INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANCY TO DEVELOP THE SADC REGIONAL CARBON MARKET FRAMEWORK

SADC SECRETARIAT

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANTS SELECTION)

COUNTRY: Botswana

NAME OF PROJECT: SADC REGIONAL CLIMATE RESILIENCE PROJECT (RCRP)

PROJECT ID: P180171

ASSIGNMENT TITLE: INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANCY TO DEVELOP THE SADC REGIONAL CARBON MARKET FRAMEWORK

REFERENCE NUMBER: SADC/3/5/2/439

DATE OF ISSUE: 27th March 2026

The SADC Secretariat through the SADC Regional Climate Resilience Project (RCRP) has received a grant. The Project is the first in a Series of Projects (SOP), and involves Madagascar, Mozambique, South Sudan and two regional organizations: SADC, and the Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO). The overarching development objective of the SOP is to strengthen the resilience to water-related climate impacts in Eastern and Southern African countries and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services for the assessment and development of operational and coordination manuals for adaptive social protection programs in the SADC Region.

In view of the above, the SADC Secretariat is undertaking a number of interventions aimed at increasing the resilience of the SADC economies, improvement of livelihoods of the region’s communities and the protection and restoration of biodiversity and the region’s ecosystems. One such initiative is the Regional Climate Resilience Program (RCRP), which is a programmatic framework (structured as a series of projects or SOPs), funded by the World Bank, with the objective of strengthening the resilience to water-related climate hazards and their impacts in Eastern and Southern African countries. The first project within this program, RCRP-1 supports Madagascar, Mozambique, South Sudan, Comoros, and two regional organizations: SADC, and the Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO) while the second project (RCRP-2) supports Malawi and the African Union. The SOP allows for scalability (countries can join at different times) and economies of scale. It supports catalytic medium- to large-scale investments to reduce people’s exposure to climate shocks, with a focus on protective, multi-benefit infrastructure; risk adaptation and mitigation via improved early warning systems and planning; and scaling up adaptive safety nets and decentralized resilience building activities.

The SADC Secretariat intends to apply part of the proceeds of this financing to eligible payments under the contract for hiring an INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANCY TO DEVELOP THE SADC REGIONAL CARBON MARKET FRAMEWORK

The SADC Secretariat invites submissions from suitably qualified and interested individual consultants to conduct the training, recruited as individual consultant following World Bank Procurement Regulations dated September 2023.

Title : INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANCY TO DEVELOP THE SADC REGIONAL CARBON MARKET FRAMEWORK (1 Position)

Time Commitment : 100%

Accountable : Head Disaster Risk Reduction Unit

Duration of Assignment: 3 months

• The Objectives of the Assignment

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• Overall objective

The consultant will be responsible for delivering a high-quality, evidence-based Draft Regional Carbon Market Framework that reflects international best practices while being tailored to the unique context of SADC Member States

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• Purpose (Specific Objectives)

The specific objectives of the assignment are to:

• Perform an in-depth analysis of existing global, continental, regional, and national carbon market frameworks, policies, regulations, and initiatives. This will include both compliance and voluntary carbon markets, with attention to mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, CORSIA, emerging regional carbon initiatives (e.g., Africa Carbon Markets Initiative), and successful national models. The review should identify best practices, lessons learnt, success factors, and potential pitfalls relevant to SADC's context.

• Design and implement a stakeholder engagement strategy to consult key actors across the carbon market value chain. These stakeholders include government ministries (e.g., environment, energy, finance), regulatory bodies, private sector companies (project developers, carbon credit buyers, investors), civil society organisations, Indigenous groups, SADC Secretariat, and development partners. The consultations should aim to capture diverse perspectives, validate assumptions, understand capacity needs, and foster regional ownership of the framework.

• Assess the existing legal and institutional landscape within SADC Member States to identify enabling conditions and regulatory gaps. The consultant will propose a structure for the regional framework that ensures legal robustness, minimises transaction costs, supports market liquidity, and promotes environmental and social integrity. This analysis must address issues such as carbon credit ownership; monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) standards; registries; avoidance of double-counting; cross-border transactions; and alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals.

1.3 Expected results

The consultant is expected to achieve the following results in the following:

• Inception Report

• An Inception Report detailing the consultant’s understanding of the Terms of Reference, the proposed methodology and approach, the composition of the expert team, and the expected outputs.

• The report should also include a detailed Gantt chart outlining delivery timelines, milestones, and stakeholder engagement plans.

• Assessment Report

• A comprehensive baseline and readiness assessment report on the current status of carbon market development in SADC Member States.

• The report should highlight policy and legal frameworks, institutional capacity, mitigation project pipelines, existing MRV systems, and opportunities for regional harmonization.

• It should also provide an analysis of barriers and enabling conditions for SADC’s participation in international and voluntary carbon markets.

• Draft SADC Carbon Market Framework and Institutional Coordination Guidelines

• A proposed regional carbon market framework, including governance structures, legal and institutional arrangements, and harmonized MRV guidelines.

• Recommendations for coordination between national institutions, the SADC Secretariat, development partners, and the private sector to ensure transparency, accountability, and equitable benefit-sharing.[1]

• Guidance on establishing regional/national registries and linkages to international markets (Article 6, VCM, CORSIA).

• MRV guidance shall include indicators for E&S co-benefits and safeguard performance (e.g., inclusion, grievance resolution, benefit-sharing).

• Workshop Summary Report

• A synthesis of stakeholder consultation workshops conducted at regional and national levels.

• The report should capture discussions, feedback received, key insights, and recommendations for refining the framework.

• It should document agreements reached and identify capacity-building priorities for Member States.

• QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Qualifications and skills

Minimum Academic Qualification: A Master’s degree (or higher) in Environmental Science, Climate, Change, Development/Climate Finance, Environmental Economics, Sustainable Finance, Law, or another relevant discipline with a strong climate policy or environmental governance component

• Analytical and Technical Expertise: Proven capability in carbon market analysis, climate finance structuring, or policy formulation with an emphasis on market-based climate mechanisms, particularly within developing or emerging economies.

• Communication and Reporting Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, including the ability to translate complex technical and regulatory concepts into concise, actionable content. The consultant must also be capable of producing high-quality reports, frameworks, and policy briefs tailored to technical and non-technical audiences.

• Language Skills: Proficiency in French and/or Portuguese (spoken or written) will be considered an advantage, given the multilingual context of the SADC region.

(ii) Specific Professional Experience

To ensure the successful execution of the assignment, the consultant or consulting team must meet the following academic and skills-related requirements:

• Stakeholder Engagement and Facilitation Skills: Demonstrated ability to effectively engage a diverse range of stakeholders, including government entities, private sector actors, civil society organisations, and international development partners. The consultant must possess strong facilitation skills for organising and guiding multi-stakeholder consultations, validation workshops, and high-level dialogues.

(iii) General Professional Experience

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• A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in climate policy, carbon markets, and/or environmental finance, including both compliance and voluntary market instruments.

• Proven expertise in designing or implementing carbon market mechanisms such as emissions trading schemes, carbon credit systems, and results-based finance.

• Demonstrated understanding of the Paris Agreement, with specific focus on Article 6 mechanisms (ITMOs, Article 6.4 mechanism, and non-market approaches).

• Regional experience in the SADC region is highly desirable, particularly in cross-border or regional climate initiatives.

• Experience working with governments, RECs, international organisations, or climate finance institutions (e.g., GCF, GEF, NAMA Facility) is a strong advantage.

• Ability to lead or contribute to multi-disciplinary teams involving legal, financial, and technical expertise.

• Duration of the assignment

The Individual Consultant will work within the 3 months from the date of signing the agreement.

• Facilities to be provided by the Client

The assignment will mostly be home-based and shall require travel to the Botswana to conduct the training and technical assistance.

• Locati