Climate consultant: advocacy for education in emergencies

Climate consultant to develop advocacy products aimed at multilateral climate and environmental funds on education in emergencies, and to support the development of a learning exchange on engagement with these funds

Number of Consultants :1

Location : Geneva or home-based

Period : Up to 40 days between September/October 2024 – May 2025

Summary

The Geneva Global Hub for Education in Emergencies (EiE Hub) is recruiting a climate consultant to advise on the engagement with climate and environmental multilateral funds. The consultant will identify ways to engage with these funds and produce up to five related advocacy products (e.g., factsheets, submissions, policy notes or other depending on opportunities that arise). These aim at highlighting to the different multilateral climate and environmental funds serving the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement why education in emergencies (EiE) is relevant for climate funding, and will advocate for EiE to receive a fair share of international climate finance. The products will be tailored to each fund and support these funds in understanding why EiE should be leveraged to contribute to addressing climate change, and how EiE components could be mainstreamed in the various funds’ programmes and portfolios. The consultant is also expected to produce a succinct dissemination plan to share the products with the target audience.

In addition, consultant will also support the EiE Hub to develop a learning exchange on engagement with climate funds.

Background

The EiE Hub 2022 – 2025 Strategy outlines the goal to catalyse joint action and strengthening integrated approaches across the humanitarian-development nexus and with other sectors, such as climate, by facilitating increased collaboration for EiE. Faced with the under-prioritisation and underfunding of EiE, and given the magnitude of the challenge, the EiE Hub’s 52 members have come together to form a strong alliance of diverse states and organisations to step up visibility, political and operational commitment, and funding for EiE. Without concerted action, including more and better funding directed at reaching those affected by crises, the world will fall far short of the SDG4. By working globally with other sectors to leverage EiE, break down sectoral silos and mainstream EiE, the EiE Hub will unlock new opportunities for joint action, and improved coherence and scale.

The EiE Hub 2023 Flagship Report on EiE and climate change, the first report laying out how climate change impacts the right to learning of crisis-affected and displaced children and youth, assessed what the EiE sector is doing in the field and opportunities it should embrace – singly and in collaboration with other sectors – to contribute towards transformative climate action. Some of the recommendations relate to the different types of climate-related funding sources and how they could be leveraged for EiE. This consultancy is part of a follow-up to the following recommendations: i) advocate for EiE to receive a fair share of international climate finance, ii) enhance coordination among humanitarian and development funders to ensure funding is allocated to preparedness, mitigation and adaptation, iii) fund examples of anticipatory action in the EiE sphere.

Overall, EiE actors work across the humanitarian-development nexus in some of the most climate-vulnerable countries. Their interventions, including multi-sectoral components, directly contribute to climate resilience. Yet, climate fund investments do not yet recognise the critical role of education for displaced and crisis-affected children and youth to promote climate action: education helps people address the root causes and impacts of the climate crisis, empowering them with the knowledge, competencies and skills needed to adapt and innovate to act, transform economies, and improve health, well-being and security. The UNICEF, Plan International and Save the Children report assessing the investment funded by the multilateral climate funds (namely the Adaptation Fund (AF), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF)) found that, only one project between 2006 and 2023 had education as principal objective.

Scope of work

The climate consultant will identify ways to engage with and develop up to five related advocacy products (e.g. factsheets, submissions, policy notes or other depending on opportunities that arise) aiming at multilateral climate funds serving the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreements, namely the AF, the GCF, the GEF, the Loss and Damage Fund, and the CERF Climate Action Account. These products will familiarise the different multilateral climate and environmental funds on EiE and outline its importance, so that ultimately EiE receives a fair share of international climate finance.

The consultant will also support the EiE Hub Secretariat in developing a learning event on engagement with climate funds. It will take the form of a structured discussion to share expertise and advance collaboration between the different EiE Hub members, some of whom are both accredited and in the process of being accredited to these various funds.

The consultant will work with the support of the EiE Hub Secretariat and in consultation with the Technical Working Group (TWG), EiE Hub members, and additional EiE and climate change stakeholders.

The consultant will also support the successful dissemination of the products with the ‘how’ to be agreed on in the inception report.

Deliverables

a) Advocacy products aimed at climate funds:

• A succinct inception report to agree on the strategic approach to undertake both the drafting of the advocacy products and the support for the learning exchange (see point b) below). This will ensure mutual understanding of the consultant’s plan of action and a clear timeline for conducting the consultancy. Ahead of the drafting, the Secretariat will facilitate up to five conversations with key stakeholders to ensure complementarity with other actors’ work.
• Up to 5 different advocacy products (e.g. factsheets, submissions, policy notes or other depending on opportunities that arise) to advocate for the inclusion and prioritisation of EiE to the different climate funds. The targeted funds may include:
  • The Adaptation Fund (AF)
  • The Green Climate Fund (GCF)
  • The Global Environment Facility (GEF)
  • The Loss and Damage Fund
  • The CERF Climate Action Account
• A succinct dissemination plan to share the products with the suggested stakeholders.

b) Learning exchange to unlock climate financing:

• A draft agenda for the learning exchange on engagement with climate funds with suggested panellists beyond the EiE Hub members.
• Support the drafting of the run of show of and take part inthe learning exchange (the logistical support will be provided by the EiE Hub Secretariat); the exact role of the consultant in the learning event will be agreed on in the draft agenda.

Payment rate and schedule: daily rate, paid upon completion of deliverables, approval of work completed and submission of invoice.

Requirements for consultant – skills & qualifications

• Advanced university degree in climate, development, economics, international relations, or other relevant fields, or relevant first-hand experience;
• A minimum of 7 years of relevant professional experience in the field of climate change and the environment at the international levels;
• Strong understanding of multilateral environmental and climate funds and basic understanding of public finances / multilateral environmental dynamics or disaster risk reduction;
• Excellent writing and communication skills and proven ability to synthesize complex ideas into clear, user-friendly formats.