UNOPS
Development of a guide on managing transparency of Just Transitions: CFP-11875-2021-13 Grant support-call for proposal

Reference: CFP-11875-2021-13
Beneficiary countries: Multiple destinations (see 'Countries' tab below)
Registration level: Basic
Published on: 23-Nov-2021
Deadline on: 14-Dec-2021 23:59 (GMT 1.00)

Description

The Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT) aims to help countries assess the impacts of their climate policies and actions, and fulfil their transparency commitments. It does this by increasing the overall transparency capacities of countries, including the capacity to assess the contribution of climate policies and actions on GHG levels and on countries’ development objectives, and providing appropriate methodological information and tools to support evidence-based policy-making. ICAT’s innovative approach is to integrate these two aspects.

ICAT focuses on countries that can highlight the benefits of increased transparency to demonstrate policy impact and evidence-based action. ICAT will generate evolving methodological guidance and extract best practices, to be publicly available to all actors, increasing the global knowledge base. ICAT’s work is country-driven, efforts build on existing Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems and knowledge in countries and complement previous or on-going activities by other initiatives, where applicable.

The concept of Just Transitions has gained increasing attention as countries implement actions and policies to reach the objective of the Paris Agreement, to limit the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. As countries transition away from carbon intensive production and consumption and towards sustainable and green economies, a greater awareness has developed of the need to ensure that these transitions are also fair and just. This means that such transitions must consider the fundamental rights of all those involved, in particular the most vulnerable, and by doing so they can lead to positive climate and societal outcomes, and contribute to advancing justice and equality for all.

From this context, a significant need has emerged for more guidance on how to integrate and assess Just Transitions considerations in climate policies and actions, to facilitate the development of policies that support a rapid and fair transition. Transitions that are well-managed and supported by well-designed policies and actions lead to positive impacts on livelihoods and communities that in turn result in less public resistance to the changes involved in such transitions. Many developing countries that heavily rely on fossil fuels, for instance, need to find ways to ensure that an energy transition does not leave behind workers in industries that will disappear and that societies and regions currently dominated by such industries are adequately supported. Credible policies and approaches that secure a just transition are based on evidence and backed by an M&E framework that allows for tracking and adjusting course as needed. This is in line with ICAT’s approach to support countries in developing evidence-based climate policy.

ICAT is thus seeking a grantee to develop a guide to support countries in integrating in their measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) / transparency frameworks data and information to support Just Transitions and allow for tracking of progress. The guide should target government officials, representatives of civil society, and experts advising them. It should advise on data and data categories, as well as good practice processes for managing the MRV activities in a transparent manner. The guide will be an important addition to the existing ICAT series of policy assessment guides, which aim to support policymakers and other users to assess the impacts of countries’ climate policies and actions. In particular, the guide will provide an additional dimension that complements the existing ICAT Sustainable Development guide and methodology.

Entities interested in submitting proposals in response to this CFP are hereby invited to prepare proposals and send them to icat@unops.org, no later than 14 December 2021, 23:59 CEST.