Forestry/Environmental Consultant to Carry out Assessment of Feasibility for Carbon Sequestration and Carbon Stock Services of Forest

INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT SCOPE OF WORK

A. DAI ORGANIZATION AND VALUES

DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, EU, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Palestine and project operations worldwide. We tackle fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. DAI works on the frontlines of global development. Transforming ideas into action—action into impact. We are committed to shaping a more livable world.

DAI and its employees are committed to confronting racism and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and work. DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.

DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All of our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.

B. PROJECT BACKGROUND

The USAID Sustainable Forest Management Project (the Project) will work with the Government of Vietnam (GVN) to reduce carbon emissions associated with deforestation, the degradation of natural forests, and poor plantation management. The Project will implement a “Green Prosperity” approach that strengthens local communities’ ability to protect their natural resource base and reduce emissions while building a strong foundation for sustainable livelihoods and equitable economic growth.

The Project will work in seven provinces (Lao Cai, Son La, Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Tri, Quang Nam) and focus on five objectives:

1. Improve and expand community forest management
2. Increase conservation-friendly enterprises in forest-dependent communities
3. Increase functionality of law enforcement system for forest crimes
4. Improve production forest management practices
5. Mobilize domestic resources for forest management and protection

The Project will be implemented during the period 2020-2025 by DAI in collaboration with RECOFTC and Preferred by Nature as partners, with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) as the counterpart and the Management Board of Forestry Projects (MBFP) as project owner.

C. DESCRIPTION OF CONSULTANCY SERVICE:

I. BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

On November11, 20217 the 14th National Assembly issued Forestry Law No. 16/2017/QH14 effectively since January 1, 2019; item d, point 2, article 63 of the Law regulates “ organizations, individuals having business, production causing large GHGs must pay for services of carbon sequestration and stock”, and Law of Environmental protection No. 72/2020/QH14 (effective since January 1, 2022) has article 139 regulating organize and develop carbon market in which GHGs emission companies must to join offset mechanism to reduce their GHGs.

In 2019, MARD submitted the Central governmental office a draft decision of piloting CPFES in 4 provinces and with two sectors of thermal power plants (with 9 companies) and cement companies (11 companies). In new situation especially when regulations of domestic carbon trading are under development, MARD with contact point VNFOREST needs to study, identify suitable approach for CPFES in order to ensure ability to mobilize payment for carbon sequestration services of the forest from organizations, individuals having large GHGs emission activities according to Forestry Law and on the other side also suitable with domestic carbon trading market.

Besides until now in Vietnam there are different projects, programs, studies, organizations such as FIP, The World Bank, CIFOR, LEAF, ect. identifying capacity of forest to sequester carbon. However, in order to have foundation estimate potential for carbon sequestration in whole country and foundation to develop MRV system for issuing and trade credits, there should be an assessment to select suitable methods. In order to determine a specific approach to forest carbon sequestration and storage services, VFBC/DAI project in collaboration with the Vietnam Forest Protection and Development Fund (VNFF) needs to recruit consultants to carry out preliminary research and provide the necessary information for advising VNFOREST on the plan to develop CPFES in the next period.

II. OVERALL GOAL

This consultancy is intended to carry out primary assessment of potential for CPFES in direction of selling carbon credits for companies in Vietnam and other countries and identify activities to be taken by the forestry sector.

III. DETAILED GOALS

1. Identify potential of carbon sequestration from forest and potential to trade credits from forest
2. Identify needed policies to trade forest credits
3. Identify activities the forestry sector needs to prepare to trade carbon credits domestically and orientation to export credits.

IV. SCOPE OF WORK AND TASKS

1. Scope of work

• Assess the status, evaluate advantages, difficulties and barriers in the current policy and legal framework context to propose the CPFES mechanism harmonized with orientation of domestic carbon trading development;
• Assess the potential of forest carbon credits trading for the whole forestry sector;
• Evaluate potential to develop domestic MRV system for forest carbon trading.

2. Specific tasks

2.1. Carry out assessment

The forestry consultant will lead the activities and work closely with the policy consultant in order to produce an assessment of feasibility to have a new approach for CPFES. The assessment must cover the following aspects:

2.1.1. Status assessment:

• Review domestic legal regulations, identifying difficulties and barriers to implementing the CPFES mechanism
• Identify possible challenges for CPFES and solutions
• Review reports, studies, projects/programs of other organizations such as the World bank, LEAF, CIFOR, FIPI on methodology to measure and results of forest capacity on carbon sequestration and carbon storage in order to propose suitable methods being applied for MRV for carbon sequestration using in domestic market;
• Review the experience of countries applying forest carbon credit trading mechanisms, carbon offset mechanism for forestry projects and identify orientation for developing a mechanism of forest credit trading in the domestic market of Vietnam.
• Review experience, challenges of selling credits via other mechanism such as REDD+ (ERPA projects), CDM, recent commitment of Government of Vietnam in COP 26 and recommend solutions for CPFES
• Review experience in other countries in using and developing domestic MRV for forest credits in domestic market.

2.1.2.   Potential assessment:

• Assess potential of forest carbon sequestration potential, determine the potential for issuing credits by forest types and forest producers (based on previous calculation from other projects/studies on carbon sequestration) to trade with industrial companies that have to reduce emissions;
• Identify potential of payments if CPFES is changed to forest credit trading (domestic and export credit if possible);
• Identify potential for domestic MRV (including verification and validation) to answer for question “whether it is possible to develop a domestic MRV? And how much detail this domestic MRV should be?)

2.1.3.   Proposed solutions and next steps:

• Propose the roadmap for VNFOREST and related departments to implement the CPFES mechanism in a suitable approach (including recommendation of developing/revising policies); prepare readiness for carbon credit trading;
• Evaluate, compare new approach of CPFES with previous proposal in 2019;
• Propose solutions to increase revenues for forest protection and development through domestic carbon credit trading;
• Propose criteria, methods, steps and stakeholders to participate to build a simple, easy-to-apply domestic MRV system for the forestry sector/forest owners and to supplement MRV criteria for credit export if applicable.
• In order to complete the assessment, the forestry/environmental consultant needs to have close collaboration with a policy consultant in discussion to find a suitable solution for CPFES.

2.2.     Join different meetings

The forestry/environment consultant will work closely with VNFF, VNFOREST’s departments to complete the assessment and prepare different presentations to present the findings to VNFOREST. He/she also will join meetings with relevant ministries/sectors to get information for the assessment.

V. LOCATION

Hanoi, Vietnam

VI. CONSULTATION TIME (LOE) AND DELIVERABLES

All submitted deliverables are in Vietnamese

VII. QUALIFICATIONS

VIII. How to apply and requested documents

Individual interested candidates are requested to submit:

• A CV in English and Vietnamese
• A cover letter in English indicating why they are suitable for this position along with salary requirements and current contact details of at least three referees
• Scanned copy of related degrees

via email to our recruitment email at [email protected]. Please quote the position title in the subject line: “Candidate’s full name _ Environmental/forestry expert”

Deadline for application: 5.00 p.m. (Hanoi time), December 26, 2021

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To learn more about DAI, please visit our website: https://www.dai.com/

DAI is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer with a commitment to diversity. DAI does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, parental status, veteran status, or other non-merit factor