Policy Specialist Air Pollution and Health

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Description

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UNDP is starting a new one-year project funded by the Clean Air Fund, with the aim to integrate air quality considerations and super pollutants (such as black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone and hydrofluorocarbons) into the climate change mitigation and adaptation activities of the next generation of NDCs in 2025. Activities that aim to improve air quality and reduce exposure to super pollutants can take place across various sectors, including energy, transport, urban planning, health, and beyond. The project intends to contribute to increased understanding of the health harms of super pollutants and awareness of integrated approaches to climate action and air quality across UNDP teams (Climate, Energy and Chemicals Hubs), to enable them to integrate these considerations into their support to countries, particularly around NDC development. It also aims to provide targeted support to a minimum of eight countries to integrate air quality and health considerations into their NDC consultation processes and submissions.

The Policy Specialist, Air Pollution and Health will report to Deputy Director HHG based in UNDP Headquarters in New York. S(he) will provide engagement, coordination, capacity-building, communication and guidance during the project, in close collaboration with UNDP’s Climate and Energy Hubs.

Scope of Work: 

Serve as technical expert and lead capacity-building activities:

• Provide technical support to a minimum of eight target countries related to air quality and super pollutant inclusion into their NDC and coordinate additional support and resource mobilization for interested countries from the World Health Organization and other relevant UN organizations, CCAC, the Global Methane Hub, NDC Partnership and more, and build synergies with partners providing relevant NDC support.
• Lead capacity-building activities in the target countries, including peer-to-peer learning across UNDP country offices and regional teams, to upskill staff to provide support to countries on integrating air quality and super pollutants into NDCs.

Target country engagement activities

• Engage with key national stakeholders across sectors (ministries of health, environment, energy, finance, etc.) in target countries on integrating air quality into NDCs, including through integrating air pollution and super pollutants in planned workshops or consultations,
• Identify key national stakeholders in select countries that should be engaged within government, and across civil society and academia, if we are to better integrate air pollution and super pollutants as part of the NDC process. 
• Keep track of key timelines for the target countries’ NDC submission and maintain a spreadsheet on other relevant national climate and energy-related activities including national adaptation plans, long-term low-emission development strategies, biennial transparency reports, laws, reforms and strategies.

Knowledge Management and communications

• Produce a short analytical report for internal use by UNDP and other engaged agencies, describing lessons learned, political challenges, knowledge gaps, and best practices in integrating air quality and super pollutants into NDCs across target countries.
• Lead public-facing communications activities, including development of tailored messages and communication strategy for a non-public-health or broader policy audience where relevant, to support the integration of air quality and super pollutants into NDCs, and public facing webinars aimed at key national stakeholders including relevant government teams and influential civil society and academic institutions to cover a range of topics including the health and equity dimensions of air quality and super pollutants, and climate and health co-benefits.
• Share best practices in promoting and achieving integration of air quality and super pollutants to the NDCs.

Coordination

• Participate in global coordination meetings of Climate Hub, Energy Hub and Chemical Hubs, as focal point on health, to ensure increased understanding of the health harms of super pollutants and awareness of integrated approaches to climate action and air quality across UNDP teams.
• Ensure UNDP’s global HIV and Health team is aware of key events and timelines, and identify opportunities for broader engagement.
• Built relationships with Climate and Energy Hub colleagues at the regional level and ensure there is adequate understanding of the project at the regional level.

Required Skills and Experience

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Environmental or Natural Sciences, Public Health, Sustainable Development, or other relevant field.
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Min years of relevant work experience:

• Minimum of 7 years (with Master’s degree) or 9 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of professional work experience in the area of air pollution and health at the global or regional level. 

Required skills:

• Demonstrated ability to engage with various stakeholders around air pollution and health; excellent technical skills on air pollution and understanding of super pollutants; experience in working with governments, UN system, and civil society groups.
• Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered
• Experience working on super pollutants, including black carbon.
• Experience working in more than one region. 
• Experience in supporting governments to implement the Paris Agreement, and experience working with UN system highly desired.

Required languages:

• Fluent English is required. Knowledge of additional UN languages is an asset. 

Source: https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/24109

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