The ACMI director role is being recruited by the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) to support the development of ACMI. The role will report to the ACMI sponsor organisations - GEAPP, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Sustainable Energy for ALL (SEforALL) – with significant engagement with our close partners within the UN Economic Commission for Africa and UN Climate Champions.
The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) is an alliance of local entrepreneurs, governments in emerging and developed economies, and technology, policy, and financing partners. Established at COP 26, GEAPP mission is to support developing countries’ shift to a clean energy, pro-growth model that ensures universal energy access and unlocks a new era of inclusive economic growth, while enabling the global community to meet critical climate goals during the next decade. In doing so, as an Alliance GEAPP aims to enable 150 million new jobs, reduce 4 gigatons of future carbon emissions, and expand clean energy access to one billion people. With philanthropic partners, Bezos Earth Fund, IKEA Foundation, and The Rockefeller Foundation, GEAPP works to build the enabling environment, capacity, and market conditions for private sector solutions, catalyze new business models through innovation and entrepreneurship, and deploy high-risk capital to encourage private sector solutions, and assist just transition solutions.
The Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI) is a continent-wide effort launched at COP27 that aims to build the foundations for a thriving voluntary carbon market (VCM) ecosystem in Africa by 2030. Its key sponsors are GEAPP, Sustainable Energy for All and The Rockefeller Foundation. To achieve its ambition, a number of challenges must be overcome, including: fragmented projects and carbon generating assets, limited and fragmented developers on the ground, and a complex and uncertain regulatory landscape. Meanwhile, intermediation and demand are being held back by concerns about the integrity of some carbon credits and fair distribution of value. To build vibrant and robust voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) in Africa, ACMI includes 4 core objectives:
To achieve these objectives, ACMI has laid out a roadmap of 13 Action Programmes across the VCM value chain – spanning supply, intermediation and financing, and demand - further grouped under 5 Thematic Groups to allow for knowledge pooling and synergies in implementation.
Joining GEAPP means being part of a global Alliance and a mission driven team, collaborating with colleagues across regions and countries on the most pressing challenges of our time: climate change and the equitable distribution of clean energy. Working on the ACMI will further allow to participate in one of the most thriving sector of the fight against climate change, that of voluntary carbon markets, in its most exciting geography: Africa.
The Director, ACMI, hired by GEAPP, will hold the core of ACMI work together during the initial phase of institutional set-up, coordinating the strategic implementation of all 13 Action Programme in the lead-up to COP28. They will be responsible for overseeing progress along each Action Programme, working closely with each Project Coordinator responsible for leading a specific Thematic Group to ensure the successful implementation of the ACMI roadmap. The role will require extensive entrepreneurial spirit to identify best partners, solutions, and plan of action for ACMI Action Programmes whilst navigating the rapidly evolving context of voluntary carbon markets in Africa.
Accountabilities
· Lead and oversee ACMI Action Programme implementation across the different Thematic Groups, coordinating with the respective Project Coordinators in helping advancing progress and supporting in the identification of solutions and partners as needed.
· Contribute to refining the ACMI Roadmap in the lead-up to COP28, defining initiatives to be prioritized and key milestones to be achieved with ACMI main sponsors, as well as sharing the plan with ACMI Board of Director and Steering Committee.
· Serve as a spokesperson for ACMI alongside the main Sponsors, representing ACMI in external conversations, forums and partnerships, building and utilizing external presence and relationships to garner new opportunities for ACMI
· Support building ACMI to become a standalone African NGO in the long term, including defining the organization structure and setting strategic objectives leading up to COP28 and beyond.
· Serve as a point of reference for ACMI Board of Directors and Steering Committee, reporting on progress and reaching out for strategic inputs as needed.
· Coordinate the fundraising strategy and pipeline, engaging, reaching out to donors and sponsors, and closing out grant funding.
· Coordinate the external Communication strategy, liaising with the Communication Specialist in prioritizing ACMI participation to events and defining key messages to be shared with the wider public.
· Maintain relationships and identify implementing partners, donors, and thought partners to help drive the overall roadmap of activities.
· Ensure ACMI complies with all the statutory requirements for the continuity of operations, including GEAPP legal obligations and responsibilities.
· Cultivate best practices within ACMI, to ensure the maintenance of high levels of personal and professional integrity.
Required experience
· Graduate degree with excellent academic record in Business Administration / Social Sciences / International Affairs / Development / Sustainability or another relevant field.
· Strong entrepreneurial background with demonstrated experience taking an ambitious idea and building it into an institution.
· Significant experience in / knowledge of carbon markets, especially if in Africa. This includes:
o Knowledge of various carbon credit standards and registries i.e., Verra, Gold Standard, American Carbon Registry, Global Carbon Project, etc.
o Deep knowledge on carbon credit programs, mechanisms, markets and trading schemes (CDM, VCMs, compliance), especially in emerging economies.
o Knowledge and understanding of carbon credit project value chain, from project design to carbon credit sale, with awareness of main players involved and existing challenges.
· Experience in emerging markets and developing countries, with demonstrated expertise working with development, political and social issues across Africa.
· Experience in working with ambiguity and navigating complex environments.
· Experience interacting as thought partner with senior stakeholders.
· Ability to communicate complex ideas effectively, both verbally and in writing, in English. Fluency in other languages (e.g., French, Portuguese, Arabic) is an advantage.
· Fundamental entrepreneurial drive, with strategic thinking and demonstrated project management skills coupled with ability to engage teams, setting an example as distinct and principled leader.
· Rigorous and solution-oriented problem solving and analytical skills, combined with capability of thinking through nuanced and complex situations.
· Ability to influence and steer actors along across different levels of seniority; strong negotiator and business developer, ability to establish strategic partnerships with other stakeholders.
· Ability to work independently in high-pressure contexts.
· Motivated and passionate about advancing carbon markets and aligned to ACMI’s values and mission.
· Ability and willingness to travel across African countries and neighboring regions to represent ACMI.
