Plastic Life Cycle Data Specialist

Result of ServiceThe main objective of consultancy is to support the successful implementation of the work under the GPML Community of Practice on Plastic Monitoring and Assessment Harmonization and associated Global Plastics Hub enhancement. Work LocationHome-based Expected duration6 Months Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 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. The overall objective of UNEP's Ecosystems Division is to support countries in conserving, restoring and sustainably managing their terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, the biodiversity they contain and the products and services they provide for human well-being and prosperity. It helps countries develop policies and programmes to respond to ecosystems challenges and reduce pollution from land-based and sea-based activities, increase resilience to climate change and reflect linkages between poverty and environment in their development planning. UNEP’s Source to Sea Pollution Unit plays a crucial role in identifying and acting on the challenge of land-based pollution. The Unit focuses on issues including but not limited to plastic pollution and marine litter, nutrient management, wastewater and physical alteration and destruction of habitat and its activities serve to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, specifically SDG 6 and 14. It also contributes to UNEP’s Medium-Term Strategy 2022-2025, and as well as to the implementation of UNEP’s Chemicals and Pollutions Action sub-programme. The work of the Unit also contribute to the implementation of numerous United Nations Environment Assembly’s (UNEA) resolutions, including for example “Marine litter and microplastics” (UNEP/EA.1/6, 2/11, 3/7 and 4/6), “Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities” (UNEP/EA.4/11), “Sustainable Nitrogen Management” (UNEP/EA.4/14, UNEP/EA.5/2), and “End plastic pollution: Towards an international legally binding instrument” (UNEP/EA.5/14). To counter the challenges posed by land-based activities, the Unit is implementing the project titled “Protecting the Marine Environment from Land-Based Pollution through Strengthened Coordination of Global Action.” To counter the challenges posed by plastic pollution, the Unit is working toward the Output 3 of the Programme of Work (PoW) project titled “ONE UNEP Plastic Project on Accelerating a Global Circular Plastic Economy to Reduce Plastic Pollution and its Impacts’’, which aims to trigger a systems change to accelerate the safe and just transition towards a circular economy of plastics thereby reducing plastic pollution. This output focuses on enabling and planning actions to address plastic pollution and includes the facilitation of the development of harmonized methodology and tools to assess national baseline, and guide governments and stakeholders to develop systemic and tailored action. Engagement with all relevant stakeholders is also promoted through this output, including through the Global Partnership on Plastic Pollution and Marine Litter (GPML) and the Global Plastics Hub. The GPML is the largest global multi-stakeholder partnership, bringing together governments, civil society, academia, and the private sector for collaborative action on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. The Global Plastics Hub of the GPML is the global digital platform on plastic pollution and marine litter, providing crowd-sourced and open access to resources and integrating data from partners across the globe and the plastics lifecycle, to foster evidence-based and collaborative action. The Global Plastics Hub is being developed through consultation with experts from the GPML, including its Community of Practice on Plastic Monitoring and Assessment Harmonization and Community of Practice on Informing Action. This consultant will focus on enhancing the hub’s data and knowledge hubs to better inform evidence-based policies and actions, by developing data-driven stories based on mapping of data on plastic pollution sources and plastics flows across the lifecycle for at least 10 countries, reviewing new finance and investment datasets, and collecting and developing case studies for integration into the Hub. The data stories will strengthen country dashboards and demonstrate the potential of dashboards and recommendations to address pollution sources based on data mapping and stories developed can be shared with country partners to strengthen usability of the dashboards and identify opportunities for further enhancement. Countries will be selected based on criteria to be defined with the consultant, including data availability, capacity needs, and relationship and interest of country partners. The consultant also support the GPML Community of Practice on Plastic Monitoring and Assessment Harmonization in harmonization of plastic categorization in waste and marine litter survey protocols, as recommended in the GPML CoP Workshop. This assignment is within UNEP’s Ecosystems Division, under the direct supervision of the Programme Management Officer leading the development of Global Plastics Hub and overall supervision of the Chief of the Source to Sea Pollution Unit, and in close consultation with other relevant divisions, regional offices and Regional Seas programmes, as relevant. Duties and Responsibilities 1. Global Plastics Hub enhancement: a) Develop data stories to strengthen country dashboard using country specific data shared by different partners and other divisions of UNEP for at least 10 countries. b) Harmonization of the plastic products/waste categorization under Waste Wise Cities Tool and GESAMP coastal litter monitoring guidance, as recommended in the GPML CoP Workshop. c) Review existing finance and investment data (i.e. The Circulate Initiative’s Investment Tracker and UN-Habitat’s municipal solid waste management finance data) and develop prototype narrative for country dashboard enhancements. d) Collect and develop case studies through reviewing National Plastic Strategies developed by selected countries that will be uploaded to the Global Plastics Hub. Qualifications/special skillsMaster’s degree in environmental science, environmental data analytics, material flow analysis or a closely related field is required. Doctor’s degree in a related field is desirable. Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in environment management, environmental science, material flow analysis and/or environmental monitoring is required. Experience in working on the topic of environmental data analytics, knowledge management, particularly on plastic pollution issues is desirable. Excellent communication, writing, and interpersonal skills are required. Strong analytical skills, with the ability to produce high-quality analysis are required LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in written and oral English is required. Working knowledge of other UN official languages is desirable. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE 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.