Climate-Induced Loss and Damage Specialist | UNEP Young Talent Pipeline

Mission and objectives

Since its inception in 1972, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been the global authority that sets the environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. UNEP’s mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, UNEP works through its divisions as well as regional, liaison and out-posted offices and a growing network of collaborating centres of excellence.

Context

UNEP's Ecosystems Division supports countries in conserving, restoring, and sustainably managing their terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, the biodiversity they contain, and the products and services they provide for human well-being and prosperity. It addresses the environmental causes and consequences of disasters and conflicts. It helps countries reduce pollution from land-based activities, increase resilience to climate change and reflect linkages between poverty and the environment in their development planning. Climate-induced Loss and Damage: Consequences arising from the unavoidable risks of climate change, like rising sea levels, prolonged heatwaves, desertification, the acidification of the sea, and extreme events, such as bushfires, species extinction, and crop failures will result in loss and damages being incurred by vulnerable countries across the work. As the climate crisis unfolds, these events will happen more and more frequently, and the consequences will become more severe. Following the agreement on Loss and Damage at COP28, https://tinyurl.com/37xpvbpy UNEP is embarking on a journey to support members states in unpacking new agreement to the national contexts. UNEP is, therefore, exploring how it can effectively support its member states through (i) gathering of cases and evidence that provide along the adaptation-risk-reduction-loss and damage continuum solutions (e.g., environmental dimensions to climate-induced mobility) and (ii) development of policy and advocacy related input to UNFCCC Warsaw International Mechanism, including briefs, key messages, submissions, background document.

Task description

As a part of the Team in the Ecosystems Division, and directly under the Nature for Climate and Disasters and Conflicts Branches, the IUNV will collaborate with the Heads of the two Branches above to shape UNEP’s position and direction on Climate-Induced Loss and Damage and how UNEP will support its member states in applying Loss and Damage to diverse national contexts.

As a Climate Induced Damage and Loss Specialist you will:

• Develop UNEP’s position/policy, messaging on damage and loss and lead the in-house consultation processes to ensure synergies on climate-induced loss and damage, adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and humanitarian action
• Lead formulation of UNEP policy and advocacy on Loss and Damage and provide related inputs to UNFCCC Warsaw International Mechanism, including briefs, key messages, submissions, discussion or background documents
• Gather evidence and lessons that provide along the adaptation-disaster risk reduction-Loss and Damage continuum solutions (e.g, environmental dimensions to conflict and climate-induced mobility) and how these can also be applied in fragile and crisis-affected country contexts, as well as transboundary considerations
• Track climate change negotiations and contribute to climate and disaster technical working groups and thought pieces towards the UNFCCC;
• Convene stakeholder dialogues and other global outreach events e.g. working with PEDRR, Global Adaptation Network, and other partners to convene science-policy dialogues/workshop, bringing together scientists, researchers, practitioners, and poli-cymakers and developing an Action Agenda along the Loss and Damage agenda.

Results/Expected Outputs

• Fully acquainted with UNEP’s approach to climate-induced damage and loss and supported the implementation of its projects and activities. • Coordination of UNEP’s work on climate-induced damage and loss well facilitated.
• Climate induced damage and loss projects contributed to the implementation of the UNEP Programme of Work.
• Contributed to technical delivery of related project activities.