Result of Service
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global 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. The work of the consultant will contribute to Chapter 2 of the 2026 edition of the Decent Work in Nature-based Solutions report, focusing on the different roles of private sector in financing, using and implementing NbS. The consultant will lead the work that focuses on the role of micro, small and medium enterprises. The purpose of this edition of the report is to demonstrate in what areas and under what circumstance the private sector can be part of using NbS can deliver not just on the nature and climate agendas, but that they can also provide socio-economic benefits, including employment, and to quantify these benefits. Without that, it will be difficult to build a broad constituency of support for the scaling up of NbS. The purpose of the chapter is examine the roles of different private sector actors in a systematic manner, and map out the various benefits, incentives, disincentives and barriers that the private sector faces in its different when it wants to finance, implement or use NbS to achieve its business goals and create more and better NbS related jobs in the process. The consultant will work closely with another consultant working on the same chapter but whose focus is more on the role of large enterprises and multinational corporations.
Expected duration
2 months
Duties and Responsibilities
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global 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. Nature-based solutions (NbS) have gained international traction and attention since the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit in 2019 and more recently through processes such as the Intergovernmental Consultations on Nature-based Solutions supported by UNEP and new initiatives such as Enhancing Nature-based solutions for Accelerated Climate Transformation (ENACT). They cut across the three Rio Conventions and are central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The link is now being made between NbS and the issues of Decent Work and Just Transition, since increased investment in NbS will have important implications for workers and employers in certain sectors of the economy. In 2021 UNEP, ILO, and IUCN began a biennial series of reports on decent work in nature-based solutions in the period to 2030, coinciding with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The first and second reports were published in 2022 and 2024, respectively, and UNEP is now coordinating the preparation of the third report, to be published in late 2026. The overall theme of the 2026 report will be the role of the private sector in creating decent work in NbS. In this context, to complement existing in-house capacity and expertise, UNEP is recruiting a consultant to contribute to Chapter 2 of the 2026 Decent Work in NbS Report, which will focus on the roles of SMEs and other local and smaller scale private sector actors in financing, using and implementing NbS. Specific tasks and responsibilities 1) Strategic design and inception: • Map the different roles for micro, small and medium enterprises and other local private sector actors in in the use of NbS • Identify foundational literature relevant to the topic • Work with UNEP to identify key informants to invite for semi-structured interviews, aiming for diverse representation from sectors, ecosystems, type of NbS, and geographical locations • Schedule interviews with the key informants 2)Conduct stakeholder interviews: • Work with UNEP to develop interview guide • Conduct interviews with at least twenty stakeholders from the public and private sectors and civil society, with a focus on small-medium enterprises, other local actors, and public officials (e.g. municipal or regional government). 3)Conduct literature review: • Review existing literature on NbS applications and the role of private sector in various NbS applications. • Provide a reference list of any existing evidence encountered on employment implications and decent work dimensions in NbS, as part of the review. • Identification of knowledge gaps 4)Draft inputs to Chapter 2 of the report: • Synthesize the information gathered during the previous tasks into a draft chapter that covers the topics listed in the “output expectations” section of these terms of reference • Revise the inputs based on feedback. 5)Present key findings and insights to the Decent Work in NbS report project team
Qualifications/special skills
• Post Graduate Degree (Masters level or above) in international affairs, environmental science, environmental management, environmental governance, economics, social science or related field. A first-level university degree with two additional years of qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. • A minimum of five years of research experience related to nature-based solutions, sustainable development policies, private sector engagement, or job creation and decent work is required. • Experience in qualitative analysis, conducting literature reviews and stakeholder interviews, and developing high-quality knowledge products is required. • Demonstrated expertise in local private sector development and the nature economy is desirable. • Demonstrated expertise in decent work related policies is desirable. • Experience working in an international, multi-cultural setting is desirable.
Languages
English and French are the two working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English is required.
Additional Information
Not available.
No Fee
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.
