Policy Lead, Forest Carbon Markets - FCLP

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UNOPS DSIP has been requested to support The Forest & Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP). This is a hosted entity.

The Forest & Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP) was launched by world leaders at COP27 and aims to accelerate global progress to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030 while delivering sustainable development and promoting an inclusive rural transformation, through a voluntary and focused partnership of countries that are making a strong contribution to this agenda through national action and international collaboration. The importance of the target in the Glasgow Leaders Declaration on Forests and Land Use of halting and reversing forest loss by 2030 has now been emphasized by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement in the outcome of the first global stocktake under the Paris Agreement.

To achieve its mission the FCLP members intend to:

• Maintain high-level political attention on forests and climate;
• Provide their combined political support to accelerate and scale implementation of a prioritized number of Policy Action Areas;
• Support implementation of the participating countries' self-determined national goals and encourage all countries to be even more ambitious over time; and
• Demonstrate impact and be answerable for commitments made.

The FCLP’s strategic direction is determined by the Steering Committee, comprising ministers from FCLP member countries, on behalf of their leaders. The Steering Committee comprises Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, DRC, France, Germany, Ghana, Guyana, Kenya, Norway, Peru and the UK, and is Chaired by the United Kingdom and Guyana. 39 countries are now members of the FCLP, which together make up more than 35% of the world’s forests and 60% of global GDP. 

The FCLP is supported by the Secretariat, which is managed and operates under the oversight of the Secretariat Board. Consultant work remotely. 

Under the Deputy Director - Policy’s oversight, the role will support members in developing and delivering shared commitments, notably the J-REDD+ Coalition, and facilitate alignment across policy, partnerships, and events. The appointed lead will need to enable inclusive collaboration between governments, NGOs, philanthropic and civil society partners.

1. Strategic and Policy Leadership

• Provide policy expertise and guidance to support FCLP members’ ambitions and commitments related to Forest Carbon Markets.  

• Provide technical input based on understanding of national and international policies to inform members’ decisions and prioritisation. 

• Develop high-quality technical documents, briefings, and analysis to be reviewed by the Deputy director - Policy, following specific requests from members to support informed action and policy coherence.

• Support coordination and liaison effort for the development, review, and delivery of annual workplans, ensuring alignment with FCLP priorities and governance principles.

2. Coordination and Delivery

• Coordinate member engagement and collaboration across the FCLP membership at the workstream level, ensuring clarity of roles and effective delivery of collective priorities, by ensuring regular meetings are taking place as planned, members are participating and engaging, and by keeping records of actions implemented by members

• Facilitate and enable delivery of workplan activities in line with FCLP governance principles.

• Ensure alignment between Forest Carbon Markets work and other FCLP functions, including Communications, Engagement, and Governance, by proactively sharing information within the FCLP Secretariat and supporting implementation of the Secretariat’s strategy

3. Partnerships and Inclusive Engagement

• Support the coordination of the JREDD+ Coalition, coordinating collaboration among members and partners to drive collective action.

• Foster and maintain partnerships with key stakeholders to advance shared objectives.

• Ensure equitable participation and engagement across the FCLP membership.

4. Events and Representation

• Coordinate FCLP participation in major events and global convenings, ensuring meaningful representation of priorities and contributions (e.g. UNFCCC COPs, UNGA, and regional platforms).

• Support FCLP members and partners in developing joint messaging, materials, and communication opportunities related to Forest Carbon Markets.

Required

• Advanced university degree (master's or equivalent) preferably in environment, policy, law, international relations, economics or related fields with a minimum of five years of relevant professional experience is required.

Desired

• First-level university degree (undergraduate, bachelor, or equivalent), preferably environment, policy, law, international relations, economics or related fields with seven (7) years of relevant experience is desirable

Required

• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience, including experience working on forests and land-use, climate change, REDD+, environmental law, or working in tropical forest countries. 

• Demonstrable experience of working on REDD+ land-use governance, carbon rights, land tenure, benefit-sharing, or related legal, policy or institutional issues in tropical forest country contexts . 

• Strong understanding of the policy, legal, institutional and implementation issues affecting high-integrity forest carbon markets, particularly jurisdictional REDD+ and results-based finance.

• Excellent written communication skills and experience drafting high-level documents.

• Experience working with government systems across developed and developing country contexts, including supporting policy processes, inter-governmental coordination, or engagement with public institutions 

• Strong stakeholder engagement and diplomacy skills, including experience working with senior government officials, ministers, international organiszations, technical partners, civil society, or private-sector actors. 

• Experience delivering events at UNFCCC COPs or regional Climate Weeks

Required

• Legal, regulatory or commercial experience relevant to carbon markets, environmental governance, land tenure, benefit-sharing, contracts, or public-private partnerships.
• Experience within a Secretariat, coalition, partnership, donor platform, or member-led international initiative.

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