Junior Consultant – Sustainable Fiscal Policy and Public Finance

The work of the consultant will contribute to implementing the second component of the Global Environment Fund-funded ‘Net-Zero Nature-Positive Accelerator Global Platform’ project', which seeks to support countries to accelerate efforts to achieve net-zero nature-positive economies through the catalysing of finance and partnerships, the triggering of investment, the promotion of policy and governance coherence, and the curation, diffusion, and transferring of experiences, good practices and lessons learned. Subject to satisfactory performance, s/he may also support the IKI-FAST project, which seeks to implement or optimize public finance measures to direct financial flows towards the acceleration of biodiversity protection. In this regard, the consultant will contribute to UNEP’s ‘Climate,’ ‘Nature,’ ‘Science and Policy,’ and ‘Finance and Economic Transformation’ Programmes.

Remote

4 months

UNEP is the voice for the environment within the United Nations system, acting as a catalyst, advocate, educator, and facilitator to promote sustainable development through the effective use of the global environment. Its Industry and Economy Division plays a leading role in the Green Economy Initiative, which aims to shift national economies towards a sustainable trajectory. By doing so, it seeks to ensure that growth is driven by increased investment in green sectors and a transition of consumers’ preferences to sustainable goods and services. Located within this Division, the Economic and Fiscal Policy Unit examines the manner in which economics and public finance interact with the environment, thereby contributing to sustainable development at the local, national, regional, and global levels. The NZNPA Global Platform, as the coordination project of the GEF Net-Zero Nature-Positive Accelerator Integrated Programme (NZNPA IP), will address complex and systemic connections between climate change and biodiversity loss, supporting countries’ pathways to carbon neutrality while securing nature positive outcomes. To this end, the Global Platform will service, coordinate amongst, and create capacities and enabling conditions for the 12 countries taking part in the NZNPA IP. Under this integrated programme, these countries will be concomitantly implementing their own national NZNPA ‘child projects’. In this sense, the platform is a global ‘enabler’ that will support participating countries to achieve significant global and local environmental benefits through its enabling actions, which lead to further sustainable development co-benefits. In this regard, the Global Platform’s objectives are to accomplish the following three outcomes: •Outcome 1: Participating countries undertake NZNP planning, taking into consideration new global knowledge shared through the global platform. •Outcome 2: (i) Participating countries take steps to promote NZNP investments, taking into consideration new global knowledge shared through the global platform, and (ii) MDBs and DBs enhance coordination on NZNP financing and MDBs, DFIs and IFIs take steps to apply new global knowledge in NZNP investments. •Outcome 3: Participating countries take steps to disseminate and track NZNP actions, taking into consideration new global knowledge shared through the global platform. In this context, the project seeks to support countries to mobilize and catalyze public and private finance through component 2. Through Output 2.1, the project works with country child projects’ Ministries of Finance to strengthen the national enabling environment for attracting finance for NZNP investments. This will include providing guidance on how they may implement the Sustainable Budgeting Approach (SBA). The SBA enables governments to make more informed, transparent, and evidence-based policy decisions which influence investment allocation decisions. The SBA, therefore, serves as a powerful instrument for promoting sustainable development and aligning national budgets with the goals of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement. In this regard, Output 2.1 aims to promote the integration of climate, nature and development agendas in economic and fiscal policy design by supporting enhanced understanding, tracking and alignment of budgets with integrated NZNP considerations. It also aims to provide guidance on broader fiscal, legal, and regulatory frameworks aligned with private sector expectations and market dynamics. Another area of work is the ‘IKI-‘FAST’ ‘Fast-tracking Transformation through Sustainable Public Finance for Biodiversity’ project, which is funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and implemented in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) aims to contribute to a transformation of public finance systems in four biodiversity-rich partner countries, to align these systems with biodiversity protection and phase out public and private finance which encourages biodiversity-harmful business models. To achieve this goal, the implementation and enhancement of SPF measures will direct financial flows towards biodiversity protection and align public finance with biodiversity and climate objectives (Outcome) and in so-doing, contribute to a socially just and inclusive ecological transition as defined in national strategies and international agreements such as the GBF, the Paris Agreement, and the Agenda 2030 (Impact). To this end, UNEP is responsible for implementing the first and fourth outputs - the first being Output I: Knowledge, evidence and policy recommendations, and the fourth being Output IV: Global exchange.

Master’s degree in business administration, economics, public policy, law, or closely related fields is required. A multi-disciplinary profile is strongly desired. At least two years of experience supporting the implementation of projects on NZNP frameworks at country-level or green fiscal policy and public finance at the national and/or international levels is required. Experience researching frameworks related to green fiscal policy including tax, expenditure and debt policy, as well as familiarity with the Sustainable Budgeting Approach (SBA), is required. Experience supporting international workshops, webinars, or conferences related to public finance is required. Experience with environmental funds, such as the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the International Climate Initiative and with implementing partners, including Overseas Development Institute, Climate Policy Initiative and GIZ is a strong advantage. Experience supporting engagement with Ministries of Finance on fiscal policy-related initiatives is strongly desired and initiatives in fiscal reform and/or environmental policy, including on environmentally harmful subsidies is a strong advantage. Experience working at UNEP on fiscal policy and coordination with implementing partners is strongly desired.

Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required.

Not available.

THE 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.