Contract

Project

Inventory MRV Methodology Analyst

Expertise

Category

Advisory Support: Level G

Location

Duty Station

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Contract Length

Start Date

15 July 2017

End Date

31 March 2018

Part-time/Full-time

Deliverable based

Contract Value

Daily Rate

Deliverable based

Days Estimated

85 days estimated (deliverable based)

Total Fees

Up to $50,000 (dependent on experience)

Specifics of Recruitment

Introduction:

Based in Seoul, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is an intergovernmental organization founded to support and promote a model of economic growth known as "green growth", which targets key aspects of economic performance such a poverty reduction, job creation, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. GGGI works with countries around the world, building their capacity and working collaboratively on green growth policies that can impact the lives of millions. The organization partners with countries, multilateral institutions, government bodies, and private sector to help build economies that grow strongly and are more efficient and sustainable in the use of natural resources, less carbon intensive, and more resilient to climate change.

GGGI supports stakeholders through complementary and integrated workstreams – Green Growth Planning & Implementation and Knowledge Solutions – that deliver comprehensive products designed to assist in developing, financing, and mainstreaming green growth in national economic development plans.

GGGI is dedicated to supporting the creation and diffusion of a new model of economic growth, known as “green growth”. The green growth approach integrates economic aims such as poverty reduction, job creation and social development with environmental goals such as sustainability and energy security. GGGI’s activities center on three main strategic outcomes:

1. Strengthened national, sub-national, local green growth planning, financing, and institutional frameworks
2. Increased green investment flows
3. Improved multi-directional knowledge sharing and learning between South-South and South-North-South countries

The United Arab Emirates is one of the earliest founding members of GGGI and is a member of the organization’s Council. GGGI has been working with the UAE government since 2011, supporting the development of the National Green Growth Strategy (NGGS) and the National Climate Change Plan, two inter-related strategies for diversifying the economy and maintaining a robust, climate-resilient society.

Objectives/Purpose of the Assignment:

The Consultant shall support the establishment of robust national accounting and environmental management inventories, using best practice and well-recognized MRV frameworks and developing tailored set of methodologies in the areas of emissions of ambient air pollutants and/or Greenhouse gases, from identification, to estimation, to quantification, to reporting and to verification of emissions data. Domestically, these inventories will serve to better capture and manage data, thus supporting the implementation of energy and environmental policies and building local capacity. Internationally, they will help the UAE fulfil its obligations under various agreements and conventions to control emissions and protect atmospheric environment.

The UAE’s national inventories: background

Achieving the goals of national strategies in the UAE pertaining to the green economy, clean energy and climate change requires robust, reliable and dynamic data capture and reporting systems. This is exemplified in projects that have been successfully rolled out in the UAE such as the National Blue Carbon project, wherein a constant flow of data plays a major role. Establishing methodologies of data management and reporting and developing the capacity to implement them are crucial preparatory steps in the process of moving strategies into the implementation phase. There are a number of areas in the UAE’s where this process is required, the most important of which are the National Green Growth Strategy and the monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system.

NGGS implementation: background

Approved in January 2015, the NGGS is a federal initiative that serves as a blueprint for diversifying the UAE’s economy. It also aims to maintain strong economic growth while preserving natural resources and the health of the environment. Currently, there are no national inventories that measure the various data for the implementation of the Strategy, nor inventories on a national scale that measure data specific to certain programs such as waste, air quality and groundwater. The UAE government recognizes that without adequate data capture and reporting, the risk of delays to implementation and duplication of efforts is high.

National Climate Plan/MRV system: background

The UAE ratified the Paris Agreement in September 2016. In line with this milestone, the UAE has also completed the National Climate Change Plan 2017-2050 (to be released soon) and launched the Federal Energy Strategy 2050. These landmark policies reinforce the UAE’s efforts to realize the objectives set forth in the Vision 2021, National Green Growth Strategy, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

To date, the UAE has estimated GHG emissions at national scale with data for the years 1994, 2000, 2005, and 2012-2014. The datasets are used for the UAE’s National Communications to the UNFCCC (2007, 2010, 2013) and for developing the national GHG inventory on a yearly cycle. The emirate of Abu Dhabi completed two comprehensive GHG inventories with data for the years 2010 and 2012. Similarly, in the area of air pollutants, Abu Dhabi and Dubai separately developed emissions inventory based on a questionnaire with major industrial sources. For Abu Dhabi, the first air pollutant  inventory was made in 2009 covering SO2, NOx, Co VOC, PM10 and 2^nd inventory followed in2016. In Dubia, the first inventory measuring SO2, NOx, CO, VOC, PM, CO2 was developed in 2015.

Based on the current situation, there is a duplication of effort as the processes for Abu Dhabi and national inventories are not integrated but independently performed. This, there are opportunities for a more integrated MRV system at the national level, which will bring a wide range of benefits for the UAE’s national mitigation policies and targets in the context of NDC implementation. The UAE has begun the process of establishing a robust and operational MRV system, which meets international standards under the Paris Agreement toward enhanced monitoring and tracking of the UAE’s GHG emissions.

The Consultant will act as a technical expert and advisor to GGGI (and any team led thereby) in efforts to establish data inventories and management systems for UAE federal ministries, chief among them the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and Ministry of Energy.

The Consultant will report to GGGI and provide input and advice on the design, progress and completion of projects and provide feedback on quality of outputs, relying on experience of similar projects and applying his/her knowledge to the UAE’s context.

Scope of work

The assignment centers around developing inventory and data management methodologies based on international bets practice. The sector and project will be selected with the UAE government but will be within the bounds of the NGGS and atmospheric emissions inventory MRV frameworks.

The Consultant shall support GGGI with tasks along the following lines:

-          First input report covering (by project week 4 TBD)

• Outlining information and data about the Abu Dhabi inventory to facilitate comparative analysis vis-à-vis Dubai inventory
• Reflecting the first stakeholder meeting inputs (July TBD) and guiding the selection of the priority sector based on data availability and feasibility as well as stakeholder feedback

-          Second input report covering (by project week 8 TBD)

• Outlining key category identification and gap analysis considering the experience in emissions inventory in the UAE
• Introducing best practices on air emissions inventory system from Europe and other regions; and examine the applicability of these practices to the UAE context

-          Third input report covering (by project week 12 TBD)

• Identifying key MRV approaches for the development of a unified inventory that will integrate Abu Dhabi and Dubai air emissions inventory system, in line with international best practices and standards

-          Fourth input report covering (by project week 20 TBD)

• Outlining overall implementation framework for a national air emission inventory. The framework will include roles and responsibilities as well as institutional arrangements: mapping relevant implementation entities at the federal and local level, especially in the Northern Emirates; identification of required steps, coordination mechanisms, and timeline; and identification of capacity building needs, among others
• Reflecting the 2^nd stakeholder meeting inputs on MRV methodologies
• Guide the process of a sectoral inventory by compiling a preliminary estimate of emissions for priority sectors. The sectors and exact scope of the data exercise will be agreed after the first stakeholder meeting.

-          Final report (by project week 28 TBD)

• Integrated analyses covering the above four input reports
• The results of real data exercise and pilot national inventory

Precise format, lengths, contents of the input reports and final report will be agreed in consultation with GGGI prior to commencing the assignment

Output/Reporting Requirements/Deliverables:

The Consultant shall deliver four input reports at  key milestones of the project in report format  with dates to be agreed with GGGI at the commencement of activity. The final report will integrate all interim outputs after review and feedback by GGGI and UAE government while outlining step by step processes for the project.  

It is expected that the Consultant shall commence in July 2017.

All final deliverables must be in English, in accordance with GGGI’s formatting requirements, and submitted with complete sets of raw data, research materials, and interview notes. Inputs provided by government authorities, used for preparatory work with stakeholders and that were developed in consultation with CPF counterparts can be accepted in Arabic.

Qualifications/Experience/Expertise

• An Advanced degree (at least Masters, PhD preferable) in environmental science, physics, physical chemistry, air quality modeling, climate change or related field. with at least 15 years of professional experience in air quality and GHG inventory development, project management and/or research
• More than 15 years of experience, with proven experience in developing national ambient air quality/GHG emissions inventories and air quality management strategies
• Demonstrated track record in completing analytical and technical reports (both qualitative and quantitative) at the country level
• Experience in working with the government of the UAE or other GCC countries, international organizations, development partners, and high-level authorities
• Knowledge of UAE’s local development context specifically its economic, environmental and social policies, institutional and governance framework, and the like
• Ability to facilitate stakeholder meetings and mobilizing different development actors and stakeholders in consultative events such as workshops and high-level meetings
• Proven record in strategic planning exercises on air quality and GHG inventories
• Understanding of developing countries’ context in relation to green growth planning, resource conservation and environmental management
• Excellent analytical skills, critical thinking ability, and data mining skills
• Superb writing, editing, and proofreading skills in English, Arabic an advantage
• Strong managerial, communication and diplomatic skills