Result of Service

Through the development and deployment of an integrated implementation support and capacity building program related to circular economy financing, financial institutions will have an increased awareness and knowledge on the circular economy impact, risks and opportunities, and an increased capacity to engage with their clients and support them, through their finance products and services, to transition towards more circular business models, especially in high impact sectors. Financial institutions will have increased knowledge on the nexus between circular economy and climate, nature, pollution and the social agenda, and how to incorporate circular economy approaches in target setting and action plans on climate and other sustainability topics. Specific attention will be given to interlinkages between the circular economy and climate mitigation. Through the program financial institutions will also have an increased capacity to catalyse circular economy financing through regional initiatives, taking into consideration regional context.

Work Location

New York City, USA

Expected duration

12 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. The overall objective of the UNEP’s Economy Division is to encourage decision makers in government, local authorities and industry to develop and adopt policies, strategies and practices and technologies that promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production, make efficient use of natural resources, ensure safe management of chemicals and contribute to making trade and environment policies mutually supportive. It promotes the development, use and transfer of policies, technologies, economic instruments, managerial practices and other tools that assist in environmentally sound decision making and the building of corresponding activities. The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) is the strategic partnership between the United Nations and over 500 banks, insurers and investors. For over 32 years UNEP FI has been shaping and driving the international sustainable finance agenda, setting global standards and growing a global network of leading financial institutions. Through its work-streams and regional activities, peer learning, methodology development, training and research, UNEP FI promotes sustainable finance and helps the financial industry align with and contribute to the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals. UNEP FI convenes the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB), a unique framework for ensuring that signatory banks’ strategy and practice align with the vision society has set out for its future in the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. Over 300 banks have now signed the PRB to make a positive contribution to people and the planet. These banks represent more than half of the global banking industry. UNEP FI also convenes insurers that are signatories to the Principles for Sustainable Insurance and co-hosts the Investment Leadership Programme with the Principles for Responsible Investment. UNEP FI has recently established a thematic area focusing on Pollution and Circular Economy. This workstream will continue to build support on circular economy technical capabilities and help financial institutions address pollution risks such as plastics and chemical pollution. UNEP FI published a global updated guidance for banks on circular economy/resource efficiency target setting in 2023 and launched in July 2024 a series of guidance documents for banks on ‘Circular Economy as an Enabler for Responsible banking’, which explores how to operationalise the nexus between circular economy, and climate, nature, pollution and healthy and inclusive economies. UNEP FI continues to develop with a working group of banks further guidance documents in this series and plans to support its members in implementing these resources. UNEP FI is also working on regional initiatives to catalyse circular economy finance, and develops work at sectoral level, among others by executing the finance component of sectoral projects led by UNEP to trigger systems change to accelerate the transition to a circular economy in high impact sectors, inter alia in the textile sector through the ONE UNEP Textile Project and in the plastics value chain through the ONE UNEP Plastics Initiative. UNEP FI is also developing initiatives to enhance the collaboration between policymakers, development financial institutions and private financial institutions. UNEP FI is also supporting financial sector engagement to support the transition to a circular plastic pollution and plans to develop a program of work to support implementation within the finance sector of the future international instrument to end plastic pollution currently negotiated by member states. UNEP FI plans to establish a Circular Economy Community of Practice, which will aim to accompany financial institutions through their circular economy financing journey and will serve as a go-to platform for attaining action-oriented guidance, best practices and implementation strategies in coordination with other key stakeholders. UNEP FI plans to coordinate implementation support and capacity building related to circular economy financing, in order to develop an integrated support program for its members, at global level and regional level across sectors, especially high impact sectors, and through multistakeholder engagement with policymakers, development financial institutions and other relevant stakeholders. UNEP FI needs a consultant to support the development and deployment of an integrated implementation support and capacity building program related to circular economy financing. UNEP FI currently does not have the relevant capacity internally to carry out the stated tasks as shown below. UNEP FI needs additional capacity for the workstream Pollution and Circular Economy, to support the development and deployment of an integrated implementation support and capacity building program related to circular economy financing, which will aim to support UNEP FI members to raise awareness and build capacity on circular economy financing and to implement circular economy related resources developed by UNEP FI, including among others the following: • The Principles for Responsible Banking Guidance for banks on Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Target Setting, • The Series ‘Circular Economy as an Enabler for Responsible Banking’ which provides recommendations on how to operationalise the nexus between circular economy and climate, as well as other sustainability topics related to nature, pollution and the social agenda, • Resources developed to provide regional support to UNEP FI members based on global guidance on circular economy, for instance in the form of regional workshop materials for capacity building, • The finance component of the ONE UNEP Textile Project which aims to trigger systems change to accelerate the transition towards a circular textile sector, • Activities aiming at ending plastic pollution through solutions across the full plastics life cycle, especially related to the ONE UNEP Plastics Initiative and to the future international plastics treaty, • Resources developed by UNEP FI to enhance public private collaboration to finance the transition to a circular economy, including resources targeting development banks, • Resources developed to support the activities of the upcoming Circular Economy Community of Practice, • Resources developed by or with the European Energy Efficiency Financing Coalition launched in 2024 by the European Commission, whose UNEP FI is a strategic partner, • Resources developed by UNEP FI to support the implementation of the Principles for Responsible Banking, including the Guidance on Client Engagement. The Consultant will provide support to the Pollution and Circular Economy team as needed across projects developed on pollution or on circular economy. This may include support to foster circular solutions to prevent and reduce chemicals pollution and support the implementation within the financial sector of the Global Framework on Chemicals adopted in September 2023. The Consultant will provide support in collaboration and coordination between the Pollution and Circular Economy team and other UNEP FI teams, including industry teams (Banking, Insurance), thematic teams (including Climate, Nature and Social), capacity building team and regional coordinators. Objectives Objective is to develop the work plan and baseline analysis for designing the integrated implementation support and capacity building program, to develop the program and to start implementing it through the organisation of awareness raising, knowledge sharing and capacity building sessions. • The program will aim to increase financial institutions’ awareness and knowledge on the circular economy impact, risks and opportunities, and to increase their capacity to efficiently engage with their clients and support them to transition to more circular and just models with improved impact on climate, the environment and people. • The program will target UNEP FI members and will foster multistakeholder collaboration, including enhancing client engagement and collaboration with public actors and other relevant actors in the finance ecosystem. • The program aims to be action oriented and to support financial institutions in their action plans to achieve their climate mitigation targets and other sustainability targets, especially in high impact sectors. It will be developed and deployed at global level as well as at regional level, taking into account local context, in full coordination with UNEP FI Climate team, capacity building team, regional teams and other relevant teams. Specific tasks and responsibilities The Consultant shall have the following specific tasks and responsibilities: • Develop a work plan to design the integrated implementation support and capacity building program. • Develop a baseline analysis to define approach and priority areas for the program. The Consultant will engage with financial institutions, including Principles for Responsible Banking Signatories, Principles for Sustainable Insurance members and members of UNEP FI supported net zero alliances, to assess current knowledge and practices, identify gaps and define approaches and priority areas to be included in the program. The Consultant will also engage with other relevant UNEP FI teams, including the Capacity Building team and the Climate team to define how to best integrate the program into UNEP FI knowledge and capacity building offer to its members. The Consultant will engage with relevant UNEP teams and external experts and partners to inform the baseline analysis. • Develop the integrated implementation support and capacity building program to support financial institutions to advance circular economy financing. The program will aim to increase financial institutions’ awareness and knowledge on the circular economy impacts, risks and opportunities, and to increase their capacity to finance the transition towards more circular models. The Consultant will ensure that the program is action oriented and support financial institutions, including Principles for Responsible Banking signatories and members of UNEP FI supported net zero alliances, to embed circularity into their internal process and policies, client engagement, financial portfolios, advocacy and partnerships. The program will support financial institutions in implementing guidance documents under the series ‘Circular Economy as an Enabler for Responsible Banking’, among others, and will include a focus on how to manage interlinkages between circular economy and climate mitigation. The Consultant will design the program at global level and include modules or streams at regional level, as well as at sectoral level in high impact sectors or value chains, such as agriculture, plastics, buildings and construction, metals and mining, and textiles. It will consist in interactive sessions or workshops supported with short action-oriented materials, which may include client engagement templates. It will include examples of best practice and case studies. • Implement the initial phases of the program, by organising awareness raising and capacity building sessions. The Consultant will develop the support material for the session, design the agenda, organise speakers, reach out to targeted audience and hold the sessions. The Consultant will coordinate with relevant teams, including the Climate team, to develop the content of the sessions, and with UNEP FI Communications and Capacity Building teams to promote and organise the sessions. • The Consultant will build on existing UNEP FI resources on the circular economy and related topics, including the series of guidance documents ‘Circular Economy as an Enabler for Responsible Banking’ and on UNEP FI resources available for high impact sectors such as agriculture, plastics, metals and mining, buildings and construction, textiles. • The Consultant will coordinate closely with UNEP FI Banking team, including the Implementation team and the Capacity Building team, and with UNEP FI regional teams for deployment of the program at regional level with sessions tailored to the regional context. • The Consultant’s work will be developed in close coordination with UNEP relevant teams, and other partners and experts as needed. • Provide support as needed across the projects and initiatives developed and implemented by the Pollution and Circular Economy team. The Consultant shall be under the overall supervision of the Head of UNEP FI and report directly to Programme Management Officer, working in close coordination with the Pollution and Circular Economy Lead.

Qualifications/special skills

Education: A master’s degree in economics, finance, environment, resource management, sustainability, business, strategy, management, or a related field. A first-level university degree could be taken in lieu of a master’s degree provided the selected candidate has 5 years of relevant experience. The consultant should have excellent listening, writing and speaking communications skills. Professional Experience: A minimum of (3) three years of work experience, ideally in the area of finance/sustainable finance. Experience working in/with banks, insurers and/or investment firms is an advantage, as well as experience working in international contexts. Experience working in the area of resource efficiency/circular economy/pollution is a plus.

Languages

Languages: English is the working language of UNEP FI. Knowledge of other United Nations languages is an asset.

Additional Information

Skills & Knowledge: The candidate should have excellent proven conceptual, analytical, research, interviewing, writing and editing skills. The consultant should have strong project management, stakeholder engagement and consultation competencies. The candidate should be able to work in an organised and timely manner and have personal resilience to work effectively in a complex setting. Knowledge of sustainable finance and/or banking and/or insurance is desirable, as well as knowledge on the circular economy.

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.