GHG Accounting Specialist

Organizational Context

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) supports the transformation to efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems globally. The independent Office of Evaluation (OED) conducts evaluations of FAO's strategies, programmes, and projects. OED generates evidence to inform decisions, support oversight, and ensure accountability. It evaluates projects related to climate change mitigation and adaptation, including those funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector, which often involve greenhouse gas (GHG) estimations.

Job Purpose

This role focuses on GHG accounting and carbon flux estimation within the AFOLU sector. The specialist will apply and critically assess GHG accounting tools such as EX-ACT, IPCC Inventory Software, and NEXT, ensuring alignment with IPCC Guidelines. Key responsibilities include providing methodological guidance and quality assurance for project-level GHG estimates in FAO, GCF, and GEF evaluations. Additionally, the role involves capacity development for OED staff and evaluation consultants on GHG accounting methodologies and tools, contributing to more robust and credible evaluation findings.

Responsibilities

The GHG Accounting Specialist will provide technical and methodological guidance to OED staff and consultants on selecting and applying GHG accounting tools (EX-ACT, IPCC Inventory Software, NEXT) for project evaluations. This includes conducting comparative analyses of different estimation approaches, advising on harmonization of inputs and assumptions, and identifying/correcting methodological errors or data gaps. The specialist will review and validate GHG estimates in project evaluations, particularly for GCF and GEF-funded projects, ensuring consistency with IPCC Guidelines and verifying completeness, accuracy, and transparency across AFOLU categories and carbon pools. They will assess the appropriateness of tier levels and land representation approaches, applying cross-validation practices where feasible. The role also involves supporting the development of standardized guidance documents, maintaining a decision log for methodological choices, and ensuring clear documentation of any discrepancies in GHG figures. Furthermore, the specialist will provide training and serve as an internal helpdesk for GHG accounting queries, contribute to training materials, and collaborate on integrating GHG indicators into evaluation instruments. Strategic support includes advising management on project selection for detailed GHG analysis and engaging with national partners to align project data with national reporting needs.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven years of relevant professional experience in GHG accounting, carbon flux estimation, or climate change mitigation assessment, with a focus on the AFOLU sector, is necessary. Demonstrated practical experience with at least two of the following tools is required: EX-ACT, IPCC Inventory Software, or NEXT.

Skills

Essential skills include in-depth knowledge of IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (2006, 2013 Wetlands Supplement, 2019 Refinement), including AFOLU methodologies. The ability to critically assess the quality, completeness, and transparency of project-level GHG estimates against IPCC principles is crucial. Experience with scenario analysis for climate mitigation projects and familiarity with GCF and GEF accounting requirements are important. Understanding the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) and the ability to communicate complex methodological findings clearly to non-specialist audiences are also key. Experience in monitoring, evaluation, or quality assurance within a development organization is advantageous. Hands-on experience applying EX-ACT, IPCC Inventory Software, or NEXT to real datasets in the AFOLU sector, along with experience developing methodological guidance or training materials, is highly desirable.

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