REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

Environment and Climate Finance Division

Climate Change and Green Growth Department

African Development Bank

Rue Jean Paul II, Plateau, CCIA, 01 BP 1387 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire

RECRUITMENT OF AN INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT – SUPPORT OF GCF FUNDING PROPOSALS DEVELOPMENT: MITIGATION.

Introduction :

The African Development Bank Group (the AfDB) hereby invites Individual Consultants to indicate their interest in the following Assignment: Experienced Climate Finance Specialist to support the development of GCF Funding Proposals with mitigation focus.

The Ten-Year Strategy (TYS 2013-2022) of the AfDB focuses on two objectives: inclusive growth and the transition to green growth. The 3 key pillars of the green growth agenda are 1. Enhancing climate resilience :

2. Managing natural resources and 3. Promoting sustainable infrastructure. The AfDB is scaling up the implementation of the TYS 2013-2022 with the Hi-5s (1. Light up and Power Africa, 2. Integrate Africa ;

3. Industrialize Africa, 4. Feed Africa and 5. Improve the quality of life for Africans). The operationalization of the Hi-5s include mainstreaming low carbon and climate resilient measures in the relevant policies, programs, projects and operational activities and are captured adequately in the Second Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) from 2016-2022.

Rationale and Objective :

Africa accounts for less than 3% of global carbon dioxide emissions from energy and industrial sources with a per-capita carbon emissions of about 0.84 metric tons per person, compared with a global figure of 4.97 metric tons. However, Africa is developing and at a very fast pace in some countries. With the increasing construction and installation of infrastructure assets such as roads, bridges, energy systems, airports, agricultural production and processing facilities, the continent will not remain as a low carbon development region if adequate finance is not provided to help decouple development and growth activities from high carbon emission.

The 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change mandates all countries, including those in Africa, to submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as their commitment to keeping global warming below 2^oC. Currently, African countries have submitted their NDCs with an estimated cost of about US$4 trillion by 2030. The AfDB estimates the amount required for low-carbon growth (mitigation) per year in Africa to be between US$ 9 to 12 billion. This is because low carbon development pathway does not mean a zero-carbon pathway and consistent with Article 2 of the Paris Agreement, emissions from Africa will continue to rise as the continent develops unless adequate resources are provided to integrate low carbon measures in development activities.

The AfDB has been assisting Regional Member Countries (RMCs) to mobilize financial resources from international financing mechanisms such as the Global Environment Fund (GEF) and the Climate Investment Funds (CIFs). It is an implementing agency for several climate funds and manages other relevant financing instruments such as the Africa Water Facility (AWF), the ClimDev-Africa Special Fund (CDSF) the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA). The AfDB has committed to having climate finance constitute 40% of approved operations and to double its commitment to climate finance to US$ 25 billion for 2020-2025.

As an Accredited Entity of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the AfDB is supporting RMCs to mobilize GCF resources at scale towards the implementation of their NDCs. To date, AfDB has mobilized over $380 million from GCF for 7 funding proposals covering 18 RMCs in Africa. The AfDB was accredited as an International Entity to handle large size (> $250 million) funded activities with High risk (Category A/I-1) Intermediation. This will provide the opportunity to blend GCF resources with internal AfDB resources to de-risk, fund the incremental costs of climate measures and also provide the critical investments needed to execute low-carbon and climate-resilient projects in Africa. It is in pursuit of this commitment to scale up climate finance in Africa that AfDB is seeking for a consultant to support the development of funding proposals with mitigation focus.

Tasks and Deliverables :

Major Duties and responsibilities will include the following among others :

• Review concept notes and funding proposals including supporting feasibility studies, financial models, term sheets, environment and social (E&S) safeguard reports to ensure that there is strong climate rational for the mitigation measures and activities proposed ;
• Support the integration of climate mitigation measures in projects and programmes that comply with the GCF requirements such as the Investment Criteria and Results Management Framework and the Bank Greenhouse Accounting tool for assessing and managing the carbon intensity of projects, whilst also identifying adaptation and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) co-benefits ;
• Provide technical assistance and advisory services for the development and submission of funding proposals (including project preparation funding proposals) for the projects included in the Bank’s Entity Work Plan (EWP) with GCF ;
• Support the structuring of financial instruments for projects that takes into consideration GCF funding for de-risking, covering incremental costs of climate measures and facilitating investments on concessional terms ;
• Assist the GCF Coordination team to follow up with RMCs and relevant departments/divisions within the Bank to expedite the preparation and submission of GCF funding proposals to enhance access to GCF climate finance ;
• Support Task Managers of funding proposals to develop detailed budget with strong justification of the respective costs for the activities and to provide compelling climate rationale for GCF co-financing of expected activities ;
• Assist with responding to GCF for further information and clarifications of climate change justifications underlying the components, activities, outputs, outcomes and the intended paradigm shifts of funding proposal. Provide any additional task that may be required by the AfDB GCF coordination team members and management.

Qualifications and experience required :

The applicant must have :

• At least a university degree at the Master level in Engineering, climate modeling, Geography, Economics, Energy, Climate Change, Climate Finance, Agriculture or in other relevant field ;
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience working in one or a combination of the following: (i) infrastructure project development, (ii) execution and management of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, (iii) climate finance, (iv) waste to energy and (v) projects and programmes focusing on carbon sequestration of biomass and water ecosystems ;
• Sound understanding of the policies, strategies, rules, guidelines of Multilateral Development Banks such as AfDB ;
• Sound understanding of the current global climate finance architecture, the governing instrument of the GCF and related criteria and standards such as the Fiduciary Standards and the Investment Criteria ;
• Strong analytical, operational, conceptual and strategic skills ;
• High degree of initiative and strong record of performance with low supervisory requirements to function effectively ;
• Strong inter-personal skills and commitment to work in a team-oriented and multicultural environment ;
• Good knowledge of the Africa region with project management experience in the region ;
• Strong oral and written proficiency in English and/or French and a good command of the other.

The Climate Change and Green Growth Department is the Department for this consultant recruitment. Interested Consultants shall provide information on their qualifications and experience demonstrating their ability to undertake this Assignment (documents, reference to similar services, experience in similar assignments, etc.). The eligibility criteria, the establishment of a short list and the selection procedures shall be in conformity with the AfDB’s procedures for the acquisition of consulting services funded by the administrative or capital expenditure budget.

Please, note that interest expressed by a Consultant does not imply any obligation on the part of the Bank to include him/her in the shortlist.

The estimated duration of services is 12 months and the estimated starting date is October 25, 2021. Interested Individual Consultants may obtain further information at the address below during the Bank’s working hours: 8h00 to 17h00.

Expressions of interest must be received at the address below no later than Friday, September 24, 2021 at 17h00 local time and specifically mentioning SUPPORT OF GCF FUNDING PROPOSALS DEVELOPMENT: MITIGATION.

Establishment of the short list :

A shortlist of three to six individual consultants will be established at the end the request of expressions of interest. The consultants on the shortlist will be judged on the following criteria on the basis of their updated resume.

For the attention of:

Dr. Timothy Afful-Koomson,

Chief Climate Finance Officer.

Climate Change and Green Growth Department

African Development Bank

Rue Jean Paul II, Plateau, Imm. CCIA, 01 BP 1387 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire

Tel: +225 20 26 4622 ; Cell: +225 05 75 75 07 11

Email : t.afful-koomson@AFDB.ORG