UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) - One Ocean Finance Lead

Result of Service

Through these services the Initiative will be able to engage a broad range of financial institutions, including commercial banks, asset managers, insurers, and multi-lateral development banks and agencies in implementing global finance sector principles to catalyze integration of sustainability into financial market practice. The frameworks UNEP FI is supporting implementation include Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) now committed to by more than 210 banks collectively holding USD 53 trillion in assets, or one third of the global banking sector, and the Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI), established 2012 by UNEP FI and today applied by one-quarter of the world’s insurers (25% of world premium). UNEP FI has an Ecosystems workstream that includes research and engagement with financial institutions on financing for a sustainable blue economy and sustainable land use and will expand its focus on sustainable finance for food systems. The services will also help promote sustainability into all aspects of the financial sector’s operations and services. Finally, the services will help the Initiative to broaden its outreach both within UNEP / UN and external to banks, insurers and investors, governments, regulators, private sector and multi-stakeholders, including supporting institutions.

Work Location

Working remotely / Home-based

Expected duration

5 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The 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. The overall objective of the UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division is to encourage decision makers in government, local authorities and industry to develop and adopt policies, strategies and practices and technologies that promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production, make efficient use of natural resources, ensure safe management of chemicals and contribute to making trade and environment policies mutually supportive. It promotes the development, use and transfer of policies, technologies, economic instruments, managerial practices and other tools that assist in environmentally sound decision making and the building of corresponding activities. The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) is the strategic partnership between the United Nations and over 500 banks, insurers and investors. For over 34 years UNEP FI has been shaping and driving the international sustainable finance agenda, setting global standards and growing a global network of leading financial institutions. Through its work-streams and regional activities, peer learning, methodology development, training and research, UNEP FI promotes sustainable finance and helps the financial industry align with and contribute to the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals. UNEP FI requires a consultant to serve as the One Ocean Finance Lead, co-leading UNEP FI's contribution to the design of the One Ocean Finance Facility. The consultant will mobilize and engage the UNEP FI membership and wider financial sector around the Facility's investment plan and strategy, with a special focus on the ports and shipping sector, the insurance sector, and wider ocean health priorities including plastics supply chains. The role ensures continuity with ongoing UNEP FI engagements (including the Mombasa and London roundtables) while establishing the One Ocean Finance Lead function within the Nature Team. Objectives: One Ocean Finance is a global financing facility under development to unlock and scale capital for a sustainable ocean economy. Spearheaded by a collective of UN agencies and global partners, the Facility is being designed to realign capital flows at the speed and scale necessary to meet rising ocean finance needs—particularly in vulnerable coastal nations, Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Under the direct supervision of the head of Nature at UNEP FI, the consultant will serve as the One Ocean Finance Lead, co-leading UNEP FI's contribution to the design of the One Ocean Finance Facility. The consultant will mobilize and engage the UNEP FI membership and wider financial sector around the Facility's investment plan and strategy, with a special focus on the ports and shipping sector, the insurance sector, and wider ocean health priorities including plastics supply chains. The role ensures continuity with ongoing UNEP FI engagements (including the Mombasa and London roundtables) while establishing the One Ocean Finance Lead function within the Nature Team. Specific tasks and responsibilities: The consultant will provide assistance in the following tasks: • Co-lead UNEP FI's delivery of Pathway 5 of the One Ocean Finance Facility design, in close collaboration with the Nature Co-Lead and the wider UN agency partnership coordinating OOF. • Design and deliver financial-stakeholder engagement on the OOF investment plan through the UNEP FI network, targeting approximately 50 financial institutions informed via webinars and Q&A, with 15 actively engaged through one-to-one calls and structured consultations. • Collate structured inputs from the financial sector into the OOF investment plan, ensuring that banking, insurance, and investor perspectives are reflected — with particular attention to ports and shipping finance, marine and specialty insurance, and plastics value-chain finance. • Provide financial-stakeholder engagement inputs to the OOF strategy, translating market feedback into clear, actionable recommendations for the UN agency partnership. • Co-lead the planning, organisation, facilitation and tracking of Working Group activities under OOF, including agenda setting, speaker engagement, minutes, and follow-up tracking. • Lead UNEP FI engagement with the ports and shipping sector, building on existing UNEP FI convenings (e.g. Mombasa and London roundtables) and maintaining dialogue with the Poseidon Principles community, port authorities, and shipping-adjacent financiers. • Lead UNEP FI engagement with the insurance sector on ocean-related risks and opportunities, in close cooperation with the PSI Secretariat and the Insurance and Risk Centre, on topics including marine underwriting, ocean-linked nature-related risks, and coverage for the sustainable blue economy. • Integrate plastics-related finance workstreams under the blue economy banner, including continued technical input into relevant UNEP FI outputs on plastics supply chains, and alignment with the Climate Journey where relevant. Formal coordination of the PRB Working Group on Pollution, the Circular Economy Community of Practice, and INC/Global Plastics Treaty negotiations remains with the Circular Economy and Pollution Team. • Produce a clear feedback report capturing the outputs of financial-sector engagement and informing the next phase of OOF design. • Represent UNEP FI in relevant external fora, convenings and bilateral meetings related to ocean finance, and contribute to UNEP FI communications outputs on the blue economy as needed. Outputs and Deliverables: • A stakeholder engagement plan for the OOF investment plan, including a target list of approximately 50 financial institutions, segmented by sub-sector (banking, insurance, investors) and thematic focus (ports and shipping, insurance, ocean health and plastics). • At least two UNEP FI member-facing webinars / Q&A sessions on OOF, with participation tracking and a written synthesis of questions and feedback. • 10–15 one-to-one consultations with actively engaged financial institutions, documented in structured summary notes. • A consolidated feedback report on financial-sector inputs to the OOF investment plan. • A structured submission of financial-sector inputs to the OOF strategy. • Working Group facilitation outputs: agendas, meeting notes and an action tracker covering the contract period. • Delivery of, or substantive contribution to, the Mombasa and London roundtables and other agreed ports and shipping convenings. • A short briefing note on insurance-sector priorities for ocean finance, developed jointly with the Insurance and Risk Centre and PSI Secretariat. • A short briefing note on plastics supply-chain finance aligned to the blue economy, including links to the Climate Journey where relevant. • A handover note at contract end summarizing the state of OOF engagement and recommended next steps for 2027. The consultant will report to: Overall supervisor: The Head of UNEP FI. Direct Supervisor: The Head of Nature, UNEP FI Close coordination: The UNEP Marine team, Risk Centre, the PSI Secretariat, the Circular Economy, and Pollution Team, and the wider OOF UN agency partnership

Qualifications/special skills

Education: A master’s degree in environmental management, sustainable finance, economics, international relations, marine science, or a related field is required. A bachelor’s degree could be taken in lieu of master’s degree provided the selected candidate has 9 years of relevant experience. Professional Experience: At least seven (7) years professional experience in sustainable finance, with a demonstrated track record working at the interface of financial institutions and environmental policy is required. Direct experience with UNEP FI workstreams, including prior leadership of plastics- and circular-economy-related finance work, is strongly required. Demonstrated experience engaging the ports and shipping sector and/or the insurance sector on sustainability topics, and experience working with the UN system on multi-stakeholder facility design, are considered important assets.

Languages

Languages: English is the working language of UNEP FI. Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of other United Nations languages is an asset.

Additional Information

Skills & Knowledge: Excellent oral and written communications skills in English; strong interpersonal and convening skills; demonstrated ability to mobilize and steward senior financial-sector stakeholders; ability to work across multiple workstreams (ocean health, plastics supply chains, insurance, ports and shipping) in an organized and timely manner; strong attention to detail. Familiarity with UNEP FI, the PSI, the PRB, the Poseidon Principles, the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles, and the ongoing Global Plastics Treaty negotiations is highly desirable. A hands-on, pragmatic approach, a collaborative style, and the ability to establish and maintain strong working relationships in a multicultural and geographically dispersed team are essential.

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.