UNEP Finance Initiative

Result of Service

The consultant’s services will be pivotal in advancing UNEP FI’s strategic objectives to integrate nature into the financial sector’s core decision-making processes. By supporting the application of the ENCORE tool and developing replicable case studies, the consultant will provide concrete examples of best practices that align with UNEP FI’s strategy to promote sustainable finance globally. These case studies will serve as key resources for the Nature team to demonstrate the practical implementation of nature-related risk assessments, showcasing how financial institutions can integrate biodiversity considerations into their risk management and operational frameworks. Through targeted capacity-building and training programs, the consultant will help operationalize the Nature team’s strategy to mainstream nature across financial institutions in South Africa.

These efforts will not only enhance the skills and knowledge of key bank teams but also align their strategies with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. By fostering this alignment, the consultant will support UNEP FI’s overarching goal of ensuring that financial institutions contribute positively to global sustainability targets, particularly in biodiversity conservation and nature-positive investments. Moreover, the consultant’s work will provide a proof of concept for an advanced capacity-building program tailored to the financial sector in South Africa, directly supporting the strategic priorities of the Nature team. This initiative will enable UNEP FI to demonstrate the value of integrating nature into financial practices and set a foundation for scaling similar efforts globally.

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 is looking for a technical consultant to support its capacity building activities in South Africa and work in tandem with key stakeholders at PRB signatory banks to:

• Enable the use of the ENCORE tool by PRB signatory banks in their nature-related risk assessments, fostering the interpretation of results and encourage the documentation in form of replicable case studies relevant to the South African context.
• Support the use of UNEP FI frameworks and guidance to help PRB signatory banks incorporate nature-related considerations into their risk management and decision-making, ensuring relevance to the local context.
• Lead the development of replicable use cases for ENCORE in order to build best practice models for banks in South Africa to mainstream nature in their business models and risk management frameworks.
• Provide capacity building to PRB signatory banks in South Africa on the UNEP FI PRB Nature Guidance, to drive uptake of banks to identify priority actions and set targets that align with the Global Biodiversity Framework, with considerations for local adaptation.
• Bridge the gap between emerging global guidance on private nature finance and the specific national context of South Africa, fostering awareness of locally relevant opportunities for nature and transition finance especially in the context of economically critical sectors for South Africa.
• Lead development and execution of awareness and training activities for PRB signatory banks on nature-related impacts, dependencies, risks and opportunities for critical economic sectors in South Africa.
• Lead sharing sessions with the financial sector in South Africa and the UNEP FI PRB nature community.
• Coordinate with the UNEP FI nature team and provide updates to the SECO (State Secretariat of Economic Affairs) project.

UNEP FI needs a consultant to work in the nature team to focus on awareness raising and capacity building and coordinate the expanding body of work on this topic under this thematic. Specific tasks and responsibilities

• Enhance applicability and replicable use cases for ENCORE The consultant will support the development of a framework and case study that helps aggregate and interpret ENCORE analysis of PRB signatory banks. The framework shall enable the analyses are being contextualized and provide insights into nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks, and opportunities. By encouraging banks to utilize the framework, banks will be able to understand their exposure and prioritise areas of action. In addition, the consultant will help build replicable use cases that demonstrate best practices for integrating nature into business models and risk management frameworks. The consultant will collaborate with the ENCORE partnership to share feedback and identify opportunities to enhance the use of ENCORE, tailoring its application to the specific needs of South African banks.
• Derive priority actions and support target setting for PRB signatory banks The consultant will provide capacity-building support to PRB signatory banks in South Africa, which will enable them to conduct a portfolio-wide nature assessment. This will include developing guidance on interpreting nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks, and opportunities to help banks identify priority sectors and key nature-related issues. The consultant will help create a framework that banks will be able to use to make informed decisions and integrating these insights into strategic planning. The consultant will demonstrate the PRB Nature Guidance and its activities related to setting practice-level targets. This will allow banks the creation of action plans and roadmaps for integrating nature into their practices. Additionally, the consultant will help facilitate board awareness-raising sessions to build senior leadership engagement on nature-related risks and opportunities. The consultant will compile case studies from the South African financial sector to illustrate the level of maturity of banks reporting in line with the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). These case studies, along with other compiled examples, will be published on the UNEP FI and ENCORE websites to showcase best practices and support other financial institutions in their target-setting efforts.
• Accelerate integration of nature into risk management and sustainable finance for PRB signatory banks The consultant will play a role in accelerating the integration of nature into risk management and sustainable finance practices for PRB signatory banks in South Africa. The consultant will develop guidance to derive tailored engagement strategies and topics on nature-related issues within the South African context. In addition to these efforts, the consultant will develop training and deep dive sessions aimed at enhancing the capacity of key stakeholders within the banks. In addition to training and capacity building, the consultant will expand and tailor the PRB Nature Sector Action Guidance for the South African context. These incorporate nature-related risk mitigation measures and outline clear strategies for managing these risks. The consultant will assist the design of engagement tools, such as questionnaires, for banks to assess nature-related risks and identify opportunities for nature finance. These tools can then be used by PRB signatory banks for proactive engagement with clients and stakeholders, fostering a deeper understanding of how to integrate nature into their business models. Furthermore, the consultant will compile a case study demonstrating the replication of these actions for the South African or broader African financial sector. These case studies and examples will be published on the UNEP FI and ENCORE websites, serving as valuable resources for other financial institutions aiming to incorporate nature-related considerations into their operations and risk management frameworks.
• Support capacity building for PRB signatory banks and and PRB Nature Community The consultant will lead sharing sessions with the broader financial sector in South Africa and the UNEP FI PRB nature community, fostering a collaborative environment for exchanging best practices and lessons learned. These sessions will help disseminate knowledge and encourage other financial institutions to adopt similar approaches, thereby broadening the impact of UNEP FI’s initiatives. The consultant will also facilitate board awareness-raising sessions to ensure that senior leadership understands the strategic importance of incorporating nature into their risk management and business models. The consultant will facilitate the complication and demonstration of relevant case studies published on UNEP FI / ENCORE websites. In addition, the consultant is expected to adhere to regular updates with UNEP FI and the ENCORE partnership. 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 UNEP FI’s Nature Lead.

Qualifications/special skills

• Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in natural sciences, environmental engineering, business, finance or a related discipline. A First degree could be taken in lieu of advanced degree provided the selected candidate has 10 years of relevant experience related to financial sector, biodiversity, and natural capital. Professional Experience: A minimum of (8) eight years of progressively responsible work experience related to financial sector, biodiversity, and natural capital.

Languages

• Languages: English is the working language of UNEP FI. Other languages are desirable.

Source: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/248555?language=en