International Consultant to provide guidance and to support development of climate change mainstreaming recommendations for energy sector’s policies, strategies and programmes

Background

https://sc.undp.md/jobdetails/2285/

The Republic of Moldova’s INDC (NDC1) was submitted on 25 September 20151. According to it, the Republic of Moldova intends to achieve an economy-wide unconditional target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 64-67 per cent below its 1990 level in 2030 and to make best efforts to reduce its emissions by 67 per cent. The reduction commitment expressed above could be increased up to 78 per cent below 1990 level conditional to a global agreement addressing important topics including low-cost financial resources, technology transfer, and technical cooperation, accessible to all at a scale commensurate to the challenge of global climate change. To achieve at the national level the Moldova’s NDC targets, the Low emissions development Strategy by 2030 and the Action Plan for its implementation (LEDS 2030) were adopted by the Government2. The Strategy plans the low emission development for the following sectors: energy, transport, building, industry, agriculture, forestry and waste.

The decision 1/CP.21 requests those Parties whose intended nationally determined contribution pursuant to decision 1/CP.20 contains a time frame up to 2030 to communicate or update by 2020 these contributions and to do so every five years thereafter pursuant to Article 4, paragraph 9, of the Paris Agreement.

Thus, Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment presented on March 2020 the second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC2) of the Republic of Moldova3 to the Secretariat of the UNFCCC. According to it, Republic of Moldova intends to achieve more ambitious targets than in its NDC1. The country’s new economy-wide unconditional target is to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent below its 1990 level in 2030, instead of 64-67 per cent as committed in NDC1. As to the new economy-wide conditional target, instead of 78 per cent as committed in NDC1, the reduction commitment expressed above could be increased in NDC2 up to 88 per cent below 1990 level, provided a global agreement addressing important topics including low-cost financial resources, technology transfer, and technical cooperation, accessible to all at a scale commensurate to the challenge of global climate change, is insured. The Republic of Moldova has included in its updated NDC the adaptation component in line with Articles 2.1 and 7.1 of the Paris Agreement and Katowice Rulebook (COP 24). According to it, the adaptation priority sectors are agriculture, water resources, forestry, human health, transport and energy. Following, the LEDS 2030 was updated. This activity was conducted with the  support of the EU4Climate project and the draft of updated LEDS 2030 was delivered in June 2021.

According to Moldova’s National Inventory Report 1990-2016 (sources of data used in quantifying the reference points for Moldova’s Updated NDC), in 2016, about 72.7 per cent of the national net direct GHG emissions originated from the Energy Sector, being the most important source of total national direct GHG emissions. Other relevant direct GHG sources were represented by Agriculture Sector (17.8 per cent of the total), Waste Sector (10.7 per cent of the total) and IPPU Sector (5.6 per cent of the total).

Moldova’s updated LEDS 2030 establishes a GHG reduction target from the energy sector of 81% as unconditional scenario and 87% conditioned, compared to 1990. Thus, the energy sector is the one with the most ambitious GHG reduction targets. Achieving this target demands climate change mainstreaming into development policies, plans and programmes.

For details, please refer to the Terms of Reference.

Duties and Responsibilities

The overall objective of the assignment is to design and conduct a review and analysis of the national policies, legal and regulatory framework in the energy sector in order to make recommendations for the incorporation of climate change considerations into the respective sector planning processes.

Under the coordination  of the EU4Climate National Coordinator and in close cooperation with the staff of the Air and Climate Change Division of the MARDE and Energy Policy Department of the MEI, the consultancy aims to design and conduct a review and analysis of the national policies, legal and regulatory framework in the energy sector in order to make recommendations for the incorporation of climate change considerations into the respective sector planning processes, specifically to:• review established or on-going development policies, strategies, programs and plans in the energy sector from a climate change perspective and to ascertain their alignment with local, national and international priorities to facilitate the mainstreaming of climate change;• identify and analyze opportunities and challenges as well as priority directions for mainstreaming climate change into the energy sector’s policies, strategies, programs and plans and provide recommendations towards strengthening them from a climate change perspective.

For detailed information, please refer to Annex 1 – Terms of Reference.

Competencies

• Strong knowledge of Moldova’s climate change and energy related commitments under the UNFCCC, Paris Agreement, Association Agreement RM-EU and Energy Community Treaty;• Strong analytical and report writing skills demonstrated by previous assignments;• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written), demonstrated by previous assignments;• Ability to work with government and non-government entities, private sector andother civil society stakeholders including academia, demonstrated by previous assignments;• Proficiency in English. Knowledge of Romanian and/or Russian will be an asset.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:• Master’s degree in   Environmental Engineering,   Environmental   Management, ClimateChange Policies Development and Strategic Planning or other related fields is required.Experience:• At least 6 years of experience in climate change and/or energy policies formulation;• At least 4 years of working experience in the institutional consultancy on energy and/orclimate change related issues;• Experience in similar positions in an UNDP, UNEP, WB and/or EU-funded project or otherinternational organization would be an asset.

The UNDP Moldova is committed to workforce diversity. Women, persons with disabilities, Roma and other ethnic or religious minorities, persons living with HIV, as well as refugees and other non-citizens legally entitled to work in the Republic of Moldova, are particularly encouraged to apply.

https://sc.undp.md/jobdetails/2285/