Result of Service

The GIP is strengthened to provide SMEs with clear and direct access to key resource efficiency knowledge products and support services that will support their green transition processes.

Work Location

Geneva/home based

Expected duration

01 December 2021 – 31 May 2022 (6 months)

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system’s designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action.

The Green Growth Knowledge Partnership (GGKP) is hosted by UNEP, in partnership with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). These organizations serve as the joint host of the GGKP Secretariat (www.greengrowthknowledge.org) on behalf of the GGKP Steering Committee (UNEP, GGGI, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and the World Bank). The GGKP is a global network of over 60 international organizations, research institutes, and think tanks focused on promoting a green economy transition by:

• identifying major knowledge gaps in green growth theory and practice and addressing these gaps through the promotion of collaboration and coordinated research; and

• using world-class knowledge management and communication tools to provide practitioners, policymakers, and other experts with opportunities to access, share, and utilize green growth policy analysis, guidance, information, and data.

Following an external assessment of the GGKP, the GGKP founding organizations decided to expand its successful platform approach to two additional communities: industry (private- sector businesses) and finance. This decision led to the launch of the Green Industry Platform (GIP) (www.greenindustryplatform.org) and the Green Finance Platform (GFP) (www.greenfinanceplatform.org) in 2019.

The GIP is now in the process of shifting its focus from primarily publishing policy related green industry knowledge products to also delivering direct support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) on resource efficiency implementation through its I-GO initiative. A consultant is therefore sought to fill the need of the Resources and Markets Branch to assist with GIP’s effort to deploy the I-GO initiative on a regional and country level in collaboration with the Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals (GO4SDGs) initiative. 

The GO4SDGs initiative aims to accelerate regional solutions for inclusive green economies and sustainable consumption and production by sharing best practices and offering science-based knowledge, policy tools and capacity development opportunities in priority areas to “build back better.” The GO4SDGs “SMEs Assessment” work stream focuses on rapidly deploying an SME self-assessment solution on a region-by-region basis; the output of which will support the uptake of resource efficiency practices by providing SMEs with simplified and tailored access to existing support services such as capacity building, financing solutions and SME networks. This work stream is being supported through three I-GO regional pilot projects.

Specific tasks and responsabilities

• Support the development of partnerships with organisations that support SME resource efficiency and/or SME networks in the regions and target countries of the GO4SDGS I-GO pilots;
• Support the engagement with the GO4SDGS I-GO pilot international, regional and national project partners to identify and source resource efficiency knowledge products and support services adapted to SMEs;
• Review and upload SME resource efficiency knowledge products and support services sourced through the GO4SDGS I-GO pilot projects;
• Carry out a regular gap-analysis of SME resource efficiency knowledge products and support services on the SME Support Centre to support the up to d ate operation of the I-GO self-assessment tool;
• Support the further development of the I-GO self-assessment tool building on feedback obtained through the tool’s initial users and related functionalities of existing best practice technical audit/assessment tools;
• Assisting in other operational tasks as necessary.

Qualifications/special skills

Academic Qualifications: Master’s degree or equivalent in sustainable development, engineering, business administration or a closely related area. A Bachelor’s degree plus at least two additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of a Master’s degree.
Experience: A minimum of three years of accumulated work experience closely relevant to the outlined outputs/tasks and that includes experience with resource efficiency and outreach. Prior experience with international organisations and data analysis is desirable.

Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.