Sustainable Universities Programme Consultant

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 West Asia Office delivers advisory services and capacity building support to countries to achieve environmental and sustainable development objectives. This consultancy is established at the West Asia Office within the framework of the Strategic Cooperation Agreement between UNEP and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Consultant will report to the Project Manager at the UNEP West Asia Office.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager in UNEP West Asia Office and in coordination with the respective departments at MEWA, the Consultant will carry out, inter alia, the following duties & responsibilities:

1. Green University Network Establishment: Develop the concept, strategy, framework and governance structure for the Saudi Green University Network (GUN). Develop membership criteria for joining the network and conduct preliminary profiles for potential universities. Facilitate stakeholder consultations with universities, government agencies, and international organizations to align GUN objectives with Saudi Vision 2030. Design and contribute to a national forum to introduce the Saudi GUN, promote academic institutions' role in environmental sustainability, and advocate for the adoption of UNEP's Green Universities Toolkit, including an assessment of its cost-benefit for participating universities.
2. Integrating Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions: Conduct a gap analysis of Saudi Arabia’s Universities' current sustainability efforts and identify key challenges and opportunities. Develop guidelines for integrating sustainability into the curricula of Higher Education Institutions (HEI), aligned with best practices from UNEP's Green Universities Toolkit and other relevant UN Guidance Documents. Conduct a pilot study on the integration of sustainability-focused academic majors (such as finance or economics) in selected universities.
3. Capacity Building and Training: Design and deliver 2 training sessions for selected university administrators and sustainability officers on sustainability strategies using UNEP's Green Universities Toolkit.
4. Benchmarking & Ranking Systems: Develop a benchmarking strategy and produce a preliminary report assessing Saudi Arabia universities sustainability performance compared to international best practices and renowned university ranking systems.
5. Reporting and Knowledge Sharing: Prepare a comprehensive final report, summarizing key achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations for replicating, expanding and sustaining the GUN initiative.

Qualifications/special skills

A master’s degree or equivalent in Higher Education Management, Sustainable Development, Environmental Policy, Environmental Sciences, or Environmental Engineering is required. Holding a PhD is an added asset. A minimum of 10 years of experience in environmental sustainability, higher education sustainability programs, or university policy development is required. Proven track record in designing and implementing Green University initiatives or similar environmental sustainability strategies in higher education institutions is required. Familiarity with international sustainability frameworks such as: UNEP's Green Universities Toolkit, Global Universities Partnership on Environment for Sustainability (GUPES), Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings is required. Demonstrated expertise in campus sustainability assessments, including benchmarking, carbon footprint analysis, and sustainable operations (energy, waste, water, and green infrastructure) is desirable. Knowledge of environmental sustainability issues in Saudi Arabia or the West Asia region is an asset.

Languages

Fluency in English and Arabic is required.