Result of Service

1. Evidence is developed on carbon stocks and carbon sequestration potential for different UPA typologies and agroecological practices, demonstrating their climate mitigation benefits compared with business-as-usual scenarios. 2. Projects for generating carbon credits from UPA through composting, rock dust application (enhanced rock weathering), biochar, and agroforestry systems are identified, assessed, and communicated to the Municipality of Curitiba, including their co-benefits for social, human, produced and natural capitals. 3. Public policies and decision-making processes in the Municipality of Curitiba are informed by the evidence generated, supporting the development of enabling conditions for voluntary environmental asset markets and more resilient urban food systems at the municipal level.

Work Location

Home Based

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Organizational Setting: The United Nations Environment Programme 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. 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. UNEP Ecosystems Division works with international and national partners, providing technical assistance and capacity development for the implementation of environmental policy, and strengthening the environmental management capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition. Ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural resources are the basis of agriculture. The agricultural sector provides important benefits such as food for humans and animals, fiber for industrial and artisanal production, materials for fuel, employment, and cultural cohesion. However, it is the main driver of the degradation of ecosystems, the loss of biodiversity, health externalities, and greenhouse gas emissions, among others. Many of these impacts, both positive and negative, are economically invisible and are not included in public and private decision-making. The Economics of Nature Unit (TEN) within the Ecosystems Division hosts the TEEBAgriFood initiative which is designed to demonstrate that the economic environment in which agricultural producers operate is subject to negative and positive externalities and that they depend on well-functioning ecosystems. The initiative seeks to demonstrate that the entire agricultural value chain (production, processing, distribution, consumption and waste) not only has an impact on the environment but also on socio-economic well-being, particularly of small producers, on public health and food security. UNEP has received funding from DG INTPA on TEEBAgriFood implementation in Brazil. The overall objective of the DG-INPTA project is to enhance agrobiodiversity governance and agroecological practices for sustainable agri-food systems by making the economic case for such approaches through the implementation of the TEEBAgriFood framework. Building on UNEP’s previous work on UPA, the project´s specific objective in Brazil is to inform multi-level decision-making processes by applying the TEEBAgriFood framework to make the economic case for scaling of agrobiodiversity-based, agroecological in urban and peri-urban spaces. To achieve this objective, this project will generate valuable data and practical tools to make visible multiple values, benefits and trade-offs of biodiverse UPA—particularly the ecosystem services provision—aiming to inform decision-making on how cities and their residents can gain from more diverse, localized, agroecological, and climate-resilient food systems. By shaping outputs according to policy needs, the project aims to contribute to strengthening on the ground implementation of agroecological and biodiverse UPA and support the establishment of an enabling institutional and governance framework at national and subnational level. An expected outcome of the project is that national and subnational authorities allocate additional land and resources to UPA upscaling, informed by TEEBAgriFood assessments of ecosystem services, cost–benefit performance, and distributional effects. In addition, a second outcome is that the public sector adopts specific legislation, regulatory frameworks, or commitments on gender-responsive agroecological practices in UPA, supported by evidence and technical assistance provided by the project. The research partner FGVCes will be conducting assessments and valuation of UPA benefits and trade-offs- including ecosystem services, climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, gender and social dimensions- in scenario assessments of plausible policy options. The aim of these scenario analyses is to inform decision-making that recognizes the value of adopting agrobiodiversity conservation commitments and agroecological practices across the value chain. The current consultancy complements the work of FGVCes with a particular focus on carbon credits. This position is in the Biodiversity and Land Branch of the Ecosystems Division. The incumbent will report to the Head of The Economics of Nature Unit. Objectives, output expectations and performance indicators: The objective of this consultancy is to contribute to UNEP's Programme of Work in Brazil by strengthening the integration of UPA into municipal policies and planning processes in Curitiba. Building on the evidence generated through the TEEBAgriFood case study conducted by FGVCes, the consultancy will support the implementation of carbon credits projects and practical policy recommendations. By generating robust evidence on carbon sequestration, emissions reduction, and the potential for carbon credit generation, the consultancy will support the recognition of UPA as a nature-based solution and strategic climate action. The findings will contribute to developing carbon credits projects related to UPA and agroecological practices with proved contributions to climate mitigation, food systems resilience, and sustainable urban development. The expectation is that feasible carbon credits projects are implemented by municipality and/or key actors, becoming additional financial resources for scaling UPA and urban food systems initiatives in Curitiba. The consultant will work closely with the Municipality of Curitiba also contributing to evidence-based policymaking by assessing and communicating the climate mitigation benefits of UPA systems, including their potential to access environmental markets and alternative financing mechanisms, particularly through carbon-related instruments. Together with the research partner (FGVCes), the generated evidence and carbon credit projects will inform the upscaling of UPA under the Food Connection Programme (Programa Conexão Alimentar), the revision of the Municipal Climate Plan (PlanClima), and other initiatives related to ecosystem services provisioning. The Food Connection Programme, coordinated by the Municipal Food Security Secretariat, aims to establish 20 kilometers of urban gardens beneath power transmission lines by 2030 and constitutes a strategic component of Curitiba's climate plan, under revision. The work will generate strategic recommendations on how municipal UPA programmes can leverage climate action and ecosystem services provisioning, by unlocking carbon finance opportunities to support their long-term expansion and sustainability. Duties and Responsibilities: Keep close coordination (in-person or online) with the focal points of the Municipality of Curitiba to coordinate on carbon project implementation, support administrative processes, and ensure ownership of project deliverables; Draft database structure for relevant data and stakeholders active in carbon markets along with their specific actions/strategies/projects/programs in Curitiba; Run workshops to engage stakeholders in the project and its objectives, collecting their inputs, and site visits. Coordinate between local government and relevant stakeholders to conduct the baseline assessments. Monitor and document the progress of the project’s activities by providing monthly reports to UNEP, developed in consultation with the Municipality of Curitiba; Communicate the progress through regular meetings with the TEEBAgriFood teak in Brazil; Perform other tasks associated with the implementation of the UNEP TEEBAgrFood in Curitiba, as needed and directed by supervising staff members. Support TEEBAgriFood field activities, engaging local and regional stakeholders and contributing to the production of written, audio, and visual dissemination materials. Provide technical assistance to selected municipalities and states engaged in TEEBAgriFood initiative. Identify and analyze relevant and cross-sectoral policies related to UPA at municipal and state levels, highlighting entry points, gaps, and opportunities for policy integration. Collaborate to ensure that proposed legal and policy instruments are adapted to the political and institutional context of each municipality and are legally sound. Outputs/Work Assignment: Data from projects in urban agriculture which have a carbon component (e.g. composting, rock dust, biochar and SAFs) collected and curated, along with data on investment and operating costs and project revenues; Measurement of the four carbon stocks (aerial biomass, below-ground biomass, dead matter, soil) in urban and peri-urban sites in Curitiba with agroecological practices and biodiverse systems, such as agroforestry systems, enabling comparison with baseline (business-as-usual), to assess the potential for CO2 removal for carbon credit generation; Draft structure for a municipal market for environmental assets outlined, focusing on carbon and full array of ecosystem services, aligned with national and municipal levels, as part of the municipal Climate Plan revision.

Qualifications/special skills

Academic Qualifications: Advanced university degree (Masters or above) in Environmental Science or related fields. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Experience: A minimum of two (2) years of professional working experience of demonstrated experience in carbon market assessment and carbon analysis is required. Experience of working in Curitiba and the biome in which it is situated is desirable. Skills: In-depth knowledge of the Brazilian institutional, political, and regulatory context related to environment assets markets is required. A strong understanding of climate change, nature-based solutions, ecosystem services, and human-nature relationships, as well as an in-depth knowledge of the local governance context, policy processes, and institutional landscape of the Municipality of Curitiba is required. Ability to work effectively, precisely, and autonomously in a fast-paced environment with multiple competing tasks across teams and using participatory approaches is required. Ability to translate technical and scientific evidence from biophysical and environmental-economic assessments into accessible and policy-relevant recommendations for decision-makers is desired.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position fluency in oral and written English is required. The assignment will be carried out in Brazil and fluency in Portuguese is required.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

Consultant on Carbon Credit Pathways for Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture in Curitiba