Carbon Market Readiness Consultant

GCF - Green Climate Fund; United States; A distancia; USD 90.000 - 140.000; A tiempo parcial

Descripción de la vacante

Green Climate Fund is seeking a Carbon Market Readiness Consultant to develop a strategic Readiness approach, diagnostics, country pathways and reusable support modules for enhancing carbon-market readiness across developing countries. The consultant will work remotely for an initial 80 days over seven months, collaborating with the GCF team and stakeholders to deliver guidance and implementation support.

The assignment covers a country diagnostics framework, modular guidance on institutional

Responsabilidades

• Identify the building blocks required to support country carbon-market strategies and enabling environments across domestic emissions trading and carbon-pricing systems, Article 6 mechanisms, and voluntary carbon markets.
• Review existing Readiness and related carbon-market initiatives to identify case studies, gaps and lessons, including country contexts and needs.
• Assess how Readiness support can help identify and develop investment pipelines where carbon markets or revenues contribute to project viability and mobilization.
• Assess how carbon-market Readiness can contribute to paradigm shift through policy change, market development, replication and scaling and mobilization of climate investment.
• Support consultations with NDAs, delivery partners, AEs and other relevant partners to identify demand and value.
• Draft strategic carbon market Readiness approach and country support package including diagnostics, modules, docs, and guidance.

Descripción del empleo

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Carbon Market Readiness Consultant

Location: Remote (Remote), KR

Company: Green Climate Fund

Background

The Green Climate Fund is the world's largest dedicated multilateral climate fund and invests in impactful, innovative, catalytic programs and projects in developing countries across the globe. The GCF has a portfolio of 360 projects across 134 countries, with a total commitment of USD 20.5 billion to date.

In 2023, an additional USD 12.8 billion was pledged, to support our new strategic and programming cycle from 2024-2027; our ambition is to grow to become at least a USD 50 billion fund by 2030. Rooted in the core objectives of impact and efficiency, access and a focus on the most vulnerable, and mobilizing a much higher scale of public and private sector financial flows for climate action we have an unparalleled scale of resources, which, together with our risk appetite and flexibility allows us to bring together different partners and stakeholders in innovative partnerships for profound impact.

Set up in 2010 by the 194 countries who are Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), GCF takes its responsibility as the world's largest dedicated multilateral climate fund to heart. GCF funds transformative climate projects across the developing world, supporting countries in their responses and actions to tackle climate change while fostering sustainable development within their communities. Our country-driven approach ensures that our actions are tailored to the unique circumstances and national aspirations of each nation we support. Besides channelling public and private sector investment through a broad range of financing instruments, GCF builds the capacity of developing countries to take climate action through an extensive Readiness Programme ensuring countries are increasingly well-equipped and financed to manage their climate futures. Headquartered in the Republic of Korea, GCF operates with a diverse and talented workforce of over 300 people.

GCF is seeking a motivated individual with a demonstrable track record of harnessing experience, energy and networks to tackle complex global climate change challenges, who is committed to making a positive, measurable difference through a mission-driven role and thrives in a fast-paced, diverse environment.

Objective

Carbon markets are increasingly relevant to how developing countries implement their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), mobilize climate finance and create incentives for low-carbon investment. However, countries differ significantly in their policy objectives, institutional capacity, market maturity and intended use of domestic and international carbon markets. Effective GCF support therefore needs to be country-driven and adaptable, while drawing on common institutional, policy, technical and market building blocks that can be applied across different carbon-market contexts.

The assignment will support GCF in developing a strategic carbon market Readiness approach that moves beyond stand-alone capacity-building activities towards a coherent pathway from country diagnostics and strategy, through strengthened enabling environments and institutional capacity, to pipeline development and investment mobilization. The approach should enable countries to determine whether, where and how domestic carbon-pricing instruments, Article 6 mechanisms and voluntary carbon markets can support NDC implementation, long-term climate strategies and national climate-investment priorities. It should also identify how GCF Readiness can contribute to paradigm shift through institutional and policy change, market development, replication and scaling, and mobilization of additional climate investment. These dimensions are reflected in the assignment’s proposed scope and deliverables.

Against this background, the Consultant will develop the evidence base, analytical framework and practical country support package needed to operationalize this approach under the GCF Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme. This will include reusable but country-tailored diagnostics, support modules, documentation and implementation guidance, taking into account potential linkages to the Project Preparation Facility (PPF), GCF investments and private sector mobilization. The assignment will also consider opportunities to integrate carbon-market development into country platforms, leverage complementary partner expertise and funding, and strengthen GCF's capacity to respond to varying levels of country demand.

The Fund seeks to engage a Carbon Market Readiness Consultant to undertake the tasks described below. The consultant will work with the GCF team remotely, but the Consultant may be required to travel for certain in-person engagements. The assignment is for an initial 80 days over a seven-month period.

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultant will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following tasks:

• Identify the building blocks required to support country carbon-market strategies and enabling environments across domestic emissions trading and carbon-pricing systems, Article 6 mechanisms, and voluntary carbon markets. The mapping should cover institutional and legal frameworks, Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) accounting, measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) and registries, integrity and safeguards, and market participation. Identify elements that can be standardized or reused across countries, while allowing for different market choices, levels of carbon-market maturity and institutional capacity. Develop a taxonomy of technical terms, key concepts, as well as the suite of standards, processes and methodologies applicable across high-integrity carbon markets.
• Review existing Readiness and related carbon-market initiatives to identify relevant case studies, good practices, gaps and lessons. Distinguish between planned activities, delivered outputs and evidence of operational use, and identify overlaps with support provided by other partners. The review should be complemented by analysis of relevant country contexts and requirements, including relevant NDCs and long-term strategies, climate-investment priorities, carbon-market potential and demand, institutional maturity, applicable national and international market arrangements, and the costs and benefits of participation.
• Assess how Readiness support can help identify and develop investment pipelines where carbon markets or carbon revenues could materially contribute to project viability, scale or mobilization of finance, including appropriate linkages to the Project Preparation Facility, GCF investments and wider public and private finance.
• Assess how carbon-market Readiness can contribute to paradigm shift, including through institutional and policy change, market development, replication and scaling of viable approaches, and mobilization of additional climate investment, taking into account relevant GCF results frameworks.
• Support consultations, as appropriate, with National Designated Authorities (NDAs), delivery partners, Accredited Entities (AEs), contributors and other relevant partners to identify country demand, existing support, capacity constraints and areas where additional GCF support could add value.
• Draft strategic carbon market Readiness approach and country support package, including: (i) a country diagnostic and strategic country pathway; (ii) reusable support modules covering relevant institutional, policy, technical and market building blocks; (iii) standard documentation and terms of reference; (iv) implementation and adaptation guidance; (v) pathways from Readiness to pipeline development and investment mobilization; and (vi) options for integration with country platforms where relevant.
• Map partner expertise, existing carbon market readiness activities and relevant funding (other multilateral climate funds, bilateral donors) to avoid duplication and anticipate delivery-capacity constraints should demand increase significantly.
• Support the application of the strategic carbon market Readiness approach and country support package to emerging Readiness country window proposals, by developing guidance for proposal reviews, including relevant alignment with existing Results Management Frameworks, and guidance for milestones developments; taking part in proposal reviews and recommending refinements on a case-by-case basis. The Consultant should focus on guidance developed and building capacity of relevant teams to apply the guidance. scope is subject to GCF’s confirmation with the Consultant.

Reporting Line: The Department of