UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) – Regional Lead for Latin America and Caribbean

Through these services the Initiative will be able to engage a broad range of financial institutions, including commercial banks, 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 300 banks collectively holding USD 89 trillion in assets, or almost half 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). The consultant will contribute with the sustainable finance hub with members in Latin America & the Caribbean. The outcomes of services will be to strengthen the UNEP FI Latin American and Caribbean regional network, and help UNEP FI achieve its goals as set in its UNEP project documents and Principles for Responsible Banking and Principles for Sustainable Insurance. This will help member institutions to integrate sustainability into operations. The services will also help promote sustainability into all aspects of the financial sector’s products and services. Finally, the services will help the Initiative broaden its outreach both within UNEP/UN and externally to banks, insurers, governments, regulators, the private sector, and multi-stakeholders, including supporting institutions. The consultant’s work will also contribute to upholding UN core values, ensuring that human rights-based approach, the principle of leaving no one behind and gender equality and women’s empowerment are integrated throughout their work at UNEP FI’s.

Working remotely / Home-based

4 months

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. UNEP’s work is firmly grounded in the UN core values, including the human rights-based approach, the commitment to leaving no one behind, and the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment across all activities. The overall objective of the UNEP’s 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 members in Latin America & the Caribbean need support to implement the Principles for Responsible Banking (PRB) and Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI), and thematic topics including climate change, nature and policy & regulatory engagement require support for outreach, awareness raising and engagement in LAC. UNEP FI requires a consultant to lead the Latin America and Caribbean network and to support the development of the Brazilian taxonomy. The Regional Lead role involves institutional representation, relationship management, and regionalized support. The role in the Brazilian taxonomy involves supporting the development and engagement with consultants, industry associations, and financial institutions, as well as alignment with the government and other partners. Objectives: The consultant needs to contribute to UNEP FI strategy regarding institutional and system change: • Delivery of capacity-building events for financial institutions • Support the delivery of regional capacity-building activities. • Support the expansion of PRB and PSI membership in the LAC Region • Support implementation of the Brazilian taxonomy Specific Tasks and Responsibilities: The Consultant will carry out the following project tasks for UNEP FI; Regional Lead • Disseminate UNEP FI programme and engage with thematic and industry teams (planning and implementation) and encourage member engagement and uptake in the annual ‘global’ work programme • Set an engagement plan (bilateral meetings, webinars, projects and other local opportunities for all members) • Define potential growth opportunities and outreach to potential members • Support member engagement in UNEP FI governance processes, consultations, and surveys. • Develop a regional workplan and submit regional activities according to needs/gaps/resources, aligned with UNEP FI strategy and global work programmes, and in partnership with UNEP FI secretariat. • Support capacity building activities, trainings, peer to peer exchange, PRB Academy and technical assistance, collaborating with UNEP FI teams and external partners and in line with UNEP FI workplan (CoP for Nature, Circular Economy) • Organize the Regional Advisory Body meetings once a year. • Organize Regional Roundtables and support Global Roundtable • Work with supporters and other local partners to disseminate global and regional resources and plans. • Collaborate with UNEP Regional Offices and other UN agencies (Regional Leads will have UNEP Regional Offices as their Additional Reporting Line), and in coordination with UN RCs. • Engage with regulators and policymakers in partnership with Policy Team (both teams aligned on the approach and priorities) • Support implementation and monitoring for existing and new donor-funded projects in Brazil, including stakeholder engagement and inputs for donor reporting, such as: Center of Climate Risks for Financial Regulators and Supervisors, Taxonomy for LAC, IFACC in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina, TNFD in Brazil and LAC Region, R4N in Brazil, and LAC • Support progress monitoring, communications, and administrative processes, such as PRB reporting, invoice payments and ad hoc requests from the Secretariat. • Work with Comms team to tailor communication to members, update regional webpage/members area and share knowledge across financial ecosystem on good practices. Brazilian taxonomy • Support the development and piloting of the Brazilian taxonomy. • Provide technical expertise to achieve results/activities/deliverables as defined in the published BST Action Plan, the agreed workplans, and other relevant documents through timely and quality implementation, and monitoring and reporting. • Engage with industry associations, financial institutions, and key partners to achieve expected results. • Collaborate with the Ministry of Finance of Brazil, other authorities. • Participate in the BST governance structure, GIZ team, and other non-governmental counterparts relevant for the BST process. Ensure that all communications outputs reflect UNEP and UN core values, including human rights-based approach, the principle of leaving no one behind and gender equality and women’s empowerment, and contribute to internal awareness on these values. • Support the implementation of UNEP FI’s 2026–2029 Social Action Plan by including all relevant measures from the plan in their work. The consultant will report to: Overall supervisor: The Head of UNEP FI. Direct Supervisor: The Regional Coordination, UNEP FI Close coordination: The consultant will work closely with colleagues in LAC, the regional coordination team, industry and thematic teams and communications and events colleagues

Education: A master’s degree in communications, marketing, business, sustainability or environment, finance, international relations, business administration or related fields 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 7 years of experience in international organisations, the financial services sector, private sector or NGOs supporting the intersection between sustainable development and finance is required. Experience in client-facing role in financial services of sustainability-related consulting will be an asset.

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

Skills & Knowledge: Knowledge of project development and planning; Good coordination, organization and planning skills, with the ability to work under pressure; Manages competing demands and changes approach or methods to suit the situation. Has good knowledge of banking sector or sustainable finance.