible for planning, developing, and implementing activities in Member States to facilitate compliance with the Montreal Protocol and, in particular, its Kigali Amendment and to support countries to achieve their determined contributions to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases under the Paris Agreement. Making use of the capacity building and policy support, the services of the Unit foster transformation in manufacturing concerning technologies used in refrigeration, air conditioning and insulation with the effect of a reduction and change in working fluids and chemicals and ultimately a reduction of total greenhouse gas emissions.

PROJECT CONTEXT

The Kigali Amendment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, to phase out the use of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) was adopted in 2016. The Amendment commits the Parties to cut down the production and consumption of HFCs by more than 80 percent over the next 30 years and avoid up to 0.5°C warming by the end of the century. UNIDO has assisted the member states in ratifying the Kigali Amendment. In the recently concluded meeting of the Multilateral Fund (MLF) Executive Committee in June 2023 in Montreal, Canada, the Executive Committee approved the cost guidelines for servicing sector under KIP Stage I. The Committee also agreed to support energy efficiency activities agreed as part of the Kigali Amendment, and established criteria and a funding window for pilot projects to maintain and/or enhance energy efficiency in the context of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) phase down to start at the 93rd meeting.

The Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol (MLF) is assisting the Government of Mongolia in complying with the Kigali Amendment for the phase-down of HFC substances under the Kigali Implementation Plan (KIP). The country ratified the Kigali Amendment on 31 July 2022 becoming the 137th country to do so, agreeing to cut the production and consumption of HFCs by more than 80% over the next 30 years. The Government of Mongolia has confirmed its commitment to meet the Montreal Protocol compliance targets for Article 5 Parties, Group 1, namely freeze by 1 January 2024 and 10% reduction by 1 January 2029 from the baseline consumption, through the implementation of stage I of the KIP.

The preparation of the HFC Phase-down Plan for Mongolia was approved at the 93rd meeting of the Executive Committee in December 2023. Mongolia endorsed UNIDO to prepare the investment components (foam) for the country’s Kigali Implementation Plan (KIP) for submission to the 95th ExCom meeting with UNIDO as the lead implementing agency for the submission of the KIP.

The phase-down of HFCs in the country will be addressed in the overarching strategy to be prepared. As the country’s foam sector uses HFCs, the investment initiatives will contribute to this action by gathering data from foam enterprises that use HFCs and by pursuing the phase-down of HFCs in this sector. In the survey report on ODS alternatives in Mongolia (2012-2015), five polyurethane foam manufacturing companies were identified, none of which confirmed the use of ODSs in their production processes. Instead, they were found to use low-GWP HFCs and HFC alternatives. In the Foam Sector two extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam manufacturing enterprises were identified to likely use a combination of HFC-134a and HFC-152a, or HFC-152a in combination with CO2 and alcohol. Five enterprises in the PU foam sector were found to use pre-blended polyol containing HFC-245fa or/and HFC-365mfc/227ea for rigid and integral skin flexible foam polyurethane products.

According to the ODS alternative survey and Country Assessment Report, the use of HFCs has picked up in Mongolia and the consumption of these HFCs needs to be monitored and data should be collected to develop foam sector-specific interventions under the KIP. The new foam industries being set up are mainly using HFC technologies. The detailed enterprise-wide information will be available after conducting a survey and collecting updated information regarding eligibility, HCF consumption, baseline equipment, etc.

During the preparation of the KIP, an expert team, including an international technical expert and a national expert on data collection, will be established. The national expert will work with the guidance of the international expert to compile, update, and analyze data. The international technical expert will work to provide specific, professional, technical expertise that informs proposal development and outcomes.

FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The National Foam Expert will be assigned to work under supervision of UNIDO and in collaboration with the National Ozone Unit. The National Foam Expert will primarily be responsible for collecting data on the use of HCFCs and HFCs in the foam sector through the distribution of surveys and conducting of interviews.

Main Duties Outputs Expected Duration Location