Senior Consultant - Activities of the Climate Change and Green Growth Department (Remote) at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) - Established in 1964, the African Development Bank is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 80 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries). The Bank’s development agenda is delivering the financial and technical support for transformative projects that will significantly reduce poverty through inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Consultant to Support the Activities of the Climate Change and Green Growth Department

Location: Remote based (with possible travel to the AfDB Headquarters in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire if necessary)
Duration and location of the assignment: The duration of this consultancy shall be for one year.
Consultant Type: Individual Consultant
Job Family: Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth
The expected start date: 15 July 2023.

Background

• Climate change poses one of the greatest threats to the future prosperity of Africa. African nations are already experiencing its devastating impacts, and in the future, climate change is expected to amplify existing stress in all developmental sectors.
• This threat is clearly recognized in the respective Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
• Africa remains vulnerable under all climate change mitigation and adaptation scenarios.
• The African continent has inherent systemic risks and as such will experience residual loss and damage under all climate change scenarios viz. threatening economies, livelihoods, and survivability.
• However, Africa offers tremendous greenfield investment opportunities to support climate action across key economic sectors offering high returns for investors.
• The Climate Change and Green Growth Department (PECG) under the Vice Presidency for Power, Energy, Climate Change and Green Growth, is mandated to effectively mainstream climate change into all the operations of the African Development Bank under its High 5 priority areas and in line with the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs)’s Paris Alignment Six Building Blocks (BBs) Framework. Bank’s climate action agenda also includes the commitment to scale up climate finance to constitute 40% of Bank investments by 2020 and to allocate climate finance of $25 billion between 2020 and 2025 as part of the implementation of the Bank’s Climate Change and Green Growth Strategy (2021-2030) and the Third Climate Change and Green Growth Action Plan (2021-2025).
• As Africa’s premier Development Finance Institution, the Bank has an obligation to assist its Regional Member Countries (RMCs) in tackling their climate change challenges as well as in investing in emerging opportunities.
• To achieve this, the front office of the Director of the Department of Climate Change and Green Growth has developed and is coordinating the implementation of the Bank’s Climate Change and Green Growth Strategy and Action Plan, and in particular key strategic engagements and special initiatives. Among these, three special initiatives - the Africa NDC Support Hub, the African Financial Alliance on Climate Change and the Africa Circular Economy Program, are currently being championed by the Department.
• These programs are central to the Bank’s ability to meet its policy commitments made under the 15th replenishment process of the African Development Fund (ADF-15) and the 7th General Capital Increase (GCI-7).
• The Department of Climate Change and Green Growth seeks to recruit a senior and very experienced consultant with deep knowledge on strategic thinking, analytical work and thought-leadership with regards to climate policy engagements, NDC support, climate mainstreaming, climate Finance, circular economy, with the view to contribute additional capacity to support the delivery of these special initiatives.

Description
Under the leadership and guidance of the director of the climate change and Green Growth Department, the Senior Consultant shall provide technical backstopping to support the Bank and its Regional Member Countries on the implementation of the Bank’s climate change and green growth strategic framework, including the following:

• Assisting the Climate Change and Green Growth Department (PECG)’s Front Office on coordinating Bank’s strategic engagements and special initiatives, in close coordination with all PECG Divisions and other departments across the Bank:
  • Ensuring close internal coordination between the Climate Change and Green Growth Department and other Bank’s units on Bank’s strategic engagements on climate change and green growth
  • Assist the Department’s Front Office on the Bank’s strategic partnerships with external stakeholders such as the MDBs, CSOs, Private Sector entities, GCA and other key stakeholders.
• Supporting RMCs in revising, updating and implementing their NDCs through the Secretariat of the NDC support Hub. This will include the following primary tasks:
  • Provide technical support to Regional Member Countries in developing their long-term climate change strategies and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs);
  • Support the Department’s efforts to assist RMCs to revise their NDCs, within the framework of the Africa NDC Hub partnership coordination;
  • Provide technical support to countries to mainstream their NDCs and SDGs into national development strategies and plans
  • Support resource mobilization efforts to implement the activities of the NDC Hub.
• Supporting the Implementation of the activities of the African Financial Alliance on Climate Change (AFAC). This will include the following tasks:
  • Work with relevant Bank’s departments and external stakeholders to develop and deliver training sessions to Africa’s financial institutions on managing climate risks and mobilizing climate finance
  • Support the revamping of the AFAC and the membership drive for the initiative among Africa’s financial institutions
  • Provide technical support for the conceptualization and design of an index to assess the contributions of Africa’s financial institutions to climate-resilience and decarbonization.
• Provide thought leadership on mainstreaming Circular Economy as a strategy to enhancing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Country Strategy Papers (CSPs) of Regional Member Countries. This will entail:
  • Technical support to the Africa Circular Economy Alliance (ACEA) Secretariat hosted by the Bank, including consultations with potential partners and donors to the Africa Circular Economy Facility (ACEF) - a bank’s Multi-Donor Trust Fund.
  • Policy support for the inclusion of circular economy benefits in the revised NDC targets for both mitigation and adaptation goals.
• Propose a plan for leveraging the expertise and experience of the African academia and civil society to support the Bank’s climate change and the transition of African economies to knowledge-based lowcarbon and climate-resilient economies.
• Providing technical support to Bank staff on the implementation of the Bank’s climate change agenda reflected in the new Bank’s strategic framework on climate change and green growth.

Qualifications and experience required

• A Ph.D. Degree in a relevant area with strong record of international development and global and continental climate change related issues
• Be a national of one of the member countries of the Bank
• Demonstrable experience in leading global initiatives on climate change, green growth and circular economy
• Possess a track record on strategic thinking, analytical work and thought-leadership on climate change and development in Africa
• Demonstrable experience in scientific research and publications working with climate models to deliver good development outcomes
• At least 18 years of relevant international development experience
• Be conversant with the Bank’s climate change agenda
• Be familiar with the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) processes and knowledgeable about emerging global environmental issues
• Excellent inter-personal skills, written and oral communication skills in English or French (being bilingual could be an asset)
• Good knowledge and networking within Regional Member countries.

Deliverables

• A needs assessment, intervention plan and implementation for activities identified for the key tasks outlined in Section B
• Regular/on-demand preparation of briefing or position papers on climate change and green growth.
• Advise the Department on the global climate agenda and critical actions/trends to maximize Africa’s participation and benefits toward achieving SDGs and Climate goals.
• Technical backstopping for the Bank’s technical support to the COP28 Host Country (AUE) and other global processes.
• Institutional Arrangements The consultant will report to the Climate Change and Green Growth Director and will work directly with the Coordinator of Special Programs as well as liaise with Directors of relevant departments within PEVP and the PECG Division Managers in discharging his/her responsibilities.

Establishment of a shortlist
A shortlist of three to six individual consultants will be established at the end the request of expressions of interest. The prospective consultants’ offers will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Level of education in general : 20%
• Educational level compared to the field of mission: 20%
• Years of experience in general: 20%
• Number of years of experience relevant to the mission: 40%.

Application Closing Date
7th July, 2023 (5 p.m).