Climate Change Adaptation, Environment & Resilience Specialist

UNICEF works in the world’s toughest places to reach the most disadvantaged children and adolescents – and to protect the rights of every child, everywhere. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we do whatever it takes to help children survive, thrive and fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines, we support child health and nutrition, safe water and sanitation, quality education and skill building, HIV prevention and treatment for mothers and babies, and the protection of children and adolescents from violence and exploitation. Before, during and after humanitarian emergencies, UNICEF is on the ground, bringing lifesaving help and hope to children and families. Non-political and impartial, we are never neutral when it comes to defending children’s rights and safeguarding their lives and futures.

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to uphold the rights of every child, everywhere, across programmes, advocacy and operations, with a deliberate focus on the most disadvantaged and excluded. Equity is at the core of this mandate, ensuring that all children have a fair opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination or bias. UNICEF recognizes that persistent inequities limit children’s life chances and undermine sustainable development, and that investing in the health, education, protection and well-being of the most vulnerable children accelerates progress toward the realization of the Convention on the Rights of the Child while strengthening the stability and prosperity of nations.

In the context of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss, UNICEF has reinforced its commitment through the Sustainability and Climate Change Action Plan 2023 to 2030, which sets out a comprehensive organizational response UNICEF Sustainability and Climate Action Plan 2023 to 2030, which sets out a comprehensive organizational response.

The Action Plan articulates three overarching objectives: to protect children and climate-resilient social services from environmental and climate shocks; to empower children and young people with the knowledge and skills to become champions for sustainability; and to reduce UNICEF’s own environmental footprint while advocating for ambitious global climate and sustainability commitments.

Through mainstreaming climate and environmental considerations across health, WASH, education, nutrition, child protection and social protection systems, and by strengthening partnerships with governments, youth, civil society and the private sector, UNICEF integrates sustainability and climate action as a core element of its mandate to safeguard children’s rights and ensure a liveable planet for every child.

• Support the mainstreaming of climate change (CC), environment, and resilience approaches in UNICEF-key sectors (nutrition, health, education, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), social protection, and child protection) within UNICEF and with Government counterparts and other partners through capacity building, development of tools and approaches, and integration into country programme planning and monitoring processes.

• Actively monitor UNICEF-supported activities through field visits, surveys, and exchange of information with partners to assess progress, identify bottlenecks, challenges, and issues, and/or refer to relevant officials for timely interventions.

• Engage with Social Behavior Change colleagues, UNICEF’s U-report team, Advocacy and Communication section, and youth networks on youth- and child-centered climate change initiatives, including raising the voice of youth and children at high-level climate change adaptation (CCA ) meetings.

• Support, as relevant, implementation of national policies/plans, such as the National Adaptation Plan, Nationally Determined Contribution, and sectoral plans where risk considerations are important.

• Represent UNICEF at Climate and Environment Working Group meetings and other external engagements related to the topic, as required, in the absence of the lead responsible.

• Support the documentation and knowledge management of climate and environment activities, including preparation of sectoral progress reports for management, donors, and partners, and the consolidation and dissemination of results and good practices from across UNICEF’s interventions for internal use.

• Support the development of concept notes and donor proposals, including the finalization of the Green Climate Fund proposal on strengthening the resilience of the health system to climate impacts, once it proceeds to Board review.

• Support organizing national and international climate change workshops/meetings within the framework of ongoing projects or events such as World Environment Day.

• Perform any other related tasks as required to support the effective implementation of the climate change and environment portfolio.