Consultant: How-to Guide: Development of Low-emission Development Concept, Strategy and Mitigation Actions in Eastern Europe and CIS

• The 2007/2008 UNDP Human Development Report estimates that stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, at a level that prevents catastrophic climate change, will require a 50% reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 from 1990 levels. To achieve this global objective, the Report recommends that developed countries cut GHG emissions by at least 80% by 2050, with 20–30% cuts by 2020 and developing countries cut emissions by 20% by 2050. It is widely accepted now that the world has a very short time window of opportunity to scale up efforts in mitigation and adaptation, before being locked into potentially irreversible climate transformation.
• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol (KP) under the Conventions and their subsequent decisions, as well as the EU policy in the area , support developing countries and countries with economies in transition in their efforts to continue economic growth with the least competitive distortions, while in the same time decrease growth in emissions and adapt to the effects of the changing climate. In the Bali Action Plan (2007), the developing countries agreed for the first time to design and implement Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) in the context of sustainable development, supported and enabled by technology, financing and capacity building. The 15th Conference of the Parties” (COP) held in Copenhagen in December 2009, have taken note of the Copenhagen Accord (CA) - a political declaration containing which agrees to limit climate change to not more than 2°C above preindustrial levels in the context of equity and sustainable development and reaffirms the developmental aspects of climate change, including low-emission development strategies .
• From the submissions of the countries to the UNFCCC Secretariat so far it is clear that the information provided in relation to Appendix II of the Copenhagen Accord is limited to mentioning few NAMAs, in many cases not expressed in reduction of emissions to be achieved or the need for additional international financial, technical or capacity building support . Furthermore a number of countries didn’t provide any information on planned NAMAs as they do not have such in place. Some countries mention that they will be in a position to provide information on NAMAs after they finalize their subsequent National Communication, however, it should be noted that the National Communications (NCs) are not tailored to the decision-making process.
• The transition to a low-emission world will necessitate the transformation of entire economic sectors of the countries in the region. A very high priority for UNDP as an implementing agency with a climate and development mandate is to develop capacities of the countries to formulate, access finance and implement low-emission development strategies. UNDP has a record of successful interventions in the climate change area in the region, covering 26 countries, including support to Kyoto Protocol implementation, promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency by individual UNDP/GEF-funded projects (USD 47 mill), and facilitating actual investments and marketing emission reductions from Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI) projects as part of UNDP MDG Carbon Facility. This project will coordinate closely with the ongoing regional projects on climate change adaptation and climate risk management, as well as with the REDD  related projects under preparation and implementation.
• Although significant amount of work has been done in creating the enabling framework and building institutional capacity to address some of the barriers achieving climate change action, to date, no country from Europe and CIS region has prepared a Low Emission Development Strategy at national level. UNDP will build upon the existing portfolio of climate change mitigation and adaptation projects in the region and will assist the countries to scale up these activities, and engineer a paradigm shift towards a low carbon economy. Based on the NAMAs a pilot project will be identified in each country and upon availability of resources implemented. Results from such pilot projects will be spread amongst the countries.

Objective

The objective of the assignment is to prepare the How-to Guide on Development of Low-emission development concept, Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions, Low-emission development Strategy in Eastern Europe and CIS in two languages English and Russian.

The Guide will be based on the relevant international requirements and developments under the UNFCCC and lessons learnt from UNDP’s pilot initiatives in Kazakhstan and Turkey, projects implemented by other donors, such as UNEP green initiative, other countries LEDS (e.g. UK, Japan, China), results of UNDP case studies, interviews with UNDP COs and national climate change stakeholders. Practical application of the Guide will be tested in the course of implementation of planned UNDP-supported projects capacity development in RBEC countries under the project “Support to RBEC countries transition to low-emission development”.

• Following initial information gathering and review of background documents (see list in the reference materials below), to prepare a detailed outline of How-to Guide (see the tentative outline below) and submit it for review and approval by UNDP (Bratislava and participating COs) and selected national focal points in Eastern Europe and CIS countries;
• To conduct desk work and prepare a draft How-to guide in English;
• Translation into Russian (the consultant is responsible for the arrangement of a high quality translation himself/herself)
• Submit the draft for peer review to selected National Focal Points, UNDP COs, international organizations and other climate change stakeholders , collect their feedback and comments, and finalize the Guide.
• Correction in the Russian text (the consultant is responsible for the arrangement of a high quality translation himself/herself)

• Good knowledge of UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol requirements;

• At least 5 years of practical experience on development of strategies or manuals and particularly with regard to capacity building;
• Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English;
• Knowledge of Russian is an advantage.