Sustainable Supply Chain Consultant

Terms of Reference and Request for Proposal

Technical Lead Consultant to support delivery of
Decarbonisation Criteria Development for Agri- Food Value Chain Transition

Context

Climate Bonds is an investor-focused not-for-profit organization whose goal is to promote large-scale investments through green bonds and other debt instruments to accelerate a global transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy. Activating the mainstream debt capital markets to finance and refinance climate-aligned projects and assets is critical to achieving international climate goals, and robust labelling of green bonds is a key requirement for mainstream participation. Trust in the green label and transparency to the underlying assets are essential for this market to reach scale but investor capacity to assess green credentials is limited. Therefore, Climate Bonds created its Standard & Certification Scheme, which aims to provide the green bond market with the trust and assurance that it needs to achieve scale. As of December 2023, around US$300bn worth of debt had been successfully certified against the Climate Bonds Standard (CBS).

The Climate Bonds Standard and associated Sector Criteria development and approval process is in line with the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labelling Alliance (ISEAL) standard. It involves an international consultative process in which a wide range of investors, issuers, corporates and technical experts from academia, international institutions and NGOs participate through Technical Working Groups (TWGs) and Industry Working Groups (IWGs). This process is supervised and approved by a Standards Board, which reports to Climate Bonds’ Governors, and whose members represent US$34 trillion of assets under management.[1]

The aim of the Climate Bonds Agri-food Systems Transition Programme is to expedite the flow of finance towards initiatives that support the shift to net-zero, resilient, and sustainable agricultural systems. By including value chain factors, the programme acknowledges the complexity of the agriculture sector and the importance of a comprehensive approach to achieve meaningful and lasting environmental benefits. As part of this programme, Climate Bonds is planning to:

-          Expand its criteria to include the certification of entire companies and transition finance within the agriculture sector. This expansion will entail defining a transition path for the Agri food system as a whole, including production but also expanding to encompass the downstream value chain through to retailers, that aligns with the goals of net zero emissions and the Paris Accord and identifying companies that are actively facilitating this transition.

-          Develop of a set of criteria focused on decarbonisation pathways and measures for the post farm gate value chain. By incorporating value chain analysis, the criteria will address the wider food system greenhouse gas emissions from storage, packaging, transportation, processing, and distribution. This approach ensures a more holistic view of sustainability, recognizing that the impact of agricultural products extends beyond the farm.

Scope of requirements for Technical Lead

Climate Bonds is seeking an experienced technical lead to support the delivery of these value chain criteria. The Technical Lead plays a pivotal role in the Working Groups, acting as the principal technical expert, aiding Climate Bonds with facilitation and coordination.  While the TWG and IWG will provide robust and expert knowledge of the technical and practical aspects of Criteria development, in the form of regular meetings, the Technical Lead will perform research and convening activities to support these discussions, in conjunction with the Climate Bonds team.  This will include drafting the Background Paper, Criteria Documents and PowerPoint presentations for Working Group discussions.

Working closely with the Climate Bonds team, the technical lead will be responsible for:

·     Assessing the latest scientific literature to help determine measures and a pathway(s) that defines the Paris-aligned decarbonisation trajectory/ trajectories for Agri-Food Value Chain emissions.

·     Identifying and evaluating existing guidance metrics, benchmarks, and/or pathways (for example, the SBTi FLAG framework that already exist for decarbonising agricultural value chains, and whether they can be leveraged or adopted as Climate Bonds sector Criteria. 

·     Support Climate Bonds to set boundaries of the Criteria – i.e., where are most material emissions located, which sectors, commodities and actors are included and excluded.

·     Identifying and evaluating the solutions (including technologies) for decarbonising the Agri Food Value Chain to ensure this aligns with the chosen pathway(s),

·     Identifying additional safeguards and targets for other agri-food system goals, including land use change, biodiversity, water use and quality, food loss and waste, circularity and just transition.

Deliverables for this work will include:

·     Undertake research, scoping and mapping exercise to scope boundaries of the criteria.

·     Provide technical insight to inform and shape the discussions during TWG meetings, with possible supplementary meetings to address specific issues raised in TWG or individuals.

·       Co-author and develop Agri- Food Value Chain Criteria with details of activities companies can implement to become certified and produce a Background Paper that explains the rationale behind the criteria – and undertake any further editing as required.

·     Undertake consultative activities to gather inputs on the Criteria Documentation, and further update.

·     Support the launch of the Criteria.

Deliverables Timeline

The consultant would be required in March 2024. It is estimated that a total of 54 days of the consultant’s time will be required over a total period of 9 months.

Budget and Payment

A total fee of USD30,000 will be paid in equal monthly instalments. This fee includes any taxes the consultant is liable for in their country of tax residence. Remuneration will be based on a fixed fee monthly schedule and tied to deliverables that are subject to approval by the Climate Bonds Agri-Food Standards Manager.

Selection Criteria

The consultant should outline their skills and what qualifies them to take up this role, as well as their availability. This includes professional competencies and skillsets specific to technical knowledge of sustainability goals relating to Agricultural Supply Chain and Agri-Food Systems Transitions to Net-Zero in general.

Application requirements

Please provide the following documentation English:

·     Cover letter outlining your motivation for this role, with examples of how you meet the criteria and experience.

·     Your CV.

·     Examples of your most relevant work that support your suitability to this role (published reports or papers)

Applications should be received by 29th February 2024 and shortlisting will take place in early March 2024. If there any queries, please reach out to Rachel Hemingway (Head of Transitions, Climate Bonds) via workable Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Requirements

Essential

·     Relevant, deep and broad professional experience in agriculture supply chains and sustainability.

·     Proven experience (5-8 years)  leading research-driven initiatives in the agriculture-sustainability space, and a track record of producing impactful research materials,

·     Relevant and broad expertise on key transition (to net zero) issues within agriculture supply chains, not limited to climate but also biodiversity, just transition, water and others,

·     Experience developing sustainability targets for stakeholders within supply chains.

·     Proven ability to confidently analyse, discuss and communicate the above issues,

·     Highly collaborative with an ability to drive group discussions and focus them on tangible and usable outcomes, building consensus,

·     Demonstrated excellence in soft skills around communication, stakeholder management, meeting facilitation and moderation,

·     Proven ability to solve complex problems and develop innovative solutions,

·     Excellent writing skills in English, strong presentation skills and

·     Self-motivated and able to work nimbly and generously over phone/video conferencing, time zones, etc.

·     Consultants Can be based anywhere within +/- 6 hours of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), with a reliable internet connection.

Technical Lead experts cannot be Agri-food industry affiliated. Nonetheless, we welcome industry stakeholders to reach out for participation on our IWG.